2-The Canadian Champion, Friday, October 31, 2003 Development, CN terminal hot topics in Ward 1 By JASON MISNER The Champion Reigning in development, or even halting it for a few years, served as the backdrop to Monday night's Ward 1 all-candidates meeting. The seven candidates nunning for the two available ward seats made it clear that the pace and kind of development, both residential and commercial/industrial, will be up for major dis- cussion and scrutiny and will likely define the next three-year term of town council. Ward 1 is curently the fastest-growing area in Milton, with a current population of around 15,000 and rising. A majority of the town's resi- dential development is occurring near Derry Road, east of Thompson Road, and most of the housing construction over the next two years will take place there. A lu.e ward, a aiso has the uniqueness of being home to rural lands amid the housing boom. Bike paths, garage sizes, parking and the sheer number of houses as weil as the infrastructure to support it all were among the development-relat- ed subjects that reverberated throughout the two- hour, well-mannered meeting held at Milton District High School. Attended by about 90 peo- ple, it was organized by the Milton and junior chambers of commerce. Candidates each provided a three-minute introduction about who they are and what they represent, followed by questions from the crowd. The candidates are incumbents Brian Penman and Rick Day as well as Andrew Garrod, John Korta, Lou Medeiros, Greg Nelson and Howard Pfeiffer. T he lust question was the fate of the potential and highly controversial 100-acre CN inter- modal facility on the property bordered by Tremaine Road, First Line, Britannia Road and Lower Base Line, which candidates said would completely reshape Use town. A resident said it's been a year since anything has been heard about the potential facility - a drop off site for packaged consumer goods - and she wanted to know who has the "fight in them" to stop it from becoming a reality. All the candidates were universal in the opin- ion that Use facility must be scrapped and is bad news for Milton. Mr. Medeiros said Usat "council bas to work with all levels of govemment to make it unat- tainable. We need to set up every road block we can. I don't think Milton deserves it." Mr. Korta said low-density enployment iust be kept out of Milton "because the moment that terminal sets up, there will be 100 transportation companies to set up behind it." Mr. Pfeiffer concurred, saying these kinds of plants "bring nothing more than traffic" and Milton already bas enough of that. A question about road construction struck a nerve. Mr. Nelson said one the most common con- cems he hears when out knocking on doors is that the Town has put houses first and roads sec- ond, when it should be the other way around. Mr. Day used the example of the Louis St. Laurent Boulevard, which is to run through the proposed Sherwood Survey north and west of the urban boundary. He said houses will likely be see RESIDENTS on page 4 Train proposal, transit biggest issues in Ward 2 By JASON MISNER The Champion The future of the potential and controversial CN intermodal facility south of town, the need for some form of public transit, political experience and keeping greenspace topped the agenda at the more than two-hour Ward 2 all-candidates meeting Tuesday night. There are seven candidates seeking the two ward seats. With only one of the two current Ward 2 councillors seeking re- election, the stage has been set for a new counçil member repre- senting the ward, which is characterized by the downtown core. Along with incumbent Art Melanson, the candidates are Colin Best, Mike Boughton, Mark Curtis, Beverly Faulknor, Jennifer Mirosolin and Jim Timbers. The two regional councillor candidates for the lone wards 2 and 4 position - Ron Furik and Bill MacKinnon - also took part in the well-behaved meeting. Responses to questions from the crowd on the issues of the CN intermodal facility, transit and greenspace were generally similar. The question about political experience allowed for some varied passionate answers. On the CN intermodal - a drop off site for train containers with packaged consumer goods - all the candidates agreed they don't want the facility to open. A similar question was asked at Use Ward 1 all-candidates meeting and ail seven said they, too, want the proj- ect to go away. Mr. Best told the approximately 140 in attendance at Milton District High School that CN has bought 1,300 acres of land where the terminal is to be located. The area is bounded by Tremaine Road, First Une, Britannia Road and Lower Base Line. He said if the terminal is to go ahead, it should be located near Hwy. 401. The current location is too far away from any 400 series highway and with Tremaine Road and Regional Road 25 the only altematives, major traffic congestion is a given. "Take a guess how much it will cost for the Town to fight this." Ian Thomson of CN Rail told The Champion Wednesday that approximately 1,100 acres of land has been purchased but that no application for the facility has yet been made. "I can't say for sure when that will happen," he said. Mr. Boughton said the location of the CN facility is wrong and if it's ever to be built, "it should be north of the 401, not smack dab in the middle of a rural farming community." Ms Faulknor compared the fight to keep the intermodal out of town to "David and Goliath." "It is with fire in my belly that I will work for you on council," she told the crowd. Transit was recognized as a needed service in town, but some candidates cautioned it comes with a price. Mr. Melanson said a "few years ago we had busing but it became expensive to run after the Province took away funding." The Province used to contribute to transit funding but under the previous Tory govemment it was withdrawn. "I'm certainly in favour of local transit," Mr. Melanson said, hoping the new Liberal govemment will pony up Use two cents from every litre of collected gasoline for transit like it has prom- ised. Mr. Curtis said transit is a must to help seniors get around town. "Our seniors are getting more and more cocooned because their extended family lives beyond Milton." see CANDIDATES on page 4 -J