As the eighth-fastest growing municipality in Canada, development in Thorold is booming.
But while new houses are popping up left, right and centre, basic amenities like sidewalks and commercial businesses are often nowhere to be found.
Members of the city’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Advisory Committee feel that the issue is exacerbating housing inequity and creating accessibility and safety concerns.
“I live in Rolling Meadows and there’s absolutely no amenities,” said Vice-Chair Saba Qazi, during a Jan. 4 committee meeting. “There’s absolutely nothing and the public transit is basically non-existent. That’s resulting in an increasing number of people wandering along the side of the highway, which is a huge safety issue.”
While Qazi highlighted Hwy 58 as a particular spot of concern, Chair Rene Nand said she is experiencing the same issues over at Empire Legacy Community on Kottmeier Road.
There are quite a few developments located on the east side of the Welland Canal, from Thorold South all the way to Port Robinson. Because this area is more rural, there's often a lack of basic amenities, and owning a car can almost be a prerequisite to living there.
“Not everyone can afford vehicles,” Qazi said. “We don’t want Thorold to become a community where only rich people can live or where only people above a certain income class can live because there are no amenities or sidewalks or public transit.”
Councillor Tim O'Hare, who sits on the committee, said the issue is one of his pet peeves.
“To build inclusive communities there must be centres within the community where people can gather and buy things,” he said. “Many developers just want to build houses. That’s where they make their money, but we have to provide the needs of the members that live there, not just the houses. I believe in Rolling Meadows they are close to providing some services in a new area they’re developing. I hope that becomes a reality.”
But committee member Andrew Foster thinks that more should be done on a political level to hold developers accountable.
“I don’t trust them to actually follow through so they should have a legally binding contract to force them to do some of this stuff,” he said.
So what can the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Advisory Committee do to tackle the issue?
City Clerk Matthew Trennum thinks that an upcoming review of the city’s official plan could address some of the committee's concerns.
"As the city starts moving through strategic planning over the next four years and eventually getting its official plan in front of council, this committee might have a say in putting some of that feedback forward as they redo and recreate the official plan for the city," he said.
The suggestion was met by enthusiasm from committee members.
“I think there’s definitely a need for accessibility and more affordable housing," concluded Qazi. "Just better planning, with more income groups in mind."
