Mayor Shawn Watters

The future of of Centre Wellington may include a range of housing types, according to the township’s mayor.

Shawn Watters addressed locals at a Mayor’s Town Hall session last night at the Elora Centre for the Arts. Around 50 residents were present at what the township called a “casual” outdoor setting.

Watters was faced with a slew of questions regarding housing and the strategies the township will utilize in the coming years. The mayor didn’t rule out any specific type of housing, stating a “variety” of housing types will be required to address an increasing need. He also didn’t rule out the possibility of higher buildings, apartments, and even tiny homes in the next ten-to-15 years.

Watters explained these diverse housing types help keep the people in the community diverse too, referencing the need for a wide scope of demographics and age ranges in Centre Wellington.

Watters and current council were elected in October of 2022. The mayor recognizes this issue though, won’t be going away, even after this council’s term is done. Nevertheless, he reiterated his confidence in this group of staff to maintain balance between growth and maintaining what makes the township so special now.

“We’re going to have to try and balance that with what our community looks like now and how it operates now. That’s going to be our challenge,” Watters said.

“It’s going to be the challenge of this council and staff and it’ll be the challenge of the next couple of councils as well. I have no doubt we will provide a good way forward and continue to make this community a beautiful place to live,” he added.

While most delegations featured residents speaking against building “up” and the township featuring taller buildings, one resident thought otherwise.

Ian MacRae says the south end of town is an area that would be well-served to see some apartments.

“I’m suggesting we have this new Southlands area that has to be developed, why not make that all four and five storey buildings?” MacRae posed.

“You can have elevators and small parquets that people can walk to, you can have shops on the main floors, so basically, it’s a self-contained community,” he stated.

Watters sent a message to residents that Centre Wellington is a part of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). He said the drive to the metropolis is shorter than most realize, and that factors into the required development of towns like Fergus and Elora.

“I think sometimes we think that we’re not part of the GTA, but if you look at a physical distance between from Queen’s Park we’re an hour and 20 minutes,” Watters explained.

“There are communities, 29 communities in and around the GTA, that have been identified for growth, and even beyond the GTA. We’re part of that secondary area, and we’re required to pick up some of that growth as well,” he went on.

Watters told attendees the township will eventually look like a 2013 Barrie, Ontario, projecting this growth will occur within the next decade or so.

While he has no exact timeline, one thing is certainly on the mayor’s mind: housing is “a problem for everyone.”

Other issues addressed included traffic problems related to this projected growth, and inquiries about the urban boundary. A separate open house followed the event, strictly addressing parking strategy.