news
Population cap to stay
... for the time being
THE RESuLTS ARE IN: The town of Okotoks
will keep the population cap at 30,000, after
a vote by council May 25.
Expansion in the future hasn’t been ruled
out, however, and the possibility still exists
for growth beyond the cap, if the town can
find adequate water supply. The Town has
agreed to work with the MD of Foothills to
look at the development of a growth plan
for the area around the town’s borders.
“The official motion said we’d look at
finding water, looking at a pipeline from
the confluence of the Highwood and the
Bow, or maybe damming water, creating
resevoirs and such,” says Councillor
Stephen Clark.
In the 2009 municipal census, the Town
asked residents whether they wanted to
keep the population cap at 30,000, drop the
cap, or plan for moderate growth between
the status quo and the plan developed
by the Calgary Metropolitan Plan. Of the
7,600 surveys sent out, nearly 3,000 were
returned. Responses varied: 55.9 per cent
saying they wanted to maintain the status
quo, 25.2 per cent suggested Okotoks
could grow moderately to 45,000, and 15. 9
per cent want the growth planned by the
Calgary Metropolitan Plan at 60,000.
Clark is siding with the 55.9 per cent
of the town’s population who want to
keep the cap, the lone member of council
who believes expanding Okotoks isn’t
sustainable.
“If you’re going to do a pipeline from
De Winton or one from the Highwood, it
makes no difference. It’s going to cost a
lot of money,” he says. “For a $100 million
investment, what does the community get?
Higher density, more crowded schools. If
you create resevoirs, you’re changing the
PH balance of the water, with detrimental
effects to fish and the environment.”
He suggests it makes better sense to
put the new homes in Calgary, as the
infrastructure is there to accomodate
the growth.
Okotoks’ current plan is fiscally and
environmentally sustainable, Clark says.
“There’s not a compelling reason to scrap
the status quo. We’ve got a desirable
community and the direction I fear we may
be heading is not the direction we should
be taking, in my opinion.”
Residents were also asked what made
Okotoks a good place to live, with its small
town atmosphere, location and parks and
green space as the top three answers. OL
Got an opinion on these or other
Okotoks issues? We’d love to hear what
you have to say. Drop us a line at
jim.zang@sourcemediagroup.ca
