Blue Mountains, Ontario

significant impact to our rural roads, whether it be just cars parking on the side of the road because they aren’t at the trail heads or they don’t know where the trailheads are. So a big part of that master plan is looking at what we need for parking.” The municipality has also embarked on a drainage master plan, as well as upgrading their wastewater facility in Thornbury and adding new water storage facilities in the east and west ends of the community to be ready for the development of those attainable homes. Soever believes planning for the future, with their Integrated Community Sustainability Plan, official plan, and transportation plan is essential to the continued prosperity of the town – for all those who enjoy visiting, those who reside there, and those who may choose to reside there. He admits, “I think the COVID-19 pandemic and the change in how people live is only going to put added pressure on what was already a fast- growing area. So, it’s something that we have to be cognizant of.” Both the Mayor and CAO are focused on thinking and planning for what lies ahead. And it’s because they know the community has so much to offer, so much to explore, and so much to give to residents and visitors. They want to ensure it thrives for everyone well into the future and that’s an approach not many towns take when it comes to progress. Everitt knows how rare a town like The Blue Mountains is and shares, “It is a beautiful place to live. It’s an awesome place to work. It’s got the benefit of being able to still maintain that small town feel, in particular Thornbury and Clarksburg and the rural area and this small-town feel needs to be protected and celebrated. It continues to maintain a strong apple industry that’s being accented by the vineyards and a local wine and cidery industry. We have agritourism and the benefit of having the Blue Mountain Resort and all the ski areas and the golf, and in particular the Georgian Bay shoreline. All of these natural amenities make The Blue Mountains a spectacular place to live and work.” PREFERRED VENDOR/ PARTNER n WT Infrastructure Solutions Inc. www.wtinfrastructure.ca Courtesy of Astec Industries