“I’m highly confident they’re going to do something extraordinary there as well,” Kentner adds.“All of this enhances our downtown core.” AGRICULTURE AND ITS SPIN-OFFS With 40 oilseed and grain farms, 43 hay farms, 203 cattle ranches, 45 fruit tree farms, and 19 dairy farms, Meaford is known for its rural roots. “We’re also seeing a cross-over with tourists being attracted to our fruit and vegetable stands, rural wineries, cideries and event venues,” says Kentner. “As well, while a lot of the factory jobs in town disappeared decades ago, they are being replaced by all kinds of On Farm Diversified Uses (OFDUs) along our rural routes. BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE As the municipality prepares for the potential arrival of Ontario Pumped Storage, the need for housing is front and center. “If it proceeds, we are going to need a lot of worker housing overnight,” says Mayor Kentner.“If enough care is taken on where we locate and what type of worker housing we develop, it can serve its primary purpose and then, like an Olympic Village, go on to house more members of our existing work force.” In the meantime, housing development is already well underway. “We have a lot of houses under construction right now, and approaching 2000 units planned throughout the municipality,” he adds. With an abundant clean water supply and plans to increase waste-water capacity, the town is well-positioned to support residential growth. “Affordability remains a challenge for waterfront communities,” says Kentner,“but there are brand new houses being sold in the $400s.There are others that are being built to Net Zero standard, which means the savings on a house that heats and cools at little or no cost are tremendous!” SkyDev is one developer currently active in the area, with condos under construction in several communities. Mayor Kentner points out the 167 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 08 MEAFORD, ON
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