Civil and Municipal - Jan 2024

The town hosts a vibrant array of events, fostering community engagement and drawing visitors from surrounding areas. One example is Carrot Fest, recognized as a top 100 festival, and symbolizing the town’s agricultural success. Foran and his team have significantly expanded the events portfolio in recent years, doubling the offerings with Music in the Park, Pumpkin Fest, a Santa Claus parade, and Canada assets,” he asserts. “We’re also looking out to 50 years for the bigger hits, forecasting what those new infrastructure needs are going to be with the associated growth, trying to ensure that these projects are tied together economically.” Additionally, a downtown revitalization committee is actively working to enhance the town’s core, creating a pleasant environment for residents and visitors alike. “We’ve got a lot of projects on the books that are going to enhance the opportunity for people to have a live, work, and play kind of atmosphere here in Bradford,” emphasizes the mayor. “We have lots of infrastructure that is moving forward, and we are looking to invest more shortly.” COMMUNITY SPIRIT AND EVENTS Situated in what Mayor Leduc calls the “four- season playground of Ontario,” the region offers a wide range of exhilarating outdoor adventures. He boasts, “Simcoe County has wonderful recreational opportunities, from ski hills to freshwater fishing to hiking. We have some of the largest forests, with 33,000 acres of forested lands owned by the county. When you come to Bradford West Gwillimbury you have all these opportunities to enjoy life.” Delays cost everybody money, and we’re hoping to be able to reduce some of those and create opportunities to make the growth work for everyone.At the same time, we need to respect the taxpayer’s dollars. That’s the key here, is to deliver on all of this without impacting the taxpayer, where they can’t afford the growth. 29 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 5, ISSUE 01 BRADFORD WEST GWI LL IMBURY, ON