Business View Civil and Municipal | Volume 2, Issue 10

65 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 2, ISSUE 10 children utilizing all of our amenities,” Tripp explains. “Other places struggle with students not returning after going away to college or university. But we have lots of young families and that’s somewhat unique.” The town itself is very diverse, comprised of different smaller communities, each with their own personality and charm. Currently, the Village of Wyoming remains the largest urban area, but the Villages of Errol and Camlachie, along Lake Huron’s shoreline, are quickly catching up. As a result of this ever-increasing influx of people, there’s been unprecedented residential development. Presently, there are 20 to 25 planned subdivisions in various stages, which when fully completed will add between 1,200 and 1,500 quality homes to the community. Maintaining this growth isn’t easy. Mayor Napper admits, “I’ve seen lots of changes and watched things grow progressively. I think what we’re doing in rural Ontario is quite a struggle. You need to be aggressive and forward thinking if you want to survive. That’s our biggest struggle – to move with change. That’s the sore point with most of the people here. They don’t want change. But governments change, so we must move with the flow. There used to be seven 100-acre farms on a road, now there’s one farm on 4000 acres. Since farmland is taxed lower, that takes a lot away from infrastructure and taxation. It’s more of a challenge to maintain infrastructure while maintaining a balance between residential and rural.” It may be tough, but Napper makes it work – TOWN OF PLYMPTON-WYOMING, ONTAR IO