jan-2018

84 85 RUSSELL TOWNSHIP to water from the Ottawa River, rather than local and aging wells. Jean Leduc, Chief Administrative Officer of Rus- sell, discusses the benefits of this investment: “Since then, we’ve had the water quantity and quality we needed,” he explains. “With that se- cured, we were then able to invest in sewage capacity so we could get our main infrastructure in line. These two projects were the kick-start to the second round of growth that came in 2012.” As people began to see the benefits Russell had to offer, they began moving their families into the township’s communities. Leduc elaborates: “We have a lot of schools, primary and high schools, that teach in French and English and offer Catho- lic or public education. The options are attractive to a lot of young families who come to our com- munities.We have over 20 parks, two sports are- nas, recreational trails, and a bike path along the old rail system. Those are the key features that have been attracting growth. Now, we’re working on job creation.” The Township of Russell has experienced an 8.3 percent average growth rate over the past several years, three points above the average for Ontario. Because of this growth, the Township needed to revise all its master plans, which, in turn meant defining new economic drivers. Dominique Tremblay, Director of Planning, Building and Economic Development, explains: “We have a lot of growth in the sector of warehousing. Over the past four years, we’ve nearly reached capacity at our city-owned industrial park. The rate at which we’re selling our property is a lot higher than the property we have left, so we’re currently reviewing our land-use plans to add 120 acres to our capabilities.” Additional infrastructure develop- ment is currently underway, as well. New roads are going in to provide access to entirely new business centers and help existing traffic flows. City ser- vices such as fiber optics and natural gas are also being routed towards new development. To top off a list of moti- vators that the township has rolled out, Russell has implemented a Community Improvement Program tax incentive in its 2017 business plan. With current plans to finish infra- structure build-outs within the next five years, the Township expects to be able to accommodate growth at the rate it’s seen over the past two years for the next 20. Tremblay states that the estimated population of Russell Township in 2036 will be 23,800– which would make a nearly 50 percent increase in its current population. Meanwhile, the Township does not