Revised population forecasts for the northern portion of Wellington County are likely going to turn out to be very conservative, said Mapleton Mayor John Green.
“These numbers could probably double,” Green said of the forecasts.
The projections, prepared for Wellington County by Watson and Associates, call for a 21% increase in Mapleton’s population by 2031.
But Green said the forecasts for the northern part of Wellington County could actually double if the province’s Greenbelt includes parts of Erin, Puslinch, and Guelph-Eramosa, as planned. There are even pressures from some quarters to expand that line farther north, into Centre Wellington.
Any such move would mean that development would be limited in certain parts of those townships, and Green said that restriction could result in more development moving to the north.
Green said he recently had a meeting with Dave Caplan, Minister of Public Infrastructure Renewal, during which he told the minister that Mapleton would be expecting some financial assistance to increase its water and sewer capacity if that is the case.
Census information reveals that in 2006, Mapleton Township had a population of 10,320 with 2,890 households and total employment of 5,020.
But the county forecasts now show Mapleton with a population of 12,490 by 2031 (up 21%), with a total of 3,720 households (a 29 per cent increase) and 6,180 in total employment (up 23 per cent).
Previous projections released last year by Watson and Associates indicated a 2031 population of 11,600 for the township, with 3,700 households, and 4,700 in total employment.
As might be expected, most of the projected increases over the next two decades are expected to occur in the township’s two main urban centres. The province is directing growth to those areas.
Drayton’s population is projected to increase by 73 per cent from 1,790 in 2006 to 3,100 in 2031; while households are expected to increase by 78 per cent from 580 to 1,030.
Those numbers are similar to those included in the previous forecast.
In Moorefield, population numbers could increase 122 per cent from 490 to 1,090; while the number of households could go up 133 per cent from 150 to 350.
The original projections released last year had indicated the total number of Moorefield households in 2031 would be 255.
