SDG projections report released

South Dundas Council Team – Pictured above (l-r): councillor Danielle Ward, South Dundas deputy mayor Marc St. Pierre, mayor Jason Broad and councillors Cole Veinotte and Tom Smyth taking care of regular business during the November 13, 2023 meeting. (Municipality of South Dundas/via YouTube)

MORRISBURG – For planning purposes, the province requires upper tier municipalities to identify and allocate population, housing and employment projections for lower-tier municipalities.

Those plans are based on and reflect provincial plans and are informed by provincial guidelines.

The resulting document – Population and Growth Management Study, was presented to South Dundas council at their regular Monday meeting by SDG planner Peter Young.

Those projections are that SDG as a whole will see population growth of 0.2 per cent compounded annually by the year 2036. When those numbers are broken down by municipality, the projection for South Dundas is 0.2 per cent compounded annually which amounts to an increase of 484 people. Neighbouring North Dundas is expected to see the highest population growth over that time period at 0.6 per cent.

Projected employment growth for the counties as a whole is projected to decrease 0.6 per cent compounded annually. For South Dundas that decrease is projected as 0.7 per cent compounded annually or a net loss of 534 jobs.

Young said that Ontario and SDG are growing faster than previously projected.

The housing unit projections from 2021 to 2051 projects South Dundas will have the fewest number of net new housing units over that time – 760.

The largest increase in housing units is expected in the two municipalities closest to the urban centres of Cornwall and Ottawa. South Dundas neighbours South Stormont and North Dundas are expected to see housing unit increases of 1,851 and 1,812 units respectively.

The projected commercial demand is 19 per cent for Morrisburg and 6 per cent for Iroquois.

Comparatively, that number is 13 per cent for Winchester and 7 per cent for Ingleside.

“I’m glad to see we’re trending upwards, in South Dundas and SDG,” commented South Dundas mayor Jason Broad. “I’m super excited for super developments and super things to materialize as the approvals come forward.”

“It looks as though South Dundas is poised for significant growth on the commercial side,” added South Dundas councillor Cole Veinotte.

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