More than seven years have passed since the Province introduced the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe. This period may not seem very long in the life of a 25-year plan intended to change the direction and pattern of growth and development across a major metropolitan region of more than 9 million people. However, much has changed since 2006:
- The population of the GGH has increased by approximately 630,000 people (and by 1.3 million people since 2001).[1]
- One census period has passed and the Canadian 2011 Census of Population has been released.
- All single- and upper-tier municipalities in the GGH have amended their official plans to incorporate Growth Plan requirements.[2]
- The Growth Plan has already been amended twice. The first amendment, which came into force January 2012 (and is now part of Section 6, Schedule 7 and Schedule 8 of the Plan) contains policies specific to the "Simcoe Sub-area." The second amendment, introduced in summer 2013, updates and extends the population and employment growth forecasts from 2031 to 2041 and replaces the original 2031 forecasts from Schedule 3 of the Plan.