Charting a Course for Growth - July 2024 update

The Municipality of Chester is growing! More people are recognizing that our Municipality is a great place to live, a welcoming place to start and grow a business, and a wonderful place to visit. Since 2016, the population of the Municipality has grown 10% to an estimated 11,525 as of July 2023, and populations seem to be growing in every district.

Work is now underway to ensure that we are well prepared to manage this growth. In April, the Municipality began working with FBM’s Planning Studio to collect data and develop population and workforce growth projections with a view to the next 5, 10, 15, and 20 years. Projections will provide a range of forecasts based on three scenarios: status quo, moderate growth, and high growth. We will also be provided with tools to help understand the anticipated demographic makeup of the community and what can be done to ensure we have housing that is attainable for people we are attracting to our communities.

This initial work is the first milestone and will form the basis of future work, including:

• Identification of areas where new or expanded wastewater sites may be needed and where water supply infrastructure may be feasible,
• Encouraging the production of attainable housing units to meet the needs of different households,
• Addressing barriers and gaps in employer needs and workforce development within the Municipality,
• Assessment of existing recreation services to understand current and future anticipated needs.

The work is just getting started and we’re looking forward to the input you will provide. As the Municipality moves forward, we are committed to ensuring our communities continue to attract people as wonderful places to live, visit, and invest.