Quote:
Originally Posted by 1overcosc
If growth in Ottawa & Montreal continue as a narrow tube along the highways (as had happened along autoroute 15 north of montreal) and in no other directions, it could happen. Ottawa is growing mostly westward & southward, though, not southeast along the 417 (there's a good amount of growth right now in Embrun & Casselman but that's already tapering off).
|
It's fairly unlikely to really take off like that because of the Mer Bleue conservation area, which is a huge buffer between developable areas. Without it, I think we would be seeing a stronger narrow band of growth along the 417 on the way to Montreal. Maybe we'll may see more of this along Highway 50 on the Gatineau side?
What would be good is if Ottawa had a very forward looking Growth Plan like the Greater Golden Horseshoe does, which would allow a more managed and rational approach to growth in commuter belt towns done in a measured and coordinated fashion. I.e. set a plan for how Embrun and Casselman will grow, but with conditions relating to infrastructure and growth elsewhere in the region, then hold the province to using GO Transit/Metrolinx in its second largest metropolitan area.