Growth in and around the Greater Toronto Area continues to outpace the rest of the nation, and while we have seen countless new developments and even a few new neighbourhoods during the course of the housing and construction boom, the development of an entire new community is unprecedented. The Province of Ontario recently approved the creation of Seaton, a new livable and sustainable community that will provide homes for up to 70,000 people, as well as employment lands that will create tens of thousands of jobs in the area.

Map of the planned Seaton community, image courtesy of the Province of Ontario

    

Strategically located on the 407 corridor, Seaton will have exceptional protection of ecologically sensitive lands and promote walking and cycling. The community's planned employment lands are ideally situated to accommodate new business development and employment opportunities through easy access to the 407. More than half of Seaton’s 3,000 hectares of land area are designated as part of the natural heritage system of trails and woodlands. The community will contain six residential neighbourhoods which will be separated by green space, protecting the natural heritage system of the area. When fully developed, Seaton will be nearly the size of Peterborough and will support up to 35,000 jobs.


With Provincial approval secured, the City of Pickering, where the Seaton lands are located, can now finalize residential subdivision plans and issue building permits to developers so that the construction of Seaton's dense and walkable residential neighbourhoods can begin. "Seaton will be a sustainable community where people can live, work and shop. Seaton can be a model for how we want to live in the future," said Bill Mauro, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. "This is a responsible way to grow our communities, while protecting important agricultural and environmental features."

The creation of an entire new community with multiple neighbourhoods and employment lands is a major step for the Province, the City of Pickering and Durham Region, and we will be sure to keep you updated as more details about these massive plans become available.