durhamregion.com This Week | Thursday, April 7, 2022 | 10 Experts say new Veraine community will protect the environment, increase housing supply SPONSORED CONTENT Environmentally conscious Durham Region residents and those who dream of affordable housing no longer need to stand on opposite sides of the fence. A vibrant and innovative community called Veraine is being proposed by the Northeast Pickering Landowner's Group that will protect and enhance the environment while increasing desperately needed housing supply in Durham Region. Experts agree the environment is at the heart of the Veraine community, which will use responsible environmental measures to improve and protect the Region's ecological systems including the Carruthers Creek watershed. "In designing the Veraine community, we're putting the environment first," said Ian Roul, an ecologist with GeoProcess Research Associates who is assisting with the plan for Veraine. "Our plan will create more wildlife habitat and increase natural spaces, while allowing for a new community for families to call home." The Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA), a government agency responsible for protecting watershed communities and the environment, has examined the impact of Veraine on the Carruthers Creek watershed. After releasing its plan for protecting the area, the conservation authority confirmed in a November 2021 statement that while there are potential impacts caused by developments like Veraine their report "provides a series of mitigation measures that will manage any potential impacts." The plan for Veraine includes these measures recommended by the conservation authority, and adheres to provincial and municipal standards to ensure there will be no effects on downstream land. The Northeast Pickering Landowners' Group has engaged world-class engineers to review and develop stormwater management plans for the community. Steve Schaefer, an engineer with SCS Consulting Group who has over 33 years of experience in Ontario has been part of a team of experts developing and reviewing the stormwater plans for Veraine. "The stormwater management plan for Veraine will result in no impact downstream with the proposed measures and controls," said Schaefer. "Consistent with the conservation authority's Carruthers Creek Watershed Plan recommendations and provincial standards, our team can confirm the Veraine proposal can proceed without negative impacts to the existing downstream flood hazard area." The City of Pickering has recognized the Veraine community's model for sustainable development is not only possible, but essential for the city's housing supply as the community grows to welcome new Canadians, families and professionals moving to the area. Pickering Council has consistently agreed Veraine is central to the City's housing strategy moving forward and needed to fill key gaps in Durham Region's current housing shortage, by adding 20,000 new homes. Like many Ontarians, a new generation of young families in the GTA have been priced- out of their community. With a population that is expected to double in size in the next 15 to 20 years, the housing crisis in Durham Region will only worsen. The Veraine community will increase housing supply, which will help to stabilize prices for everyone and provide the homes that thousands of prospective homebuyers deserve. Veraine will also contribute tens of thousands of long-term high- quality local jobs, new schools, parks, and trails; all providing Durham residents with a place to work, live, play, and thrive in their community. Veraine gives Durham residents what they deserve - a sustainable, affordable, and vibrant community, built for prosperity and respect for the environment. Let's build homes and take down misinformed barriers, because there is so much potential with the new Veraine community right in our very own backyard For more information about Veraine, please visit: https:// www.veraine.com. Sponsored by Northeast Pickering Landowners Group "In designing the Veraine community, we're putting the environment first," "Theplan forVeraine includes thesemeasures recommendedby the conservation authority, andadheres to provincial andmunicipal standards to ensure therewill benoeffects ondownstream land."