News

A little over a year ago, the once-small town of Milton in northern Halton Region made headlines as the fastest-growing urban area in Canada, according to Statistics Canada census data.

Between 2001 and 2006, the town's population jumped about 70 per cent, to just under 54,000 from 31,471. (And its population is expected to double from the current level by 2021.) The value of residential building permits, meanwhile, increased more than 12-fold between 2000 and 2005, to nearly $395-million from $32-million.

When this startling data first emerged with the release of the census last year, reporters descended upon Milton to find out what attracted so many new residents.

Milton had seen a steady increase in residential building throughout the early part of the decade, but that was spurred in large part by an equally steady increase in employment facilities and jobs, especially in specialty manufacturing, advanced technology and food distribution.

The town also is located in a desirable pocket beside Highway 401, just north of Oakville. The picturesque conservation areas along the Niagara Escarpment are next door. And, earlier in the decade, the town still had a fair bit of residential land to accommodate the detached housing that families prefer.

The rapid growth has left services such as schools and health care facilities in the dust, causing some irritation among residents who are frustrated by the slow pace of development. But even with its explosive growth, Milton remains a pretty affordable pocket among the much-sought-after western suburbs of Mississauga, Oakville and Burlington.

It remains a relatively small and intimate community compared with its neighbours, though probably not for much longer.

The price of an average detached home in Milton stood at $425,802 in the first five months of 2008, a reasonable 8.6-per-cent increase from $392,183 in the same period last year, according to Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp.

Among its increasingly affluent neighbours in Halton Region, where the average house price is $552,853, Milton stands out for its very real affordability.

It's no surprise where that affordability comes from. Milton accounts for more than half of all detached-housing starts in Halton, a staggering 861 in the January-to-May period, more than triple the 256 starts in the same period of 2007.

In fact, Milton led the Greater Toronto Area in detached-housing starts in the first five months of this year, with York Region's Markham in distant second with 695.

It would be extremely difficult for Milton to keep up this pace much beyond this year without putting a serious strain on municipal services and risking overcrowded schools and traffic congestion. But the sheer selection of houses, combined with their affordability, has added up to brisk demand among buyers.

One of the most active sites is Milton Trails, an ambitious community of detached, semi-detached and townhouse products that is expanding the town's west side, taking over what until very recently used to be farmland.

Milton Trails is shared by three builders - Arista Homes, Fieldgate Homes and Greenpark Homes - and initially hit the market in 2006. Among the three builders, only 54 detached houses remain for sale, ranging from $387,000 to $488,000 for between 1,812 and 3,111 square feet.

Most models are fairly standard issue: four-bedroom brick homes looming over wide, shallow lots. With so much demand, builders aren't looking to win any design awards here. But these models get the job done for young families.

A little north of Milton Trails is Heathwood Homes' Traditions project, consisting mostly of traditional detached homes but also including a townhouse and semi-detached component.

Not surprisingly, it's the detached homes that are selling most briskly, with townhouses lingering on the market.

The detached houses on 36-foot-wide lots seem to have hit the sweet spot with buyers, with only 14 remaining on the market.

There's a wide range of designs available with attractive stone exteriors and English countryside-inspired architecture. Prices range from $410,000 to $487,000 for between 1,689 and 2,534 square feet.