Angela Baldwin

Angela Baldwin is one of the Greater Simcoe Region's most vibrant citizens, and as Principal of her own Urban Planning Consulting company, she is well versed in the region’s growth. But professional success is only one component of what drives her.

Angela’s not late. Which is an accomplishment considering her heaving calendar.

Arriving for our interview after a meeting that went long, we chat about the area’s upcoming outdoor film series, (presented by BFF, for which she is Chair of the Board), and a recent charity derby (which she attended).

“When I talk about my schedule, I have friends from out of town who tell me that it seems like there is more going on here than in Toronto or Ottawa.”

She’s right about there being so much to offer in and around her home base of Barrie.

From our meeting spot we can hear the performance of a street musician singing just steps from the recently opened Meridian Square in the city’s downtown core.

Of course, she knows the in's and out's of that street, and about that new development, and about dozens of others across the City and Region.

In her role as Principal of Baldwin Planning and Development Consultants, she works with various levels of government and industry in the monumental task of laying the foundations of municipalities.

“Planners arrange big spaces. We consider how people interact in those spaces. We decide, where are the parks going? Where are the schools going? What is the best road network? "

You’d think the awesome responsibility of drawing the blueprints of the places we live in would be daunting, yet it’s more of a calling for Angela. An extension of her innate curiosity in the way people and structures intersect and interact in urban centres.

“What drove me was a fascination with cities. My Dad was a builder and we travelled a lot when I was younger, and I was intrigued by how these communities came together.”

That desire to learn pushed her to study urban planning at the University of Waterloo. After graduation, she made her way back to the region to become a member of both the Ontario and Canadian Institute of Planners, and to work as a Director of Planning for ClubLink Corporation, developing and securing approvals for numerous golf courses, resorts and housing developments.

Ready for a new challenge, and wanting to strike a balance between professional achievement and family life, it wasn’t too long before she took the initiative to form her own company, Baldwin Planning and Developments, which she has led for more than a decade.

Yet even as we turn to her significant accomplishments as a planner, and business ambassador, her zeal for community engagement comes to the forefront.

“I like growth. I like cities. I like development….growth can come from your professional life of course, but it also comes from being involved in the community around you.”

She enthuses about the many causes she supports, and in particular is proud to work alongside Redwood Park Communities, a charity committed to building safe and affordable housing for families in crisis.

The use of development to assist those in need appeals to her; it is community building that offers “Hope Through Housing”

Projecting the future is a big part of what planners do; anticipating population sizes, demographics and land uses; but our final question is about projecting her personal future.

She first talks of her excitement for the growth of the region as a cultural hub and destination for business, but we’re persistent about revealing her own wishes.

“My ultimate goal is to own a winery in Italy.

There’s something very endearing about it.” A bold plan. Yet coming from a woman who has made a career of bold planning, we have little doubt she’s already on her way to achieving it.

by Stu Lynam | photos Stephen Plumley