Over her last four years in office the elected representative for Mississauga—Streetsville focused on how to keep small businesses afloat during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Even before, Tangri regularly mentioned and supported legislation to benefit businesses and the local economy, hoping to grow jobs. When appointed associate minister of small business and red tape reduction, she dove deeper into the economic development file. But her record on the environment, like her Party’s, was out of step with residents who make the connection between climate change and the economy.
Doug Ford is calling his campaign bus the “Yes Express”, a play on his campaign promise to “say yes” to new infrastructure for a prosperous future. The environment, on the other hand, will suffer dearly under his plans.
A coalition of environmental groups is calling on Ford and all party leaders to ban highways through the Greenbelt—by altering the legislation that governs the protected greenspace.
The Ontario NDP, Greens and, until recently, the Liberals have been very clear about where they stand on the PCs environmentally destructive Highway 413 project—if elected, the 400-series highway proposal will be relegated to the scrap heap.
But over the last two weeks, a Liberal candidate in Brampton East has drawn criticism for claiming the Liberals only plan to delay the project and will “definitely build the highway”, a departure from the position of her Party.
A forensic audit was ordered Wednesday by Brampton council to look into the mishandling of $629,000 for the failed Brampton University plan, following a staff report showing much of the work was never received and some of it arrived 17 months late, while at least one of the two firms was not qualified for the lucrative job.
Questions have also been raised about the quality of the work that was done.
Streetsville has long been a big attraction for visitors from across Ontario, drawn to the village’s historic charm and heritage features. The small businesses housed in some of the oldest buildings in what’s now called Mississauga, are the lifeblood of the area.
The next MPP elected to represent Mississauga—Streetsville’s residents and local entrepreneurs will have a clear mandate: protect this jewel that has thrived for more than a century. Better transportation in and out of the quaint riding is also a growing concern candidates will have to address when knocking on doors.
Mississauga—Lakeshore is in the midst of a massive waterfront transformation, one of the largest redevelopments in the entire country. Ahead of the June 2 election the race is close, as residents decide between candidates who will help steward an era of unprecedented change. With all the new developments along Lake Ontario, who will help create communities that feature a range of housing options, offer a wide choice of transportation and include all the key provincial services such as healthcare and education?
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Over four years in the provincial legislature, Rudy Cuzzetto often spoke multiple times during Queen’s Park sessions.
He advocated for his riding of Mississauga—Lakeshore and the issues that concern his constituents, such as a lack of supports for seniors, access to frontline healthcare and funding to help businesses and residents during the pandemic. Some of the files he is most engaged with, like protecting manufacturing jobs, are woven into the history of the area.
Only eight months after being reelected to a third term in office, Sven Spengemann is leaving federal politics. In a statement posted on Twitter, the MP announced he will be resigning effective May 28 and taking up a position with the United Nations.
Spengemann’s vacancy triggers a by-election in the riding to be held in six months leaving over 100,000 residents temporarily without direct representation in Ottawa.
World events over the last two years had a direct impact on solicitor general Sylvia Jones, who served as MPP for Dufferin-Caledon over the last term. She was forced to balance upheaval in public health and safety with the needs of her local constituents.
In the relatively young, politically ambiguous riding of Brampton North, Ontario’s big party leaders are all making significant moves for a seat they clearly see as ready for the taking.
With just over 50 percent of the registered voters turning up to cast a ballot in 2018, a significant get-out-the-vote effort to mobilize residents could be the difference on June 2.
Subverting the CPC leadership race by trading memberships for empty promises, is how Patrick Brown plans to inflate point totals for the September 10 election, using a loophole he admittedly exploits. He treats unwitting Canadians seeking political representation like pawns in his dangerous game.
Despite numerous complaints, the Ontario Ombudsman will not be investigating allegations of corruption and mismanagement made public last year; in a letter to council, senior counsel for the Ombudsman cites the fact that many of the senior staff identified in the allegations are no longer working for the City.
A collective of over 40 organizations is calling on Doug Ford and other provincial leaders to make equitable funding for education, healthcare and public safety in Peel a priority after the June election.
The riding of Dufferin-Caledon has been held by the PCs for decades.
But with more residents placing environmental concerns at the top of their priority list, and a large section of the Greenbelt that runs through the riding at risk from Doug Ford’s Highway 413 plan, could these issues be enough to swing voters on June 2?
The man responsible for the crash that killed a Caledon mother and her three daughters has been handed one of the steepest sentences for impaired driving in Ontario’s history, marking a potential turning point for the courts to impose stricter penalties on those getting behind the wheel while impaired.
Speaking outside the court after the sentencing, family members of those killed in the crash said no sentence would have been strong enough.
The Mississauga Heritage Committee has received a report detailing the deteriorating state of heritage buildings located at Britannia Farm.
Two of the four structures on the 200-acre property are essentially falling apart and it’s clear annual maintenance by PDSB, which owns the property, is not happening, despite requirements under Ontario’s Heritage Act.
Conducted over the past two years by Williams HR Consulting, the full 62-page report examining working conditions inside Brampton City Hall shows anti-Black issues in various departments across the country’s ninth largest municipal government.
The review, which was finally made public this week, despite being submitted to the since fired CAO in December, provides disturbing insights into the experiences of many Black employees.
The polling company is conducting daily surveys to provide voters with up-to-date information about trends in their community and across Ontario ahead of the provincial election.
According to Mainstreet’s work, prospects are not looking good for the Liberal Party, after it held every seat in Mississauga before losing all of them to the PCs in 2018. The company’s polling suggests a repeat four years later.
Peel’s official plan, approved by council at the end of April, opens up nearly 11,000 acres of farmland and greenspace for future development, locking in development on land desperately needed to mitigate the impacts of climate change.
Now, a report has been released stating that Peel’s lack of action on climate change is compromising its climate mitigation goals—putting public health and infrastructure at considerable risk.
After over $629,000 was paid out over the last few years to consultants directly linked to Brown and Santos for preliminary work to launch the now abandoned Brampton University project, a City report shows staff are unable to locate any evidence of many of the deliverables being completed.
NDP Leader Andrea Horwath was in the city Friday, promising that, if elected, her government would finally build Brampton’s second full-service hospital, and, unlike the PCs, she will not demand a local-share contribution the cash-strapped municipality simply cannot afford.
An update on the Region of Peel’s climate strategy reveals that across the board, the municipality is failing to take action fast enough to reach its council-approved targets.
At the City of Brampton, an alarming new report reveals that almost half of the work consultants were paid for on the maligned BramptonU project was never delivered.
Peel Public Health shares concerns about lack of resources to resume needed programming while still managing COVID.
Relying on faulty reasoning, misleading information and a short-sighted “vision”, Peel councillors approved a plan to unlock nearly 11,000 acres of land in the region for growth over the next three decades.
The give over to developers completely disregards science that connects poor land-use planning with climate change, and goes against every environmental policy the Region has previously approved.
The architect of the world’s most comprehensive piece of legislation aimed at protecting one specific ecologically vital greenspace says Doug Ford and his PC government are turning back two decades of progress.
Ontario’s Greenbelt Act, passed almost twenty years ago, is a master plan to ensure we grow sustainably, avoiding the pitfalls of sprawl, congestion and economic suffocation created by the developer-driven policies Ford is hell-bent on pushing through.
Everyone has the chance to become a farmer, all residents need are some soil, seeds and patience. The City of Mississauga is hoping to harness momentum on its urban agriculture strategy encouraging more people to grow their own food. Allowing a pilot for backyard hens is one piece of the puzzle to see if food insecurity and greenhouse gas emissions might be simultaneously tackled by the rapidly spreading urban agriculture movement.
An independent review that was conducted over the past two years by Williams HR Consulting Inc. reaffirmed what advocates have been saying for years: that the City of Brampton has developed a “culture of fear” for Black employees, with Black and racialized staff concentrated at lower levels of the organizational hierarchy and most Black and racialized participants in the review sharing personal experiences of differential and discriminatory treatment.
The rise of smartphones has created a world of ultimate connectivity, but it’s also created countless complications when these devices are used to accidentally dial emergency services. Calls to 911 in Peel are on the rise, and the number coming into operators that are not bonafide emergencies is also increasing.
Meanwhile, in Mississauga a strategy to boost urban agriculture is nearing final approval as the City looks to address food insecurity and climate change in one swoop.
After years of uncertainty for more than 3,000 autoworkers in Brampton and thousands more across Peel who rely on the giant assembly plant that produces two of the best selling muscle cars still on the market, an electric life line has been handed to the facility.
Workers are breathing much easier after Stellantis, which owns the Dodge and Chrysler brands, committed to a green future in Brampton, with the help of hundreds of millions of dollars from the federal and provincial governments, part of the automotive sector’s rapid transformation away from internal combustion vehicles.
In one month, Ontarians will flock to the polls to decide whether the PCs have done enough to earn a second term in government.
Candidate slates for the big parties have filled out across Peel and leaders have been campaigning while making all sorts of announcements, trying to secure as many of the 12 local seats that could mean the difference between another majority government, four years of minority rule or, perhaps, a new party in power.
A recent provincial appointment to the Peel Regional Police Services Board—a woman with close ties to Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie after working in her office for two years—is raising more questions about the board’s commitment to tackling issues of anti-Black racism in Mississauga and Brampton.
Kevin Yarde, Brampton North MPP, has left the NDP to sit as an independent until the completion of his term after losing a rare nomination contest for the upcoming June 2 provincial election. Incumbents usually are protected from any challenge to run again for their party.
The first Black member to represent Peel Region at Queen’s Park has now been replaced on the NDP slate by a man who says he’s a human rights activist.
Sticking to their dubious claim that the Province is forcing their hand, on Thursday Peel councillors voted to unlock nearly 11,000 acres of green space and prime farmland for future development.
The meeting, which stretched over four hours, saw members of the public continue to share their opposition to the plan and question why the Region is rushing to approve it before the provincial election, even though some councillors suggested they need more time.
This week a judge heard sentencing arguments in the impaired driving case for Brady Robertson, who faces imprisonment for killing a Caledon mother and her three young daughters.
Justice Sandra Caponecchia listened to Crown and defence arguments and will now decide on a sentence. Robertson was driving on a Brampton street with at least eight times the legal limit of THC, the active ingredient of cannabis, in his blood, going about 70 km/h above the speed limit when he violently crashed his car into the young family’s vehicle, killing them.
Patrick Brown is simultaneously running for the leadership of the federal Conservative Party while he’s supposed to be leading the City of Brampton as its mayor.
Fierce criticism is being levelled by Brampton residents questioning why their tax dollars are being abused as Brown refuses to take a leave of absence despite his round the clock campaigning. They accuse the mayor of playing dirty politics as numerous fake social media accounts spin claims defending Brown’s brand of politics.
A contentious plan to expand Peel’s urban boundary and open up 11,000 acres of green space and farmland for development will go to regional council for final approval Thursday.
A review completed for the City of Brampton has found a lot more work needs to be done to improve the workplace environment for Black and other visible minority employees at City Hall. Not only did the reviewers find a “culture of fear” among Black employees, but that nepotism continues to pervade hiring practices, and initiatives designed to increase diversity among employees are not genuine.
For 15 straight years while in power Ontario Liberal governments did little to confront widespread systemic discrimination in regions undergoing dramatic demographic shifts.
Now, with a campaign trying to build momentum ahead of the June 2 election, Steven Del Duca is pledging to do what his Party failed to. In an attempt to target ridings the Liberals lost in their crushing 2018 defeat, he says a government with him at the helm will finally tackle racism deeply ingrained in Ontario’s education and policing systems.
Grant Gorchynski has taken legal action in small claims court against Natalia Kusendova, a sitting MPP for Mississauga Centre, alleging she owes him money. As an MPP, Kusendova must disclose any gifts above $200 to the Ontario Integrity Commissioner.
Gorchynski alleges he gave her $30,500 most of which was in 2019. The statement of claim and its public disclosure come just as Kusendova is seeking reelection on June 2.
The judge deciding the case of Brady Robertson, the driver responsible for the death of a Caledon mother and her three daughters, has previously said the result of impaired driving charges will rest on the outcome of a constitutional challenge to Canada’s impaired driving laws.
That challenge on behalf of Robertson, whose blood had eight times the legal limit of the active ingredient in marijuana, has failed. Sentencing is now set to begin later this month.
Months after Mississauga councillors asked Robert Swayze, the city’s integrity commissioner, to investigate a complaint by former councillor Karen Ras following damage that was done to her car, no report has been produced. In an update to council Wednesday, Swayze explained that new allegations and witness testimony have recently come forward, further delaying his final investigation report.
A Brampton motion to ban e-scooters on ‘multi-use paths’ will be discussed at the city’s Cycling Committee meeting. Mississauga’s Integrity Commissioner Robert Swayze will provide an update on the investigation into the harassment of ex-councillor Karen Ras.
Caledon council could move to reduce public participation of discussion around housing in Bolton, and will also consider a fee for the use of fireworks in public events while banning them for personal use.
The first term member of council says he doesn’t have to keep regular hours, and has been able to get his work on behalf of constituents completed despite travelling across Canada to support Brown’s leadership campaign.
It’s unclear who is paying for his trips and how he has been staying on top of pressing issues Brampton Council is currently dealing with, while also representing the numerous concerns thousands of constituents routinely need help with.
A day after the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change issued yet another alarming report detailing what’s at stake if we don’t reduce our reliance on fossil fuels, Premier Doug Ford and Transportation Minister Caroline Mulroney announced a contract has been awarded to start early work on the Bradford Bypass, a 16-kilometre, 400-series highway.
The full-speed-ahead approach comes with no cost estimate released to the public and without all the proper studies usually required for such a significant transportation project.
The deferral of the Region of Peel’s Official Plan, following a motion from Councillor Carolyn Parrish, has increased tensions between members of the public and councillors. The move delays a final decision for two weeks so a few loose ends can be tied up.
This has prompted backlash from residents who requested the Region defer the Official Plan, which will open nearly 11,000 acres for future development, until after the provincial election on June 2.
The approval of nearly 11,000 acres for further development will have disastrous impacts on Peel’s natural world.
Despite promises and commitments to protect the region’s greenspaces, and council’s opposition to Highway 413 (which would lead to the same consequences councillors are about to trigger), the potential expansion could be approved by Peel’s elected officials in a final vote on Thursday.
The future of Peel is at stake Thursday, with Regional Council facing a decision on how hundreds of thousands of future residents will be accommodated. Staff are recommending the urban boundary be expanded by almost 11,000 acres, and last week’s planning meeting signalled elected officials will likely go along.
Meanwhile, dozens of residents and advocates want to change the trajectory of Peel Region forever, by moving to more dense, transit friendly complete communities as the climate and other changes around the way many want to live inform how smart growth should unfold.
In a letter to Brampton councillors, David Wheeler, a consultant who worked on the Brampton University project with links to Councillor Rowena Santos, is requesting a continuation of the abandoned plan. Council more or less scrapped the idea after consultant costs were revealed.
A report from Mayor Bonnie Crombie’s Black caucus comes before council, and Region of Peel council will decide on whether to open almost 11,000 acres for development, despite intense pushback from the community.
Lakeview has become a hot spot for future developments. Lakeshore Road East is checkered with new project proposal signs featuring plans that will transform the city’s eastern waterfront from a mix of industrial spaces and post-war subdivisions to a modern coastal urban destination.
But meetings between residents and developers have left both sides opposing the other’s vision for the future. City staff have tried to alleviate some of the tension between the sides to ensure careful transitions between low density residential neighbourhoods and features that will accommodate (and define) the coming growth.
In Huttonville, a largely rural nook of Brampton tucked away near the western edge, a small forest continues to grow.
For years the City, Credit Valley Conservation and the public have been debating the Riverview Heights development that threatens to destroy it. Recently locals realized their beloved forest was going to be razed, and were shocked by documents from consultations that claim the forest is not ecologically valuable enough to preserve. A small group of environmentalists think otherwise and want to protect the beauty of their forest. They want to know where the decision to destroy it came from.
After years of pleading by residents, numerous motions by the NDP asking for significant hospital investments in Brampton, and two years after City Council declared a healthcare emergency, demanding 850 new beds, the PC government announced more funding ahead of the June 2 election. But stakeholders are getting nervous in the absence of details from the Province and the organization that manages the city’s two main facilities.
Despite the efforts of Patrick Brown and councillors loyal to him, a majority of City Hall’s elected officials refused to ignore the need to immediately start raising $125 million for a local share investment required to move forward with the expansion of Peel Memorial.
Wednesday’s council meeting made clear that Brown (supported by four members) is putting his federal political ambitions ahead of Brampton’s ongoing healthcare crisis.
On Thursday, hundreds of people shared their desire for the Region of Peel to freeze its urban boundary and avoid unlocking 10,000 acres of land for future development.
Councillors asked no questions of the numerous residents, doctors, farmers and environmental advocates who made the case for preventing more environmentally destructive development. Elected officials instead sided with regional staff who say the extra land is needed to accommodate Peel’s growing population.
