For the first time, PDSB considers culturally relevant care in mental health strategy; Mississauga looks at ‘missing middle’ housing; Brampton council remains AWOL

Peel Democracy Watch is The Pointer’s weekly feature aimed at increasing the public’s awareness and political involvement in the Region of Peel by highlighting key agenda items, motions and decisions. 

Environment Advisory Committee

Date: October 3 - 6:00 p.m. | Full agenda | Watch live

Update on Brampton’s climate plan

The City of Brampton has been criticized for its lack of sustainable action under the leadership of Mayor Patrick Brown. On Tuesday evening, Brampton’s Environment Advisory Committee will receive an update on the City’s ongoing Climate Change Adaptation Plan—a 5-year strategy to convert Brampton to a more “climate resilient city”. Limited information is provided on the presentation on the committee agenda. While identifying climate change as “the greatest threat of the 21st century”, the single slide includes no detail about Brampton’s plan to limit greenhouse gas emissions, or reach the City’s goal of reducing emissions by 50 percent below 2016 levels by 2030 and 80 percent by 2050. 

View the brief presentation here. 

Past reporting:

• In 2022, Brampton will spend more on a single road than all of its climate initiatives combined

• Brampton’s 2023 budget exposes Council’s empty climate change promises 

Council 

For the second straight week, Brampton’s elected officials will not meet for either a committee of council or full council meeting. No explanation is provided on the City’s website for the lack of meetings. 

Mississauga Council 

Date: October 4 – 9:30 a.m. | Delegate | Full agenda | Watch live

Fireworks bylaw review 

Mississauga staff will provide an update on their work to study bylaws regulating fireworks in surrounding municipalities to determine whether updates are needed to the laws enforced in the City of Mississauga. Changes to City bylaws, if approved by council, will result in changes to the sale and times of use on the day of particular holidays such as Diwali, Victoria Day and New Year’s Day, as well as the requirement for increased training for those selling fireworks. The changes come following an air quality advisory issued during Diwali celebrations last October that led to calls for the use of fireworks to be banned. 

Read the full staff report here.  

Past reporting:

• Diwali, business interests take centre stage in fireworks debate at Mississauga council

Mississauga had one of the lowest voter turnout rates of large GTA municipalities in 2022 municipal election  

A general report heading to councillors Wednesday detailing data from last October’s municipal election revealed the abysmal voter turnout on voting day. While voter turnout is typically low for municipal elections in general,  the staff report shows that Mississauga had one of the lowest rate of any large GTA municipality at 21.8 percent, ahead of only Kitchener which recorded a rate of 20.2 percent. Mississauga’s rate was nearly 15 percent below the Ontario average, which according to the Association of Municipalities of Ontario was 36.3 percent in the 2022 municipal elections. 

Notice of motion attempts to make building ‘missing middle’ housing much easier 

A notice of motion from Councillor Alvin Tedjo is looking to have council approve new regulations to make the construction of four-plexes seamless on lots that could support that number of units. Tedjo’s motion seeks to allow four-plexes “as of right”, meaning property owners can build these housing developments on their land if the space allows without requiring specific approvals from the municipality. The motion will go to council for a vote on October 11. 

Read the full motion here.

Past reporting:

• ‘Only higher income earners benefit’: Expert skeptical about Ford’s torqued housing plan for Brampton—where are the hospitals & schools? 

• Advocates demand Mississauga take stronger stance as critical affordable housing policy reaches final vote

• Peel’s housing crisis explodes—waitlist for affordable units almost doubles in two years to over 28K households

Curriculum, Equity and Student Wellbeing Committee

Date: October 5 - 5:30 p.m. | Delegate | Full agenda | Watch live

Request for PDSB to declare a climate emergency 

As more studies reveal the troubling link between the impacts of climate change on young learners, schools boards across the country are grappling with how to keep children safe and maintain healthy learning environments in the face of things like extreme heat. Learning for a Sustainable Future is a national charity founded in 1991 “to promote, through education the knowledge, skills, values, perspectives and practices essential for a sustainable future.” The organization’s President and CEO Pamela Schwartzberg is requesting the PDSB to declare a climate emergency and offer support for increased climate change education. 

The full presentation can be viewed here. 

Past reporting:

• With extreme heat, schools struggle to provide students with optimal learning environment

• PDSB to implement more climate change education

Updated PDSB mental health strategy 

A new three-year mental health strategy will be presented to committee members Tuesday that outlines a refreshed plan for addressing the rising rates of youth anxiety and other mental health struggles of today’s youth. According to the staff report, this is the first mental health plan from PDSB that will “explicitly address the need for culturally relevant and responsive mental health support.”

“There are now far more resources and guidelines at all levels to acknowledge and reflect the compounding factors inherent in systemic oppression, including racism, ableism, homo/transphobia, classism, and other forms of discrimination,” the report states. 

Read the full staff report here. 

Past reporting: 

• Damning review reveals ongoing resistance to critical equity work at PDSB

• Increased demand for mental health support adds further strain to Peel’s underfunded system

Executive Committee

Date: October 6 - 9:30 a.m. | Delegate | Full agenda | Watch live 

MZO will damage Greenbelt, provincially significant wetland

Following the issuance of a Minister’s Zoning Order in November of 2020, the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority is set to approve a development permit for a project on Weston Road in the City of Vaughan. According to a TRCA staff report, the lands are the future site of a mixed-use development with housing, retail, community facilities and schools for a planned population of 13,000 people. The area, known as Block 41 contains “portions of the Greenbelt Area, Provincially Significant Wetlands (PSWs) and unevaluated wetlands, valley corridors, woodlands, headwater drainage features (HDFs) and flood/erosion hazards…The natural heritage system (NHS) includes cool and cold-water aquatic habitat and endangered species habitats (i.e., redside dace),” the report states. 

Due to changes made by the PC government to the Conservation Authorities Act, the TRCA is required to issue the permit, regardless of any environmental concerns. The conservaiton authority has attached a number of conditions for the developer to follow, including the creation of a wetland compensation project and standard mitigation measures to limit or repair any damage to the natural environment. 

Read the full staff report here.

Details of the conditions imposed on the developer can be found here and here.  

Past reporting:

• PCs trumpet funding to protect natural areas while conservation authorities struggle

• Peel’s conservation authorities are under siege by developers and Doug Ford

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