Residents increasingly unhappy in Brampton, survey finds; Mississauga council to hear from constituents, advocates on push for housing density
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.
Active Transportation Advisory Committee
Date: October 10 - 7:00 p.m. | Full agenda | Watch live
Update on Orangeville - Brampton Rail Trail
The City’s Active Transportation Advisory Committee will receive a verbal update from Jaskiran Bajwa, a supervisor in Parks Planning regarding the ongoing creation of the Orangeville - Brampton Rail Trail project which is converting the previous 51km rail corridor into a walking trail. The corridor was purchased by the Region of Peel in July of last year for $5.8 million.
Past reporting:
Committee of Council
Date: October 11 - 9:30 a.m. | Full agenda | Watch live
Crime remains top of mind for residents, survey finds
A Community Satisfaction Survey commissioned by the City of Brampton, completed by Ipsos, found crime remains the top concern of local residents. One in five residents referenced public safety as their top concern, followed by housing affordability. Nearly half of residents (47 percent) reported their quality of life has worsened over the last three years.
“Vast majority of Brampton residents say they have a good quality of life in the City of Brampton; however, many say their quality of life is in decline,” the report states.
The survey included approximately 650 people using a 20 minute telephone survey (both landline and cellphone) conducted in both English and Punjabi.
The staff presentation can be found here.
The quantitative analysis of the data can be found here.
The qualitative analysis can be found here.
Past reporting:
Expropriation process for Riverwalk underway
City staff are looking for council permission to begin the expropriation process for seven properties along Etobicoke Creek to move forward with the Riverwalk project. The flood mitigation effort is critical to protecting downtown Brampton from future flooding events and the removal of a Special Policy Area designation that has hampered growth in the downtown core due to its location within a floodplain.
“Failure to secure these properties in a timely manner, or not at all, would present significant barriers to construction of the flood protection works, and jeopardize the implementation of the DBFP (Downtown Brampton Flood Protection),” the report states.
A list of the properties required can be found here.
The staff report can be found here.
Past reporting:
Council
Date: October 11 – 9:30 a.m. | Delegate | Full agenda | Watch live
Numerous speakers to appear before council on housing density motion
Mississauga councillors are preparing to here 12 different delegations related to a motion from Councillor Alvin Tedjo that is looking to make it easier for property owners to intensify their properties with fourplexes in order to spur construction on “missing middle” housing.
Representatives from a number of different organizations including Stop the Sprawl Peel, MIRANET and the Toronto Real Estate Board.
The motion can be read here.
Past reporting:
Regional Council
Date: October 12 - 9:30 a.m. | Delegate | Full agenda | Watch live
Poverty reduction strategies must survive dissolution, staff state
According to data from the Region of Peel, over 120,000 residents, or 8.6 percent of Peel’s population currently live in poverty. The ongoing affordability crisis threatens to increase that number in the coming years.
“As the Peel Region looks to transition, it is crucial that poverty reduction strategies through collective impact continue with municipalities and community partners leading a coordinated effort across sectors and influencing systems and policy change. Leadership, accountability, and investment is crucial to address issues and mitigate poverty within communities,” staff report states.
As regional dissolution unfolds, staff state the Peel Poverty Reduction Committee will continue to work closely with local municipalities to ensure partnerships already in place to serve those in need continue post-dissolution.
The staff report can be read here.
Past reporting:
Peel TB rate remains two-times higher than provincial average
With residents in Peel contracting tuberculosis at twice the rate of other areas of the province, the Region of Peel is looking at ways to strengthen its prevention programming. A staff report states that 52 percent of these cases are among newcomers to Canada, who may have contracted the infectious disease in another country where it is less controlled.
“Resourcing challenges are preventing the TB program from offering a comprehensive program,” the staff report states, pointing to gaps in contact screening and early detection to prevent the disease from developing from latent TB to active TB.
“Peel Public Health’s TB program will continue to face challenges in the future as the Region anticipates rapid population growth, particularly via immigration from countries in which TB is common,” the report states. “The TB program will be requesting additional staff in the 2024 Budget to better meet standards of care and to offer Peel residents services that provide their best chance for a healthy life.”
The full staff report can be read here.
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