In light of the PC government's response to Mississauga's request for independence, The Pointer is republishing a 2019 freedom of information investigation into the behind the scenes effort of senior staff at the Region of Peel, at the time, to undermine Mississauga's position.
The FOI documents revealed that a report by Deloitte was heavily influenced by Peel Region staff who did not want to see their government dissolved to make way for Mississauga to become a single-tier, independent municipality.
Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown is now using the discredited Deloitte report to push back against any decision to grant Mississauga its independence.
After a four-decade crusade, the City of Mississauga will finally get its divorce from the Region of Peel and its neighbouring municipalities, Brampton and Caledon.
On Thursday, the PC government tabled the Hazel McCallion Act which, if passed, will dissolve the two-tier municipal governance structure, ending the Region of Peel as its lower-tier municipalities become independent by January 2025. Patrick Brown is now behaving erratically about how much his city should be paid ahead of the looming divorce.
The City of Mississauga has been blindsided by the PC government’s decision to issue a Minister’s Zoning Order to double the size of the approved Lakeview Village development without any consultation with staff or the public.
The shocking increase, to 16,000 units, was approved despite the inability of infrastructure in the area to support such a huge influx of new residents; this includes roads, schools, storm and wastewater, and transit.
Under the Conservation Authorities Act, Conservation Authorities are mandated to conserve, restore and responsibly manage Ontario’s water resources. However, the TRCA says most of its flood management infrastructure is outdated and not up to current standards. The cost to update infrastructure is far greater than the budget for these priority projects.
The bustling metropolis is in the throes of heavy growth with a projected 995,000 residents by 2051. A new housing plan focussed on “building up and not out” could determine how the city looks and functions in the future as homebuyers demand a more urban experience.
On Wednesday, City Council appointed Shari Lichterman as Mississauga’s newest CAO and City Manager. The move was made after former CAO Paul Mitcham’s departure from the City in February following allegations by a former female councillor, Karen Ras, that he was not supportive while she sought help during an alleged harassment campaign by another former council member. Lichterman takes over in the midst of Ras’s ongoing lawsuit against the City as Mississauga also deals with a number of critical files, including the $4.6-billion Hurontario LRT project.
NDP leader Marit Stiles asked the PCs to revoke the MZO for a massive warehouse project in Caledon after learning the request was made by the town’s former mayor behind the backs of council members and the public. Caledon residents have been struggling for years as the PCs continue to pass legislation clearing the way for developers to gobble up more greenspace.
Caledon Mayor Annette Groves has made it clear that council does not support the application for a blasting quarry in Cataract from Brazilian cement conglomerate Votorantim Cimentos.
So what does the future hold for this plot of land, and will two lawyers with experience battling the aggregate industry on Caledon’s side be enough to hold back the powerful lobby when the application is inevitably appealed to the Province?
A recent affidavit filed as part of former Mississauga councillor Karen Ras’s ongoing lawsuit against the City and former councillor Ron Starr makes allegations of a divided workplace inside City Hall.
The Town of Caledon is studying ways to increase Indigenous engagement and consultation with development and community activities.
Peel paramedics will appear before regional council to discuss continued pressures due to pandemic-related obstacles.
Brampton council will receive more information about an LRT extension into downtown, including updates on the potential surface or tunnel route options.
An FOI request filed by a Caledon resident revealed former mayor Allan Thompson wrote a letter to the province to request an MZO for a massive warehouse development without the support of council and without the recommendation from staff who said the proposal did not comply with either the Town or Region’s Official Plan.
Just weeks before the company will be given the go-ahead to put shovels in the ground, recently elected councillor Doug Maskell is trying to shed light on what happened.
In the latest implementation update to its Sustainable Transportation Strategy, the Region of Peel is confident active transportation, including public transit and carpooling will account for half of all trips taken by 2041.
But the Doug Ford PC government’s push for sprawl growth might mire local transportation planning in the past.
The beaver dam that residents say has been located in a tributary of the West Credit near Winston Churchill Boulevard has been removed by the Town of Erin, shocking residents, including the property owner.
The Town did not contact the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry regarding the removal.
The PC government’s controversial Bill 23 has pushed municipalities across the province into a dilemma, as emboldened developers ignore long standing local planning policies meant to preserve community values.
Mississauga councillors are once again shaking their heads at another poorly planned building proposal from Edenshaw Developments that councillors criticized as “bizarre” despite its alignment with Doug Ford’s hyper-ambitious housing targets.
With a thriving cannabis retail market in Brampton, Councillor Michael Palleschi put a motion forward to ask Queen’s Park for tighter regulations on the industry, including expanding the 150-metre buffer around schools, and to include parks, public facilities, places of worship as well as group homes in the same safety zones.
Some illegal and legal retailers are using promotional methods that can entice young people including children to try their products.
Bill 97 could put further financial pressure on municipalities, forcing the City of Brampton to renew a call for Ontario cities to be “made whole” by the Province.
A fight over future development in Brampton’s Springbrook neighbourhood is playing out at City Hall as residents accuse City staff of pushing development that is incompatible with the surrounding neighbourhood.
A Federal Court judge has highlighted the utter failure of the Impact Assessment Agency and Environment Minister Stephen Guilbeault to study community concerns around the Bradford Bypass, noting it’s clear the Agency did not even consider some of the significant information community members provided.
The startling decision is at odds with repeated statements from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his environment minister that protecting the environment and battling climate change are a top priority.
The path to completion has not been without its challenges for Mississauga’s Hurontario LRT, the largest transit project in the city’s history.
Despite a series of delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and supply chain issues, staff assured Mississauga City Councillors on Wednesday the project will see “substantial completion” in 2024.
Over a year ago, St. Catharines council asked staff to report back on its goal of planting 100,000 trees in a decade. The study has yet to materialize. Environmentalists support tree planting but many are questioning governments that trumpet such efforts while ignoring much more critical solutions, or, as Doug Ford continues to do, enact policies that set us even further behind in the fight to slow climate change.
Black leaders have for generations warned others about the often crippling price they continue to pay just to protect their communities from harm. Former Brampton Citizen of the Year Danielle Dowdy has worked tirelessly for years and says focusing on her well-being will allow her to rejuvenate, as so much work still needs to be done.
Peel will get $42.4 million from Queen’s Park as the region’s homeless population grows. Issues around food insecurity, the lack of shelter spaces and the rising cost of living have hit particular segments of Peel hard since the start of the pandemic.
The ongoing shortage of affordable housing units puts pressure on the most vulnerable including international students, seniors, recent immigrants and under-employed residents.
A recent court decision has dismissed the case of seven youth claiming the Ontario government is violating their Charter rights with ineffectual emission reduction targets.
While the judge found the PC government’s abysmal climate plans put Ontarians at risk, she ruled the harmful actions fall short of a Charter violation.
According to a report from an external workplace auditor, leadership at the Region of Peel, which is supposed to provide governance in one of the most diverse places in the world, does not reflect the community it serves.
Metrolinx has assured the City of Mississauga that the Hurontario LRT will be finished on schedule.
A number of “very high” risk pieces of flooding infrastructure in need of repair have been identified by the TRCA. The dismantling of established urban planning principles by the PC government continues to create significant issues for the Region of Peel.
After four years of holding out, the City of Mississauga will finally host legal cannabis retail stores.
With the ban now lifted, prospective business owners and advocates say permitting the legal substance in the city’s retail ecosystem will open up a whole new dimension of wellness, while pushing out the potentially dangerous illicit marijuana market that has thrived in Mississauga.
In response to the PC government’s Bill 60, which will allow more private medical clinics into the province’s publicly funded healthcare system, with the potential for some pay-for-service options, the Ontario Health Coalition will be organizing a referendum in late May to find out if the controversial plan has widespread support.
The PC government has brought forward another proposed piece of development legislation aimed at addressing the ongoing housing crisis: Bill 97, the Helping Homebuyers, Protecting Tenants Act. It seeks to amend various pieces of legislation making it easier for the Province to achieve its goal of 1.5 million homes by 2031. Land use experts say the legislation would cut more environmental safeguards, put farmland and food security at risk and pave the way for less dense, car-dependent growth.
As avian flu spikes in the bird population, killing millions around the world, experts advise avoiding contact altogether if possible as the virus can be transmitted to humans, pets, and other wildlife through infected bodily fluids.
To report sick or deceased wild animals, residents within the Greater Golden Horseshoe are asked to call both 311 and the Ontario Regional Centre of the Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative.
A meeting hosted by the Forks of the Credit Preservation Group Tuesday allowed residents to express concerns over the CBM Aggregates blasting quarry application currently being considered by the Town of Caledon.
Residents and experts pointed to the lack of transparency around the potentially destructive project and the slow pace of work to study the future of environmentally damaging aggregate operations in Caledon.
With The Mississauga Food Bank expanding its home base to accommodate the surging demand for its services, CEO Meghan Nicholls is asking for government intervention to alleviate mounting pressure on food banks across the province. While the organization’s recent move provides much needed additional space, it does not address the root causes of food insecurity across Mississauga.
The Mississauga-Brampton suburban icon lived the “immigrant experience” and carefully constructed an enriched life, brick by brick.
The City of Mississauga, joined by the family of the late Ignat (Iggy) Kaneff, paid tribute to the former philanthropist and local businessman with the official unveiling of the sign that will be placed in the newly renamed Iggy Kaneff Park.
The dedicated greenspace commemorates Kaneff who fostered a legacy of giving back to his community. He passed away in 2020.
Concerns about a proposed blasting quarry in Caledon are swirling after councillors and Mayor Annette Groves were left in the dark about significant updates to the project.
The continued breakdowns in communication raise questions about Caledon’s pledge to be fully transparent about an industry that has been allowed to operate with impunity across the largely rural municipality for years.
As cities worldwide battle the threat of climate change and learn lessons from the pandemic to keep residents safe from public health risks, the City of Mississauga’s Office of Emergency Management is working to ensure future threats will be met with the best response.
As emergencies become more complex, the department’s work is continually evolving.
Following several reviews of whether to allow cannabis retail in Mississauga’s city limits since its legalization in 2018, council members are once again debating the matter. Sparked by the ongoing presence of a particular illegal location operating in the middle of the city, a notice of motion presented by Councillor Dipika Damerla, who has previously voted against allowing retail cannabis twice, is calling on the City to reconsider its ban, but a discussion during Wednesday’s general committee meeting revealed some councillors want to keep the ban in place.
A Black man has been appointed to the Peel Police Services Board for the first time in its history, marking a significant milestone for a community that experiences disproportionate harm at the hands of police officers.
The decision was not without controversy as the choice narrowed to two candidates of different backgrounds. Some elected officials tried to pit Peel’s Black and Muslim communities against each other.
Police, politicians and the public call for change in a system that allows Canada to remain a ‘source country’ for the international stolen car market.
Vehicles across Ontario and other provinces end up in countries where the illicit trade in stolen cars happens in the open, right under the nose of governments and local authorities.
Regional councillors will appoint an individual to the Peel Police Services Board on Thursday.
Members of Peel’s Black communities are calling for representation around the table as they continue to face disproportionate harm at the hands of police.
Mississauga is one of few large cities that does not allow cannabis stores due to concerns over a range of potential negative outcomes; Brampton’s Library board will present to Council after finding out its Chinguacousy branch will be evicted from the Bramalea Civic Centre; Health Minister Sylvia Jones will appear before regional council to discuss the PC government’s plan to address rapidly rising rates of mental health problems.
An audit published by Ontario Auditor General Bonnie Lysyk in November found the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry is severely lacking in its management of invasive species.
Her audit details the failure to collaborate with other governments, inadequate funding for municipalities and the lack of a coherent strategy as invasive species thrive due to global movement and climate change.
In 2021, despite backlash from the public, Caledon council passed a motion to request an MZO for a warehouse project located at Dixie Road and Mayfield Road.
The development approved in March 2022 will divert the watercourse that runs through the site—which includes portions of the Greenbelt. Despite its role in protecting a large portion of southern Ontario’s natural habitats, and a new report that looks at natural channel restoration in Brampton, the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority is repeating the claim that tampering with the stream will be ecologically beneficial.
In December 2021, the PC government announced what will be one of the biggest hospitals in North America when the rebuild of Mississauga Hospital is completed. A second expansion within the Trillium Health network at its Etobicoke ambulatory-care site will be part of one of the largest hospital investments for one system in Canadian history.
Recently, the government made good on its 2021 promise, announcing a recommitment of funding to support the Trillium Health Partners redevelopment projects in its latest financial blueprint, as Mississauga’s growth is expected to accelerate.
Following a petition signed by a large number of Brampton residents, the City is undertaking its first ward boundary review since 2012, to ensure councillors can effectively and equitably represent all citizens.
Mississauga continues work on a set of Green Development Standards to try and grow sustainably in the face of ill-conceived PC housing legislation.
The Region of Peel has seen improvements since its first workplace census in 2020, but major gaps remain in diversity at all levels of the organization.
Bill 56, Fewer Floods, Safer Ontario Act, a private members Bill brought forward by Liberal MPP Mary-Margaret McMahon, was voted down by all PC MPPs last week.
It was not a surprise given the Ford government’s move to gut conservation authorities, which provide critical flood management. McMahon says she will look to municipal leaders to help protect residents from flood risks.
The 2023 Ontario budget puts forth $70.5 billion for public transportation projects over the next decade. But NDP Critic Joel Harden says while that seems like a sizable investment, the money is not going where it is needed most. The PCs are investing almost $28 billion in highway projects, when experts say we need to move away from individual forms of transportation.
In response to widespread discrimination, the Peel Multicultural Council, a non-profit organization, is launching its Anti-Racism Project to challenge ingrained attitudes and narratives that continue to harm the region’s racialized communities. Its largest public institutions have struggled with the dramatic demographic shift over the past three decades, failing to reflect the changes.
On April 1, the Ontario government has a surprise planning announcement for the province's residents.
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada is putting the Ontario government on notice, questioning the effectiveness of its oversight and safety measures to keep provincial railways safe. The findings came out of an investigation into a 2019 accident in Kitchener when a GO Train struck two pedestrians at a public crossing. The report is a grim reminder that train-related accidents result in injury and deaths across Ontario, including in Mississauga where a four-year-old girl was struck and killed by a GO Train last July.
Known as a clean energy leader and the first jurisdiction in North America to eliminate coal fired electricity generation, Ontario is taking three steps backward in the race to a net zero grid.
The Province’s love of natural gas is hindering its ability to achieve what environmental organizations and intergovernmental bodies are pushing: a sustainable clean energy transition.
Citing “workload concerns,” the City of Mississauga’s integrity commissioner Robert Swayze resigned earlier this month, leaving the City searching for a watchdog to hold locally elected officials accountable. Swayze’s own understanding of the Municipal Act was scrutinized last year after former councillor Karen Ras resigned in early 2022 following allegations that former councillor Ron Starr had repeatedly harassed her throughout much of the previous council term. Ras was critical of the way Swayze handled the matter and filed a lawsuit against the City.
