After allegations hung around him for months, Mississauga Councillor Ron Starr has released a statement to the media denying them. Former councillor Karen Ras alleges Starr keyed her Kia Sportage numerous times in a City Hall parking lot during the council term, prior to her decision in January to step down from her elected role.
Last week Starr filed a court request for an injunction to prevent an integrity commissioner’s investigation report from coming forward to council.
The small rural Town of Erin sits just north of Peel Region, in essence they are neighbours. But the township is not being very neighbourly; it is constructing a wastewater treatment facility that will dump effluent into Peel’s watershed which empties into Lake Ontario. It’s another huge developer-backed project to make way for sprawl that will impact the Credit River ecosystem and take another chunk out of Ontario’s so-called ‘untouchable’ Greenbelt.
On Wednesday, Mississauga council members were told colleague Ron Starr filed an injunction against the City of Mississauga and integrity commissioner Robert Swayze. If approved it would prevent Swayze from delivering the report.
He has been investigating whether Starr was in breach of the City’s Code of Conduct following allegations by former councillor Karen Ras that Starr keyed her vehicle repeatedly in the City Hall parking lot.
Mississauga will remain blue provincially for another four years after voters returned all six local PC incumbents to Queen’s Park for another term.
The reelected MPPs have championed Mississauga priorities in the past, but have been reluctant to push the PC party to prioritize their city. Its reelected officials will need to step up and speak out for their constituents on a number of complex topics including police reform, jobs for new Canadians, mental health and addictions, housing affordability and funding for public transit in booming areas of the city.
Mississauga Centre is the city’s smallest riding and the one experiencing more vertical growth than any other. Advocates want the next government to bring back the Hurontario light rail transit downtown loop cancelled by the Doug Ford PCs.
A massive new hospital being built right next to the riding is welcome news but lingering questions around long-term care and how the area was treated during the pandemic are still a concern for residents.
As a first-time MPP for Mississauga Centre, Natalia Kusendova didn’t act like a rookie.
Early on she stood up inside the legislature speaking both official languages and bringing up her riding regularly. Healthcare, mental health and addictions and seniors' issues featured prominently in many of her speeches. She was also a passionate advocate for the province’s francophone population. She did not stand up for those residents and businesses who want the downtown LRT loop added back into the project, after her PC government removed it.
The deeply disturbing behaviour of the provincial government over the last four years swept across Ontario’s electorate with blinding speed. In four years Doug Ford and his PC colleagues managed to undo longstanding environmental protections that once made Ontario a beacon for other governments racing to save their most valued natural spaces.
June 2 is the last chance to stop incendiary actions pushing the province to the edge of environmental ruin.
Caledon advocate and former federal candidate for the Green Party Jenni Le Forestier has doggedly held her local elected officials accountable for the damaging decisions some have made while doing the bidding of powerful developers who dictate so much of the local planning across the 905. She believes taxpayers need to be given far more information about the powerful industry lobby group that dictates more and more of the decision making around how their communities are being shaped.
The MPP for Mississauga—Erin Mills had a quiet four-year term, seldomly standing to speak in Queen’s Park. When he did, his riding was rarely mentioned and he almost never spoke about the most pressing issue in the area— affordable housing.
He instead focused on the need to recognize more international credentials and degrees to help open the post-pandemic economy by taking advantage of skilled immigrants.
Brampton West’s Amarjot Sandhu was nothing short of a disgrace in the eyes of many constituents: charged and convicted for operating illegal basement apartments; failing to show up for an official Remembrance Day ceremony and taking votes that hurt residents in his riding who expressed shock at the treatment by their elected representative. Sandhu had a record of inaction on a wide range of Brampton’s central issues including healthcare, police carding and auto-insurance discrimination.
The area located in the northwest part of the city has long been a big draw for new Canadians, offering a tight-knit community feel, expansive parks and trails.
But as the abundant housing supply that kept coming online reached a point of saturation demand drove up prices and the rental market outpaced supply. Housing affordability in the area is a big issue ahead of Thursday’s election.
The city’s ongoing healthcare crisis has been well documented. For four years the Ford government, including its two Brampton PC MPPs, Prabmeet Sarkaria and Amarjot Sandhu, failed to respond to the medical needs of the city’s 700,000 residents. Brampton suffered some of the worst infection rates in the country through the first three waves of the pandemic, while per capita resources for testing were among the lowest in Ontario. Meanwhile, demands to build a second full-service hospital with at least 850 acute-care beds were ignored, as Ford instead funded a massive new hospital in Mississauga. The former head of critical care at Brampton Civic Hospital says the city's voters should reject the Ford PCs on Thursday.
The incumbent regularly spoke up at Queen’s Park on community issues in Malton.
While Anand often claimed to advocate for his constituents he generally voted along PC lines even for legislation that impacted the riding negatively, and, beyond empty words, he seldom took the lead on many of the most pressing issues facing constituents in Peel.
With the promise, or threat of Highway 413 on the horizon, Brampton East residents will get to choose between candidates who want to see the sprawling 400-series corridor built just above their community and those committed to stopping the project before it starts.
As the most diverse area of Mississauga, the complex dynamics of policing a multicultural community unfold every day. On June 2, voters will be looking to put their X beside a candidate who understands how Queen’s Park can work to heal the trust that has been broken between Malton and Peel Regional Police.
The riding is home to more residents who take public transportation in Mississauga than any other area, making a key issue the Dundas bus rapid transit line which runs directly through the riding.
Public transportation in the riding has seen heavy investment with a portion of the future Hurontario light rail transit system, and voters want to see funding continue to make transit more accessible. Better long-term care in an area with a large population of seniors is also a main focus of residents.
Kaleed Rasheed stuck close to what his constituents wanted and advocated on their behalf during his rookie term as an MPP. Mississauga East—Cooksville was mentioned often during the first half of his term when he spoke in the legislature, highlighting the need for more affordable housing in his booming region and advocating for supports to assist seniors in his riding.
But after receiving a ministerial portfolio midway through the term his local advocacy fell off.
It’s becoming increasingly clear how badly Peel’s social services have been hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, and how long it could take to recover.
Reports related to a lack of funding for mental health and addictions in Peel detail how only one in three residents will get the help they need in a time of crisis, as work on the opioid strategy was stalled during the pandemic. Overdose deaths have continued to increase but when will regional councillors take responsibility for funding critically needed social services they have neglected for years?
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.
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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
