Two weeks after Mississauga Councillor Carolyn Parrish originally brought a motion to regional council, Peel has confirmed its opposition to the GTA West Corridor.
The decision, which adds to municipal momentum across the GTA, was not free from tension, as some Brampton and Caledon councillors continued to back the sprawl-inducing highway.
Around this time in a normal year, Peel Public Health would be busy providing updates on the latest numbers of influenza cases and possibly relaying new travel advisories for residents traveling out of the country. This is not a normal year.
Dr. Lawrence Loh is trying to reopen a region of 1.5 million residents, balancing optimism over vaccine availability with political setbacks and new variants spreading rapidly toward a third wave. No matter what he does, one group or another won’t be happy.
The Province has announced Peel Public Health will get a tiny fraction of its first shipment of AstraZeneca vaccines. The news means Peel will miss out on many life-saving doses, while Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox & Addington, Toronto and Windsor-Essex receive the bulk of the supply.
It’s part of a pattern of neglect in Ontario’s most racially diverse and hard-hit region.
A meeting between municipal, provincial and federal politicians last week offered a less than flattering view of how elected officials in senior levels of government are managing issues in Mississauga, and the rest of Peel.
A series of concerns raised by councillors and staff at City Hall were met with few answers and plenty of platitudes by politicians who work in Ottawa and Queen’s Park.
Social media can play an important role in community safety, connecting residents with timely news, new initiatives and events. Constable Akhil Mooken understands this very well.
The public and media relations officer has taken steps to grow his presence and gain some of the lost trust in communities that have recently had a troubled relationship with Peel police.
Regeneration Outreach Community located inside Grace United Church shares a fence with the store hoping to score a liquor licence from the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario. For many vulnerable residents in Brampton’s struggling city centre who have problems with alcohol, the move is “of great concern,” Regeneration CEO, Ted Brown, says.
Dr. Kulvinder Kaur Gill, an outspoken Brampton physician, has received three cautions from The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario for her social media comments.
Gill has more than 58,000 Twitter followers and has spoken out against lockdowns and the need for COVID-19 vaccines.
The Brampton mayor, who preaches belt-tightening to others, is avoiding questions about his own use of taxpayer dollars.
Other questions about alarming hiring practices and the handing out of contracts to people he knows are also being side-stepped, as some members of the public call for Brown to come clean about the questionable conduct under his watch.
The Region’s five long-term care homes provide an alternative model to families that either can’t afford or don’t trust private, for-profit facilities that operate in Peel.
But in order to properly deliver the level of care seniors deserve, existing gaps need to be filled by adequate provincial funding, regional staff say.
All eyes are looking to the future in Mississauga, anticipating major developments including Square One, Brightwater and Lakeview Village. In the short-term the city remains a sprawling former suburb, with only 1.5 percent of its land currently dedicated to apartments. Changing the hearts and minds of residents who bought a slice of suburbia is key for the City’s climate ambitions and future plans for dynamic growth.
Dr. Lawrence Loh is just as puzzled as everyone else, following Friday’s announcement that almost 200,000 new doses of the recently approved AstraZeneca vaccine will be administered to those aged 60 to 64 in certain parts of the province, but not in Peel, which has had Ontario's highest rates of infection throughout most of the pandemic. The news has left the region reeling as the Doug Ford PC government appears to once again be ignoring Peel’s dire situation.
Top police officials and advocates from North America’s most prominent child protection agencies added their voice to the ongoing parliamentary investigation into Pornhub and similar websites.
Their testimony raised questions about claims made by Pornhub’s top executives last month. Evidence revealed the company has failed to meet its legal obligation to report child sexual abuse material on its platform to Canadian authorities.
Canada is hoping for almost 2-million new doses this week and next, but reports out of Europe suggest manufacturers and export regulatory bodies continue to have differences about shipments to countries around the world.
As Canada continues to lag way behind in per capita vaccinations, Ottawa is trying to reassure residents that doses are on their way, to finally put a dent into the pandemic before a third wave arrives.
Dr. Lawrence Loh, the Region’s top public health official, continued his advocacy for a cautious reopening, stating on Wednesday that Peel should move into the most restrictive category under the Province’s colour-coded pandemic response framework, once the stay-at-home-order is lifted March 8.
Some local politicians don’t seem to understand the scientific rationale, despite a year’s worth of evidence that shows caution is the best approach for everyone.
Progressive Conservative MPPs representing Mississauga and Brampton voted against the introduction of paid sick days on Monday.
The move denies a request voiced repeatedly by Mayors Bonnie Crombie and Patrick Brown as well as Peel Public Health’s top doctor, Lawrence Loh.
Deryn Rizzi has been in charge of Mississauga’s fire service for exactly one month.
Early in her tenure, a fresh perspective is breaking through. The Chief’s Twitter account, in particular, demonstrates an ability to connect with residents across cultures and generations.
Ottawa will decide whether or not to take over the GTA West Corridor’s environmental assessment process in the next couple months, the federal government has confirmed.
It means environmental activists will soon have a clearer view on the future of the controversial 400-series highway.
Christina Giannone leans on her family’s long history of building quality residential projects, to explain how a new 72-acre residential/commercial site on old industrial lands in the west end of Port Credit will fit perfectly into a long-term plan to turn around Mississauga’s shoreline and win back the respect of Mother Nature. Her family already worked miracles when reimagining Port Credit Village two decades ago.
Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie called on the Province to hopscotch Peel into a more lenient reopening category once the current stay-at-home order is lifted after March 8 (unless plans change).
But Peel Region’s latest weekly epidemiological report suggests new “variants of concern” need to be better understood and the Region's top doctor is calling for caution before any rash decisions are made.
After months of steadfastly defending the GTA West Corridor as good transportation and economic planning, the PC government took a step back today, saying it is not 100 percent committed to building the highway.
The sudden shift comes amid fierce opposition from environmental advocates, municipalities and members of the public vowing to hold Doug Ford and his colleagues accountable.
Fixing our mistakes by the lake: The Brightwater project in south Mississauga is part of a massive movement to reclaim the city’s wondrous natural assets, including its lengthy Lake Ontario shoreline. The water's edge, once decimated by dirty industrial uses, promises to be an urban oasis for thousands looking to retire in a coastal resort-like setting.
Caledon Mayor Allan Thompson and Councillor Jennifer Innis have recently attempted to contort past statements on the controversial GTA West Corridor, saying they only ever supported planning work and not the project itself. The pair has failed to address their historic support for the corridor and shied away from a vote this week that called on them to oppose the GTA West Highway outright.
As the campaign to stop the GTA West Corridor continues to grow, Canada’s sixth largest city has stated its opposition to the planned 400-series highway. A motion, passed by councillors on Wednesday, means Mississauga’s is the clearest and most critical position in Peel, where a significant portion of the massive highway corridor is set to run. Meanwhile, Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown and Caledon Mayor Allan Thompson have taken a position on the fence.
At Thursday’s Regional Council meeting, Peel medical officer of health, Dr. Lawrence Loh, announced that seniors aged 80 and up will finally be able to schedule vaccine appointments starting February 27. With a planned capacity to handle almost 27,000 daily vaccinations, the goal is to inoculate at least 75 percent of Peel’s population, to get widespread community protection.
After a report found widespread anti-Black racism pervasive within Peel CAS, the government of Ontario has stepped in. An operational review of the organization will be conducted, investigating workplace culture, policies and practices, as well as considering if Peel CAS, led by CEO Rav Bains, is meeting its legislated responsibilities.
After only a year, Sunny Kalkat is no longer the director of internal audit. Her sudden removal right before the first audit committee meeting of the new year raises more questions about the stripping away of oversight under CAO David Barrick and Mayor Patrick Brown.
For Peel residents, the name Suze Morrison might not ring a bell. But for many Torontonians, she’s a familiar local elected official passionate about holding power to account, showing residents what she’s doing in office and calling constituents to action. Her deployment of social media should be a model for politicians in constant campaign mode who treat social platforms like a shiny new toy used for little more than grabbing the attention of voters.
Gagan Sikand, who represents about 118,000 constituents in Mississauga’s Streetsville area, has not voted or spoken in the virtual legislature since late-October. Staff at his office say he is away on an unspecified medical leave and are unable to provide a date for his return.
When Regional Council approved the 2021 budget for Peel Regional Police, questions around dealing with mental health crises dominated the discussion.
Mental health crises are rapidly rising in Peel but a program that has shown its potential to help both police and those suffering in the community is drastically underfunded in the region.
On Wednesday morning, councillors in Mississauga will convene a special council meeting to officially approve the 2021 budget after agreeing in principle on Monday. The financial blueprint maintains a two-percent infrastructure levy, but leaves many future investments on hold until after the COVID-19 pandemic subsides.
Three more survivors have added their voice to the fight to hold Pornhub and its Canadian parent company MindGeek accountable for maintaining what one lawyer called the largest collection of child porngraphy in the continent.
Canada’s parliamentary information, privacy and ethics committee will continue to hear testimony today.
The world’s largest swath of protected greenspace has been under pressure for decades. Under threat right next to the rapidly growing GTHA, the Greenbelt has repeatedly needed advocates to fight against developers and the politicians who serve them.
The latest fight aims to stop a new 400-series highway set to run along, and sometimes through, its southern edge, so more sprawling subdivisions can be built.
The ECHL team could never establish a fan base in the city and this week the Beast finally called it quits, leaving Brampton without a pro hockey club. The country’s ninth largest city was once a hotbed for the sport, but that was a lifetime ago, and so much has changed since then. One thing hasn’t – the game’s grip on those who will always be mystified by its beauty.
Despite a gradual reopening on the horizon, Peel’s personal care industry has been left to fend for itself. Three months after Peel’s second lockdown, multiple meetings with government and elected officials, and the rise of an organized body to represent the interests of owners in the region, the salon and beauty industry has struggled while others offering similar services have been given unfair advantages.
With Caledon’s recent decision to request the federal government step in to study the GTA West Corridor, following in the footsteps of Environmental Defence and Ecojustice, confusion is swirling around local support for the highway, and the flip-flopping positions of local councillors.
Hundreds of businesses across the region have halted their reopening plans as a result of the Province’s eleventh-hour decision to delay moving Peel into the grey zone. While the move is welcomed by Peel’s medical officer of health, Dr. Lawrence Loh, small business owners brace for another two weeks of lockdown restrictions, but the move will hopefully benefit everyone in the long run.
The report by Muneeza Sheikh found Dhillon violated the City’s Code of Conduct when allegations of sexual harassment on a City-sanctioned trip to Turkey were investigated.
Dhillon has strongly denied the allegations and has filed an application for judicial review to have the report repealed.
Despite weeks of declining case numbers thanks to a stay-at-home-order, new clusters of the U.K. and South African novel coronavirus strains threaten to undo the recent progress made in the fight against COVID-19, possibly foreshadowing a third wave.
The first-time MPP is an active poster on social media, but the content is tailored to deliver the specific messages put out by the current PC government. There’s a clear lack of messaging mirroring the pressing issues constituents in his riding face daily, which is in line with his lack of leadership when dealing with these problems beyond social media.
We have been steadily falling behind in the race against COVID-19 as the number of vaccinations administered per capita in Canada is now behind dozens of other countries.
As new strains of the novel coronavirus continue to spread, and provinces begin to reopen, it’s clear inoculation is the key to returning to normal life.
Peel’s two publicly funded school boards will reopen classrooms tomorrow, but some educators have mixed emotions about the decision. Training to accommodate the need for non-traditional learning has been poorly handled, some say, while concerns over viral transmission have still not been adequately addressed.
The Malton People’s Movement, a group based in Mississauga, has protested regularly in its campaign to bring change to Peel. In the wake of several police shootings in Brampton and Mississauga, members and supporters say they’re angry and scared. The advocacy is critical in forcing decision makers who claim to want change to actually meet at the table. But how can society be protected without a strong police presence?
Dr. Lawrence Loh, Peel’s medical officer of health, says the Province’s reopening plan goes against the guidance he offered. Loh has stressed reopening retail and schools too close together will make it difficult to isolate the cause of spread if cases begin to rise.
The former Mississauga mayor is an ageless icon who becomes a centenarian on Sunday. Her legion of fans will fete her with a giant online celebration – restricted somewhat because of the ongoing pandemic. But this won’t diminish how she ‘transformed’ her adopted city.
The majority of businesses in the country and throughout Peel have been impacted negatively by the pandemic in one way or another.
Meanwhile, some startups and early-stage companies have been able to prevail despite the odds. Resourcefulness and a creative pivot strategy have allowed these businesses to continue generating impressive revenue despite all the obstacles.
Late drama during the Region of Peel’s budget process concluded Thursday with the approval of a 1.02 percent property tax increase in the Region’s share of the bill and a 5.5 percent utility rate hike.
Councillors from Brampton, Caledon and Mississauga disagreed over a budget change worth $20 to the average household, before reluctantly settling on a compromise.
After a year of controversy encircled Pornhub and its Canadian parent company MindGeek, allegations of child pornography and other non-consensual material published and monetized on their websites forced company executives to explain themselves.
MPs were “disgusted” and “gobsmacked” by what they heard, with one politician commenting on the company CEO’s “staggering level of recklessness”.
The hiring of the City’s chief administrative officer and director of strategic communications, two high-level positions filled after Patrick Brown became mayor in 2018, remains shrouded in secrecy.
The Ontario ombudsman found the winning candidates, prior to their arrival at Brampton City Hall, had been complicit in the fraudulent Niagara “Inside Job” scandal, meanwhile key questions around their hiring in Brampton shortly after remain unanswered.
When Justin Trudeau picked Omar Alghabra to become his new Minister of Transport in January, the MP for Mississauga Centre was given a huge platform to deliver for the city that elected him.
But, since transitioning onto the front bench, Alghabra’s social media has put his role as a minister forward and seems to have left Mississauga behind.
In Brampton, Caledon and Mississauga, rental and purchase prices for housing are out of reach for 80 percent of residents. In Ontario, it falls to the Region to provide affordable housing.
It is a duty Peel’s elected councillors are struggling to meet, praying for help from the other levels of government and the private sector, while the crisis deepens.
