Peel Regional Councillor Rowena Santos works hard to balance the implications of both her public and personal image. A fake social media account was recently set up by someone to defraud her followers.
Does her particular type of social media use make Santos susceptible to impersonation? And if so, what does that mean for other elected officials?
Joining forces with lawyers and other activists, Environmental Defence has written to Ottawa and asked for a federal Environmental Assessment for the GTA West Highway.
The project, which threatens wildlife and watersheds, will run through west Brampton and carve a massive asphalt corridor across the south of Caledon.
A $3.1 million provincial investment into anti-human trafficking efforts in Peel has arrived at a critical time.
As the pandemic has exposed Peel’s many social issues, it has increased the risk for many vulnerable residents to being exploited by traffickers.
The rapidly growing Region has a $120-million capital investment set aside for its Housing Master Plan to help fund the creation of 2,200 affordable units. Compared to other Canadian cities in the last year, Peel saw the fastest growth in its millennial population between July 2019 and July 2020, according to new data from Statistics Canada.
Trends pointing to longer shelter stays and increased domestic violence occurrences – coupled with the effects of the pandemic – underscore the Region’s need to boost affordable housing supply, Council heard.
In the first part of our three-part series, The Pointer looks at how retirement-living is being completely transformed by baby boomers. The pandemic has forced many of us to reassess our lives and consider dramatic changes. The baby boom generation has already kick-started the process. They are now reinventing retirement. Welcome to a bold new boomer-driven project, The Shores of Port Credit.
After almost a year of pandemic rules, fatigue as the COVID-19 crisis deepens often turns to apathy. With many traditional communication methods beginning to wear thin, it could be time to pivot to show the shocking scenes unfolding in ICUs or embrace art to communicate shared grief.
Public Health Ontario is ramping up screening for new COVID-19 variants, with the results of a prevalence test expected in the coming weeks. Ontario public health experts believe it will be the “dominant version of the virus” by March.
While the province finally reached a two-month low in new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, Peel’s per capita infection rate is still the highest in the province, as health officials continue to investigate a massive outbreak linked to a Mississauga postal facility.
The move to hand over management of the City’s real estate portfolio to an arms-length company has faced mounting questions since the plan was taken over by the CAO’s office.
The first set of red flags was raised when it was revealed the consultant hired to shape the corporation has close ties to Mayor Patrick Brown. Now councillors are concerned that tough questions are not being answered.
The Official Opposition has promised to cancel the controversial GTA West Highway if it forms the government or plays a part in a coalition after the 2022 provincial election.
The project, which threatens sensitive lands throughout Peel Region, was scrapped in 2018 by the Liberals and then restarted by the Progressive Conservatives in 2019.
While councillors tell residents about the low tax increases they have secured, few are talking about the spiralling cost of water in Peel.
After enduring an increase of more than 7 percent in 2020, people in Brampton, Mississauga and parts of Caledon will find themselves paying a further 5.5 percent for utilities in 2021 ahead of an even larger increase in 2022.
The Brampton-East MPP is no stranger to trends and viral videos, with over 1.4 million likes on his TikTok account.
But quantity does not always equal quality, and while Singh is often a vocal advocate on the issues that matter to Brampton, these messages can sometimes be lost among opinions, and viral trends that are trying to sell constituents on the “Gurratan Singh” brand.
The City will not be the first to explore the option. Some, like Toronto, have already established an in-house ombud to look into complaints related to City Hall practises. What remains unclear is if this is the best option to serve residents and those council members who are growing increasingly frustrated over the lack of transparency under Brown's mayoralty.
Before the pandemic, transit ridership in Brampton grew year after year. Between 2017 and 2018, it increased by 14 percent alone. With the city’s rapidly growing population, all trends point toward this increase continuing. But Patrick Brown’s demands for tax freezes now raise questions about how the City will pay for its own transit expansion plans.
Last week, councillors in Caledon asked the Province to consider an unusual move to increase local control over the broad planning process.
A town council motion, light on detail and heavy on direction, was approved asking for Peel and Caledon to get special planning status. It’s the latest development in Caledon’s souring relations with the Region of Peel, after losing two council seats late last year.
While most students are learning from home, some in Peel with special needs still require direct supervision and support.
Braving high infection case counts and unable to socially distance in many situations, with immediate contact unavoidable, educational assistants are sacrificing their safety to continue helping students who need assistance most.
GTA mayors, labour unions and the NDP are joining other groups including many in the medical community demanding paid sick days. The PCs say support already exists for those workers forced to go into factories, plants and other facilities where many continue to contract the novel coronavirus. NDP leaders are demanding Ford reopen the legislature before February to enact an emergency Bill that would provide guaranteed sick days for those who desperately need them.
Despite an online petition that thousands of local residents have signed to save the Burnhamthorpe Community Centre outdoor ice rink, the demolition will continue as planned, to make way for a new pool and renovated community centre. Following the City’s decision to reject the online petition, residents are raising concerns over the lack of transparency behind the move.
The new measure came about after Mayor Patrick Brown and Councillor Rowena Santos were impersonated on social media late last year.
In response, staff took it upon themselves to make sure it never happens again, raising questions about free speech rights and prompting frustration from some councillors concerned about the lack of public debate around what the proposed social media surveillance of citizens actually means.
Brampton is following Toronto’s lead, instituting a mandatory mask policy at the City’s outdoor skating rinks. It also continues to leave outdoor winter amenities, such as tobogganing hills and trails, open for use to promote exercise and the mental-well being of residents.
The federal and provincial governments have combined to provide $113.5 million to Mississauga to fund 12 transit-related projects, a two-kilometre BRT among them.
The investment is a boon for City Hall, but leaves hundreds of millions of dollars still unfunded in the city’s ambitious transit plans.
In the eyes of some progressive planners, Queen Street holds the key to Brampton’s future. A new business case from Metrolinx outlines how to install rapid transit along the route and how much it will cost, but City Council, which has approved Mayor Patrick Brown’s tax freezes for three straight years, isn’t sure where the money will come from.
Nearly a month after Premier Doug Ford issued a province-wide lockdown, and only days after he attempted to strengthen that measure with a stay-at-home order, data from the Region of Peel show increased hospitalizations and coronavirus case numbers that are unparalleled across the province.
The Brampton mayor is a career politician. His social media pages reflect that. But unlike many others, he allows residents to enter a conversation with him through social media about issues pertaining to the city, something few elected officials do. Unfortunately, he often uses social media to make claims that are not accurate.
Regional Council is set to establish the financial blueprint for the current year. Elected officials will debate staff recommendations for the 2021 budget that include increases of 1.3 percent to property taxes for the Region’s share of the bill, and 5.5 percent to utility rates.
Affordable housing and other social services that have long been neglected will be addressed while councillors grapple with the ongoing financial impacts of the pandemic.
Council is supposed to make a crucial decision that could impact the city’s future development plans for decades. A central realty group, run under a municipal development corporation, has been proposed. But it’s raising more questions about how decisions have been made since Patrick Brown became mayor, after his dramatic fall from provincial politics in 2018.
A first dose of COVID-19 vaccine has been given to every resident of 28 long-term care homes and 15 at-risk retirement residences in Peel.
Next, officials will continue to vaccinate frontline health workers as they complete the logistics on a mammoth vaccine rollout.
As traditional journalism outlets continue to struggle – with disruption, a growing lack of trust and outdated business models – the dilemma faced by society now and in the future, is how we embrace our social media platforms. Recent studies show the limitations and potential harm of these sites. Even some who created and engineered them into tech giants are raising red flags because of the impact they are having on addicting our youth. In Part 1 of a 2-part series, we will look at today’s social media behemoths and the failures of traditional journalism outlets.
As people continue to adjust during the stay-at-home restrictions in Ontario, some gaping loopholes remain in place. While police and bylaw officers can force residents to refrain from local trips, travelling to the airport and flying abroad remain acceptable explanations for leaving the house.
For more than 30 years, local leaders in Peel have been vying to attract proportional funding to the region, which receives less than half the per capita dollars of other Ontario municipalities, according to its last “fair share” campaign effort. But funding roadblocks in everything from healthcare to housing have left frustrated residents with more questions than answers as to why the region remains passed over on critical funding opportunities.
Mississauga’s newest of four operations storage yards was built in 1996.
Fifteen years ago, staff urged Council to approve a fifth yard to support a growing demand to stow away everything from the City’s heavy-duty equipment, to snow and stockpiled leaves.
With much finger-pointing to higher levels of government from local leaders in Peel, are municipalities doing all they can to support local businesses?
Several construction unions and industry groups in the GTA are bolstering anti-racism programs following a series of incidents at work sites in the summer.
The Carpenters’ District Council of Ontario has appointed Brampton resident Chris Campbell as its first Equity and Diversity Representative. The efforts aim to improve the makeup of an industry that traditionally has lagged in visible minority representation.
In Peel Region, the belated release of rules for the Province’s new stay-at-home-order has caused concern.
Police in Brampton and Mississauga have a poor track record on equity and diversity and ill-defined rules expose the danger of arbitrary enforcement.
A 150-year-old single-storey heritage schoolhouse in Mississauga, Meadowvale Village Hall, is a coveted community meeting place buzzing with activity prior to the pandemic.
The building’s closure allows renovations that have been planned for decades, including installing a replica of its lost belfry, restoring the heritage site’s exterior, and removing hazardous material such as lead paint and the “minor” presence of asbestos.
The Mississauga MP has stepped down from his cabinet role and will not contest the next election, so he can spend more time with his school-age daughters.
In a new weekly feature, Social Media Monitor, The Pointer explores how politicians and other local public officials (one a week) use their social media platforms. Are they getting input from citizens to craft policy and shape legislation, or is it the new way to campaign every single day of the year?
For better or worse, social media is at the heart of our discourse, all of the time. Public figures now control digital communication, often sidestepping traditional media. So how are these public servants aiming Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other platforms at you?
Throughout the pandemic, Peel has remained a frontrunner in new COVID-19 cases. Within the region, Brampton sticks out like a sore thumb. Peel Public Health puts Brampton’s weekly case rate since May at 279 for every 100,000 residents, among the highest rates in Canada. Minority groups that represent the majority of residents have constantly taken the blame for the rise in cases. Those pointing fingers fail to realize the deep inequities that make these groups vulnerable.
The veteran Liberal politician has been entangled in controversies over recent years that raised questions about his associations.
He is the second high-profile Liberal cabinet minister to step down recently, after former finance minister Bill Morneau left his role following concern over his ties to a charity that was awarded a lucrative federal contract. Bains reportedly will not seek re-election.
Many in the mainstream are unaware of deep divisions among immigrant and visible minority groups. For youth in Peel, changing their parents’ narrative is a challenging proposition. While commonly understood stereotypes and forms of discrimination are slowly being confronted in our public institutions, youth need to overcome an entirely different set of divisive attitudes under their own roof.
Prior to the new year, Queen’s Park announced new isolation centres for Peel to help a small number infected with the novel coronavirus keep others safe. But these facilities represent a drop in the bucket for a region struggling to cope with rapidly increasing case counts.
Much more resources for testing and tracing are what’s really needed, along with better policies for paid sick-leave and other practices to help essential workers in Peel.
The Province has announced its last-minute plans to extend school closures by a further two weeks, frustrating many Peel teachers.
Issues singled out by unions for months remain unresolved, they say, while the pandemic shows no signs of retreating across the hard hit region.
Members of the disability community in Ontario have been desperately trying to work with the Province since March after now-withdrawn emergency protocols threatened to block basic access to life-saving healthcare.
Now, more than 10 months into the pandemic, they fear the Province is offering them an impossible choice.
COVID-19 vaccinations are ramping up in Peel, as the Province attempts to inoculate all long-term care residents and frontline health workers before January 21.
The target is the first of several in a vaccine rollout program aimed at ending the rampant spread of the novel coronavirus.
With some elementary schools set to re-open for in-person learning next week, despite surging new-case numbers, teachers’ unions say their members are not convinced it's safe to return to the classroom.
Speaking at a press conference, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Leader of the Liberals, expressed his disappointment with Kamal Khera who travelled out of the country recently. In his remarks, he hinted at her dismissal from her special role, despite Khera’s suggestion that she is voluntarily stepping down as a parliamentary secretary.
The Canadian Muslim COVID-19 Task Force was born out of an emergency meeting by community leaders last March, one day after the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic.
Now, thanks to its wide network of volunteers – including Peel-based faith leaders, physicians and public health specialists – the group is working to provide accurate information about COVID-19 vaccines and its religious context to minimize vaccine hesitancy.
On Sunday night, the second-term MP issued a statement saying she had travelled to the United States for a family memorial service. The Pointer contacted family members who said they did not know about any such service. Her office said she would not answer questions about why she considered the trip essential.
Peel Region is home to one of the world’s most diverse populations, with about 130 languages from almost every region of the world spoken in Brampton and Mississauga. This remarkable display of pluralism, pairing such diversity with Canada’s “value system” often fools many outside observers who believe intolerance is rare. Unfortunately, in Peel, and across many parts of our country, our own loved ones often play a starring role in the ongoing hostility that routinely unfolds between fellow citizens.
After a slight decline in cases throughout the region was finally seen for a couple days in late December, following the lockdown that took effect near the end of November, infections have climbed since Christmas.
After 2020 introduced the world to COVID-19, many have been holding out hope that 2021 will mark a turning point in the world’s battle against this novel disease.
Two days into the new calendar, the novel coronavirus appears to be spreading faster than ever, with case numbers reaching a new daily high across Ontario led by numbers in Peel Region.
