The number of children attending daycares in Peel Region has dropped roughly 50 percent during the COVID-19 pandemic. In Brampton and Mississauga, the figures raise concern about the future of profit and nonprofit centres, already few and far between.
When Doug Ford campaigned in 2018, he specifically used Brampton Civic Hospital as the prime example of “hallway healthcare” and promised help. After the last two budgets failed to mention Brampton’s healthcare crisis and the long-awaited plans to expand Peel Memorial into a full-service hospital, the 2021 budget landed Wednesday.
In Brampton, residents and local elected officials waiting for desperately needed good news were in disbelief – it appears only a small fraction of the expected beds will be added.
Frank Kohler has confessed to abusing Kevin Dickman to many people. His wife, colleagues and even police investigators in 1974.
Yet, he has never stood in a courtroom to face a prison sentence for his crimes. Until Tuesday, when he pleaded for a lenient sentence.
Staffing issues as a result of COVID-19 measures, cases in schools and the lack of supply teachers continue to impact schools in Peel where closures are ramping up.
Peel is home to just nine percent of Ontario’s schools, but has nearly 40 percent of the province’s closures.
Vaccination clinics in Peel Region stand ready to get residents inoculated.
The only problem: they have very little to administer. Despite being Ontario’s worst hit region, it has received a small fraction of the province’s vaccine supply, and was left out of a pharmacy vaccination pilot program for older adults with no explanation.
A COVID-19 Facebook Live hosted by Mississauga’s MPPs, along with Dr. Lawrence Loh and a brief appearance from Premier Doug Ford, struggled to get to the heart of key questions.
Despite failing to move the conversation, engagement around the event showed the best and worst of online communication for politicians.
The Canadian company behind the world’s largest porn site has been at the centre of controversy following reports of videos depicting child exploitation, rape and human trafficking hosted on the platform.
The RCMP has not committed to an investigation despite evidence MindGeek, the Montreal-based parent company, has violated its obligation to report child sexual abuse material to authorities.
Change in Mississauga is inevitable and City staff have embraced many of the boons associated with modern, urban-style growth. But many residents are still wary. A concerted effort by leaders to bring locals with them could go a long way to foster collaborative change in the city.
Alishba Imran may still be in high school, but she’s already achieved more than most accomplish in an entire lifetime. The Mississauga youth is an autodidact who taught herself advanced artificial intelligence design in her early teens. She’s using the technology to help confront the spread of counterfeit medicine and has launched a company on the cusp of working with Tesla to test its batteries.
Locals desperate to know how many vaccine doses have arrived in the region are struggling to find updated information. The Ministry of Health, led by Christine Elliott, restricted the flow of information until this week, making it impossible to calculate if Peel has been receiving its fair share.
On Friday, the Province announced hundreds more pharmacies across Ontario will soon receive doses.
After weeks of unstable viral transmission trends, some teachers, students and staff across Peel are scratching their heads, wondering why they have not returned to mandatory online learning.
New safety directives for PDSB staff have been introduced, but the arrival of a third wave coupled with Peel’s poor vaccination rate has left many education stakeholders uncertain about the immediate future.
Renewed Computer Technology has been addressing social, economic and environmental issues since the early '90s.
The not-for-profit collects computers from large organizations, hires interns to refurbish them and sells them at dramatically reduced rates to families.
Dr. Lawrence Loh made the comments Wednesday morning, saying conversations are taking place with provincial counterparts.
He stressed sharing details such as the possible lifting of restrictions around outdoor dining doesn’t make anything official, and the final decision is up to the Province.
There’s been little to differentiate spring from winter in Peel, where lockdown measures stretch back to November.
Now, rising case numbers and a lack of information on vaccines are pushing many to their breaking point. Region of Peel CAO Janice Baker was forced to call out harassment and racism directed at her staff.
Last week, the Region of Peel voted to demand Queen’s Park amend its vaccine priorities.
Councillors want to see essential workers in logistics, food processing and warehouses prioritized to stop COVID-19 from continuing to stretch regional hospitals and hold local businesses back.
With over 35 years in politics, Carolyn Parrish could write the rules of the game, with her eyes closed: understand what party lines mean; know when a united front is needed; and never punch down.
Since her days as an MP, Parrish has been a tireless advocate for constituents, a pain in the you know what for adversaries and a gracious mentor to many. She says what most aren’t willing to, even when it gets her in trouble.
Racism has been a hallmark of the British royal family for centuries. It was the defining characteristic of imperial rule in places like India and Africa.
The worst of the royals and their imperious attitude toward all those beneath them is embodied by the behaviour of Prince Andrew. Now, the recent allegation of racism levelled by the disenfranchised Prince Harry is the inevitable outcome of a family that has always lived under the credo of English privilege at the expense of all others.
Mississauga may not be known to many as a notable destination for film and TV production, but it has quietly positioned itself as a serious player in the industry. By the summer, it will boast eight separate studios and City officials are hoping the high-profile sector, with its glitzy appeal, can become a cornerstone of its modern transformation.
It’s a strategy to drive economic growth while drawing from the dynamic vibe of creatives in film and TV.
The testimony before Canada’s parliamentary ethics committee has once again revealed the disturbing increase in the spread of child sexual abuse material on the internet.
While outrage has been directed at Pornhub and Canadian parent company MindGeek for its apparent failure to address the issue, they are not the only bad actors in the vast realm of internet exploitation.
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.
