Public gatherings in support of Israel and Palestinians have taken place in cities across the globe since the horrifying attacks on innocent civilians by Hamas last Saturday.
In Mississauga, an impromptu celebration at a plaza parking lot shortly after news of the violence was first reported raises questions about our commitment to condemn behaviour that is anti-Canadian, while simultaneously supporting citizens seeking justice through peaceful means.
Assurances by Premier Doug Ford of no wrongdoing in the process to remove 15 parcels of land from the Greenbelt, creating $8.3 billion of value for preferred developers, have failed to stop the RCMP from investigating the controversial land swaps.
While the national police force begins its formal probe, the province’s Auditor General has launched its own investigation to examine the Ontario government’s use of MZOs to benefit private companies.
A Community Satisfaction Survey completed for the City of Brampton has found nearly half of residents reported feeling unhappier now than three years ago, with public safety and housing affordability listed as top concerns.
In Mississauga, council members are set to vote on a motion that will make it easier for residents to convert their properties to denser forms of housing. A long list of delegates are set to speak on the matter.
For the first time since 2020, MiWay is experiencing user demand above levels recorded prior to the pandemic. As the City focuses on meeting service levels and reaching its goal to electrify the fleet, the increased demand has prompted the need for more funding. A recent report to council members calls for a $6.7 million increase in the 2024 budget.
While the Greenbelt scandal has been exposed and the developer-driven plan is set to be scrapped, the PC government has shifted gears to push the Highway 413 and Bradford Bypass projects, with more Greenbelt land and valuable agricultural properties at risk.
Last week, Caledon council voted against a staff recommendation not to fight back against a development permit for 75 rural mansions in Belfountain. The project would double the size and population of the historic hamlet, and cause potential impacts on the wells of residents who have lived in the area for generations.
Should the development impact water quality and quantity, the Town could be on the hook for close to $20 million.
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Where is Brampton City Council and Mayor Patrick Brown? For the second-straight week, there has been no meeting of council and the public has been left in the dark as to why these regular meetings have been removed from the calendar.
Citizens are expressing concern and frustration with elected officials as key pieces of city business sit stagnant at city hall.
While Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie seeks a political upgrade, her city has been left in a precarious position as it wrestles with its emerging independence, significant growth, some of the biggest projects in its history and the pressures of budget season around the corner.
In her absence, Council will be maintaining the mayor’s role on a rotational basis—a temporary solution that cannot continue indefinitely, City staff have cautioned. Without a stable leader, it remains unclear how the City of Mississauga will navigate this period of uncertainty.
The William Osler Healthcare System recently urged Bramptonians to find help elsewhere as its Urgent Care Centre at Peel Memorial was operating well beyond capacity.
It’s the latest in a long line of issues that have plagued Brampton’s overburdened healthcare system. Yet there appears to be no urgency from local elected leaders, Osler officials, or the PC government to expedite Peel Memorial’s expansion—a decision that could save lives.
A new three-year mental health strategy from the Peel District School Board, for the first time, will offer resources designed to assist the wide demographic of students it serves.
As City business piles up, Brampton council goes without a meeting for the second-straight week.
A Mississauga councillor is looking to make it easier for property owners to convert their land into desperately needed “missing middle” housing.
As Brampton Council continues to finalize its plans to launch its Residential Rental Licensing Pilot Program in Wards 1, 3, 4, 5 and 7 at the start of 2024, residents raised concerns at a Committee of Council meeting about the exemption of properties renting out more than five units.
The program aims to protect tenants from health, safety and human rights violations. Peel ACORN told council members that a large number of tenants in Brampton live in units owned by corporate landlords that often financially exploit renters.
A recent report to Regional council revealed Peel is seeing a dramatic rise in the number of asylum claimants requiring emergency housing, pushing its shelters to operate at a 247 percent occupancy rate.
In an even more alarming revelation, asylum claimants account for approximately 57 percent of these shelter occupants — a number the federal government anticipates will only increase. With no additional funding available at the Regional level and insufficient support from upper levels of government, it's unclear how the Region of Peel will respond to the rising demand with winter fast approaching.
On September 30, the third National Day for Truth and Reconciliation was recognized across the part of Turtle Island now known as Canada. As the 15th anniversary of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples passes, the federal government has completed 13 of 94 calls to action established by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and implemented in 2015.
While progress has been slow at the federal level, in Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s government has introduced multiple pieces of legislation that completely negate free, prior and informed consent—a cornerstone of the truth and reconciliation commitments to undo centuries of injustice done to Indigenous peoples.
As Peel Public Health tries to reestablish programming after the pandemic, the department is struggling to keep up with demand. Operating at full capacity will be an even steeper challenge once the Region of Peel dissolves in 2025.
Service disruptions and the division of critical health services between Mississauga, Brampton and Caledon are top of mind as officials scramble to ensure the well being of Peel residents is not jeopardized.
Nation-wide protests driven by intolerance toward educating children about issues of gender and sexual identity, were met by counter-protesters gathered in defence of trans rights and 2SLGBTQ+ inclusion in schools.
In Peel, roughly 2,000 people congregated outside Mississauga City Hall one week ago, and grassroots organization QTBIPOC Sauga, in collaboration with Caledon Pride, held a counter-protest defending education that reduces the ongoing marginalization of 2SLGBTQ+ communities across Canada.
The Brampton Food Hub held its grand opening this past Thursday. It finally provides the city a long-needed centralized emergency food network through a collaboration of six existing non-profit and faith-based agencies.
The launch follows years of work by local organizations and their members who have been championing efforts to address the food insecurity crisis in a hyper-growth city where many newcomers and other residents struggle to secure their most basic needs.
Brampton taxpayers still don’t have any answers about a half-dozen investigations cancelled last year by Patrick Brown, after initial work revealed alarming conduct by the controversial mayor.
Froese Forensic’s investigation into the failed BramptonU project flagged a pattern of disturbing behaviour inside City Hall, under Brown’s leadership, but the mayor cancelled the remaining work, including separate investigations into contracts and hirings, before the completed findings could be revealed to the public. The provincial Ombudsman issued a second letter to Council after Brown and his council allies pulled the plug on the probes, urging their completion, but Ontario’s municipal watchdog will not commit to an independent investigation.
Following protests across the province relating to issues of sexuality being taught in schools, the PDSB is implementing a new plan to support students and staff who identify as LGBTQIA+ or Two Spirit.
The Region of Peel will hear from staff about ongoing financial audits launched by Premier Doug Ford and the PC government into its books and learn how public health is preparing for the upcoming flu season.
City Council declared gender-based violence and intimate partner violence an epidemic in Mississauga, similar to motions brought forward to Brampton and Regional council earlier this year. It is a move advocacy groups are calling a “first step” toward addressing the root cause of these extreme acts of violence common across the region, but without sufficient recognition and funding from the Province, these violent crimes will continue.
Caledon council voted to extend its interim control bylaw on the aggregate industry for an additional year after an update to the Town’s outdated and insufficient policies was not completed in the one year timeframe. Despite the mayor and some councillors having concerns over the potential for aggregate companies to appeal their delayed applications, including one for a large blasting quarry in the middle of the protected Greenbelt, staff claimed the Town would be in a good position to argue an appeal.
They did not explain why. Under the PCs, 97 percent of decisions at the Ontario Land Tribunal have gone in favour of private companies recently.
As The Mississauga Food Bank announces its rebranding to Food Banks Mississauga, a name the organization’s CEO says better reflects the work it does, the community service has also revealed in its latest report that five percent of the city’s population is now turning to the food bank to meet one of its most basic needs. The shocking statistic comes as the organization predicts a further surge in food insecurity in the community with no government intervention in sight.
A report coming to St. Catharines council on Monday includes a recommendation for the approval of incentive applications for three development proposals as part of the City’s 2020 Community Improvement Plan. Monday’s report raises questions and stirs previous concerns about the effectiveness of these incentive programs that have historically been criticized in Niagara Region for giving wealthy developers even greater profits at the expense of taxpayers who see few benefits.
Premier Doug Ford announced the reversal of the widely reviled Greenbelt Plan Thursday, putting all 14 remaining parcels of land removed last November back into the protected greenscape. Despite an apology and admission of his mistake, advocates remain cautious of the government’s integrity and intentions, turning their attention to projects like Highway 413 and the Bradford Bypass which have been under intense scrutiny.
With the climate movement growing across the globe, organizers are seeing more young people of diverse backgrounds (in many ways) get involved. Two young Ontario activists, Sophia Mathur and Miranda Baksh, say this diversity is important because climate change affects all, regardless of race, class or political stripe. The purpose is not to alienate any particular segment, but to galvanize generations demanding government protection.
Mississauga continues to be a leader in green transit by securing funding for the procurement of 82 new hybrid electric buses. By the end of 2024, these green buses will make up almost 60 percent of its fleet. Brampton, which has fallen further behind in electric vehicles, has approved funding for Fire and Emergency Services to purchase two fully electric fire trucks.
Caledon is slowing the aggregate industry after failing to complete all of the necessary studies for updates to its policies by the deadline.
As more and more housing developments fill out the city, a lack of infrastructure to support Brampton’s growing population is causing concern among already frustrated residents who say the hyper-growth is too much for the limited infrastructure. Transit cannot keep up, there are not enough libraries and community centres, and other existing services are already stretched to the limit. Schools are overcrowded and the chronic hallway medicine crisis in its lone full service hospital will only get worse. But Brampton is facing pressure to meet unprecedented new housing targets set out by the Doug Ford PC government. Where, residents ask, is the province’s commitment to fund infrastructure to support the mandated growth?
The Region of Peel has issued a letter to the federal and provincial government requesting stronger support systems for international students in Peel. Ongoing issues continue to put young people at risk with little action for more than a decade. A lack of housing, falling prey to sex traffickers and the absence of support from colleges and governments that gladly accept money from families, has created an ongoing crisis that often leads to tragic consequences.
Since the PC government announced four months ago it will dissolve the Region of Peel by 2025, serious questions about the future of critical services are being addressed. Amid the uncertainty created by the looming end of two-tier local government, in June, Regional council requested the upper tier municipality send a letter to the province requesting confirmation that Peel Regional Police — the second largest local police force in the province — will remain as a single entity beyond dissolution. But as the provincially appointed transition panel examines how it will dissect the Region’s departments, even more questions are swirling about the future of policing in Mississauga and Brampton.
Following the resignation of former housing minister Steve Clark and a reshuffling of Ford’s cabinet ministers, the PC government will conduct a review that will include all requests for Greenbelt land removals — as many as 800. While this is mandatory every ten years, experts say the intent is to strengthen Greenbelt policies and expand the protected area, not remove parcels for development.
Following months of speculation about her time as mayor ahead of November’s vote for the Ontario Liberal Party leadership, Bonnie Crombie has confirmed she will take a leave of absence from her role as Mississauga mayor. With a good chance she might not return, who are some of the likely candidates that will vie to replace the popular leader?
Edenshaw Developments Ltd. is under the microscope again at City Hall for repeatedly bringing back development applications councillors have heavily criticized, with little to no changes made to address concerns raised. In a September 5 planning and development meeting, the Mississauga-based developer once again brought back a proposal for 49 South Service Road, a development City Council previously condemned for “putting a circle in a square.” In response to council’s frustrations, Edenshaw is bringing the application to the Ontario Land Tribunal — its second appeal in two years.
As the City moves forward in developing its new Official Brampton Plan, a staff report shared with Council on August 28 highlights infrastructure shortages in the majority of the city’s Primary Major Transit Station Areas. It also points out that places where more and more residents will rely on transit are not currently supported by adequate jobs and office space that typically characterize areas serviced by major transit stations.
Planning for the looming dissolution of Peel Region continues as senior staff prepare for the winding down of services that for decades have been managed by the senior level of local government, which will no longer exist as of 2025. Meanwhile, regional staff coping with the upcoming end to their responsibilities as part of the upper-tier municipality, are trying to find ways to accommodate a flood of refugees in Peel.
The community of Belfountain has banded together in opposition to a development proposal that would double the population of the hamlet.
One of the major concerns of residents is the impacts 75 large executive houses would have on the water quality and quantity in the area. A community organization hired its own hydrogeologist to conduct an independent investigation which shows stark differences from the developer’s data.
At least six women in Peel have lost their lives at the hands of an intimate partner or male friend so far in 2023.
Despite the detailed knowledge of how these tragedies occur, solutions continue to be brushed aside and resources to help those in need are being withheld by elected officials.
The first week back to school across much of southern Ontario featured humidex values in the low 40s, temperatures that make it difficult for learning.
As high temperatures arrive earlier in the spring and persist into fall, which future climate models point to, schools will need to keep students and staff safe and cool.
Council is officially back in session after a summer recess, and the fall is set to see a number of projects revisited that are crucial to the city’s future.
Updates on the touted Centre for Innovation; addressing downtown’s ongoing redevelopment needs; and plans for a future cricket stadium are among the priorities council members will have to make decisions on in the coming months.
Poleen Grewal, who for years fought to protect students from the systemic discrimination that has plagued the Peel District School Board, has been fired. She held the role of associate director of equity and instruction.
Grewal says the decision amounts to reprisal after she challenged board leadership for years while senior educators fostered a culture that harmed thousands of visible minority students, who make up almost 85 percent of PDSB classrooms. Grewal alleges the board is now using her as a “scapegoat”, claiming she is largely responsible for the very problems she worked to eradicate.
Immediately after Steve Clark resigned as Ontario’s housing minister, demands rained down for the protection of all Greenbelt lands.
Doug Ford, the man responsible for approving carve outs that stand to earn developers more than $8 billion, has yet to explain his role in the scandal. A review he announced Monday already has critics questioning what good it will do, after the premier refused to halt development of the vital protected greenspace.
Mississauga’s Port Credit Library recently reopened its doors to the public on August 15 after shutting down for two years when the City deemed it unsafe for operation due to structural issues.
For decades, the library located in the waterfront neighbourhood of Port Credit had been sinking into the ground and despite efforts to pour more money into minor fixes here and there, council finally approved an $8 million plan to repair the sinking foundation.
In one of the fastest growing municipalities in Canada, managing climate policy at the Region of Peel is no easy feat. Breaking down gender barriers and biases, Christine Tu turned her passion into action, moving the Region’s Office of Climate Change and Energy Management into a challenging future.
Her risk-based, people-centred approach aims to make Canada’s largest suburb a beacon for municipal leadership in sustainable growth and design.
For close to 20 years, superintendent Mandy Johnston accepted that extreme levels of violence and sexual harassment was just an unfortunate part of her daily work racing through the streets to save lives as a Peel paramedic.
But after an incident in 2019, Johnston decided enough was enough and the External Violence Against Paramedics program was born, becoming a household name in the Peel organization and across the province for changing a workplace culture that has tolerated abuse for decades.
A damning report from Ontario’s Integrity Commissioner detailed the utter failure of Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Steve Clark, who said he had his “head in the sand” while 15 parcels of land in the once protected Greenbelt were approved for home construction at a value of $8.3 billion to prominent developers.
The report, which follows a blistering probe by Ontario’s Auditor General, has left the Ford PC government reeling, exposing the cozy relationship between powerful builders and the ruling party.
After the Minister of Education reviewed the PDSB for allegations of anti-Black racism and governance failures, poor leadership and questionable HR practices, the Ministry issued 27 binding directives to the PDSB to address the widespread problems that were found.
A consultant hired to examine the diversity makeup of its workforce and identify and qualify discrimination and institutional/systemic barriers in the PDSB has revealed widespread issues within the Board and made 108 recommendations. The findings are extremely troubling, and include treatment that goes against the guidance of the Ontario Human Rights Commission.
In a slew of press releases last week, the PC government introduced the Building Faster Fund at the Association of Municipalities of Ontario annual meeting in London.
The funding incentives will provide up to $1.2 billion over three years for municipalities that meet or exceed the housing targets they have pledged to achieve by 2031 as part of the Ford government’s plan to build 1.5 million homes. Premier Ford also extended existing strong mayor powers to municipalities once again, on the condition they sign onto the provincial housing pledge.
The GT20 Canada cricket tournament in Brampton featuring international stars recently wrapped up.
In its wake talks of Brampton’s proposed “multi-purpose cricket facility” have reignited. But despite the growing popularity of the sport in the city, and ambitions to make Brampton the “Cricket Capital of North America”, funding for a long-promised stadium has never materialized, even though Mayor Patrick Brown has made repeated pledges to get one built.
With summer reaching its end schools are preparing to reopen for the upcoming academic year. At the same time, a recent rise in COVID-19 cases has caused some concern as students return to the classroom with few of the pandemic precautions still in place. Peel struggled with higher case numbers than most other parts of Ontario, and many schools in the region were also hit hard.
The PDSB will be following Peel Public Health and provincial guidelines in anticipation of COVID-19 cases expected in schools come September, but stricter mandates do not appear to be in place.
As summer nears its end, the question of how the Region of Peel can accommodate those experiencing homelessness during the cold winter months gains an entirely new, and potentially deadly, significance. Regional officials say the hunt is on to find more community partners to help bolster the programming offered by the upper-tier municipality, most of which is already at capacity.
However, this will likely not be enough to meet the needs of this growing population once winter arrives.
An investigation by The Pointer has revealed just how damaging the Ontario government's ongoing push for development is to its most at risk species.
Development proposals, whether for a highway, a water main, or a subdivision, are analyzed in silos. Projects in Mississauga do not consider the impacts to wildlife in Pickering or Niagara, and those in Caledon do not analyze what goes on in Markham or Oshawa. But what if all these projects are harming the same species? Or the same threatened ecosystem?
That’s exactly what is happening to Ontario’s species at risk. Despite repeated calls from the provincial auditor general, the PC government refuses to analyze the cumulative impacts of its manic push for growth.
While the world transitions to a low carbon economy, it is often overlooked that smoke billowing from smokestacks is more than just the greenhouse gasses that warm the atmosphere. Hidden within the noxious clouds blooming from industrial smokestacks is a large sum of toxic chemicals, many of which can have adverse effects on human health.
A provincial policy that allows certain companies to break air quality standards put in place to protect human health is being questioned by a group of environmental lawyers.
