All Posts By

Stephen Dasko

Looking to be Mississauga’s next Poet Laureate? Apply today!

By Announcement, Events

The City of Mississauga is searching for its fifth Poet Laureate to fill a two-year term starting this April until March 2026.

The role of the Poet Laureate is to elevate the status of poetry, literary arts and writers within their community and beyond. This honourary position recognizes a poet who writes excellent poetry or spoken word and has written on themes that are relevant to Mississauga’s residents.

Mississauga’s current Poet Laureate, Ayomide Bayowa, will conclude his term this spring.

The application period is currently open until March 1, 2024. Interested applicants are asked to submit their applications by 4:30 p.m. on March 1.

For more information, view the submission guidelines and application process online.

Poet Laureate speaking at the podium.

February 6, 2024
Love0

Celebrate Safely this Lunar New Year

By Events, Food for thought

Mississauga is a vibrant and diverse city that always has something to celebrate. As the Lunar New Year approaches, families across the city are getting ready to welcome the Year of the Dragon with food, fireworks, decorations, music, lanterns, gifts and more.

Lunar New Year is one of the largest celebrations for Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean and Southeast Asian communities around the world, including Mississauga. Families and friends will come together to give thanks for the blessings of the year, exchange gifts and celebrate the arrival of the New Year.

Follow these safety reminders to ensure your Lunar New Year celebrations are safe and enjoyable for everyone:

Fireworks

The City of Mississauga has a Fireworks By-law to regulate the lighting of fireworks within Mississauga. Fireworks for Lunar New Year are allowed at home on your private property on Saturday, February 10 from dusk until 11 p.m.

To use fireworks on a public street or park, you must obtain a permit from the City or call 905-896-5908.

To dispose of used or unused fireworks, completely submerge the fireworks in water and soak them overnight. Wrap the soaked fireworks in a plastic bag to keep them from drying out, and dispose of them in your garbage bin.

Lights and décor

If you’re planning to use candles, remember to keep them in a sturdy holder on a heat-resistant surface. Keep flames a safe distance from curtains, lanterns, furniture, decorations and loose clothing. Keep children and pets away from all sources of heat and flames.

Stay safe in the kitchen

Lunar New Year brings families together. If you plan to cook, remember to stay safe:

  • Turn your hot appliances off if you have to leave the kitchen.
  • Keep towels and clothes away from the stovetop and never cook or barbecue in your garage.
  • If you’re frying or cooking with oil, you must be careful. Hot oil can catch fire easily – use a deep fryer with a temperature gauge that will make sure the fat does not get too hot.

Additional information

  • Having guests over who plan to stay a while? Consider applying for a temporary parking permit.
  • Visit Mississauga’s fire prevention page for more tips on how to prevent a fire.
  • Submit a complaint for illegal use of fireworks on private property, sidewalks, boulevards and residential roads by calling 311 or online.
  • To report fireworks in City parks or school properties call the Facility Watch Program at 905-615-4060
  • To report fireworks on major public roadways or unsafe fireworks use, residents should contact Peel Regional Police using the non-emergency number: 905-453-3311. Please do not call 911 for fireworks complaints.
February 5, 2024
Love0

Notice of Bus Stop Impact: #0709 – NB Hurontario St at South Service Rd | Monday, February 5, 2024

By Hurontario LRT, Resources, Ward 1

Please be advised of the following stop impacts. See the related details below:

Stop(s) Impacted:  No. 0709: NB Hurontario St at South Service Rd

Temporary Stop Location:

0330 – NB Hurontario St at Hampshire Cres (230m south)

0728 – NB Hurontario St at North Service Rd (500m north)

Routes Impacted: 2 North

Date and Time: Effective Immediately

Estimated Duration: until Thursday, February 8, 2024 @ 7:00am.

Event Type: HuLRT

Agency: Mobilinx

Notes:

–             Stops will remain accessible;

–             No detours required.

February 5, 2024
Love0

NOTICE: MiWay Service Changes on Feb. 26, 2024

By Resources

Starting on Monday, Feb. 26, 2024, there will be changes to MiWay services that benefit customers and reflect improvements in the quality of shift work to support the well-being of our Transit Operators. These MiWay service changes involve more frequent service on Route 35 Eglinton to address customer overcrowding resulting from increased customer demand.  Additionally, new trips will be added to several high-demand routes to support continued customer growth. Route 34 will be cancelled due to low customer demand; however, the service area coverage will be maintained with new routing for routes 9, 49A and 68.

  1. More frequent weekday service on Route 35 Eglinton

Route 35 Eglinton will increase its weekday service frequency to alleviate customer overcrowding.

During weekdays, the route will run every 9 minutes between 6 am to 10 am and from 2:30 pm to 8 pm, an improvement from the previous frequency of every 10 minutes during those times.  Additionally, between 10 am and 2:30 pm, the service will run every 22 minutes, an improvement from the previous frequency of 25 minutes.

  1. Route 34 cancellation due to low customer demand

Route 34 Credit Valley will be cancelled due to low ridership. This will enable improved service reliability on other routes across the network by reallocating the resources.  Transit services on Route 9 Rathburn-Thomas, Route 49A McDowell and Route 68 Terry Fox will be adjusted to maintain transit service to neighbourhoods previously served by Route 34.

  1. Revised routing on Routes 9 Rathburn-Thomas, 49A McDowell, and 68 Terry Fox

To maintain Route 34 service area coverage, there will be revised routing on three alternate routes:

  • Route 9 Rathburn-Thomas: new routing will service Erin Mills Town Centre, Credit Valley Hospital and Erindale GO Station. It will no longer service Streetsville GO Station or travel on Queen Street.
  • Route 49A McDowell: new routing will service the Streetsville GO Station and connect to Milton Line GO Train service.
  • Route 68 Terry Fox: new routing will service Kingsbridge Garden Circle. Service will also operate hourly on Sundays from 10am to 8pm. It will no longer travel on Confederation Parkway.
  1. Weekend service frequency improvements to support growing riders on Route 7 and 26

Routes 7 and 26 will operate more frequently on weekends to accommodate the growing ridership and to offer enhanced service at times and locations aligned with customer demand.

  • 7 Airport (Saturday and Sunday): will operate every 25 minutes (previously every 28 minutes) all day on Saturdays and every 27 minutes (previously every 31 minutes) on Sundays.
  • 26 Burnhamthorpe (Saturday and Sunday): will operate every 22 minutes (previously every 25 minutes) on Saturdays from 5 am to 9 pm, and every 28 minutes (previously every 32 minutes) on Sundays from 10 am to 9:30 pm.
  1. Ridership continues to grow on many MiWay routes.  To accommodate this growth additional services and trips have been added to the routes below to support customers’ travel needs. 

The routes below will have additional transit service based on customer travel needs:

  • 5 Dixie (Sunday): new earlier northbound and southbound trips on Sunday.
  • 7 Airport (Saturday, Sunday): new earlier northbound and southbound trips on Saturday and Sunday.
  • 10 Bristol-Britannia (Saturday): new earlier northbound and southbound trips on Saturday.
  • 11 Westwood (Sunday): new earlier northbound and southbound trips on Sunday.
  • 35 Eglinton (Saturday): new earlier eastbound and westbound trips on Saturday.
  • 39 Britannia (Saturday, Sunday): new earlier eastbound and westbound trips on Saturday, plus earlier and later eastbound and westbound trips on Sunday.
  • 42 Derry (Saturday, Sunday): new later eastbound and westbound trips on Saturday, and earlier westbound trips on Sunday.
  • 61 Mavis (Saturday, Sunday): new earlier and later northbound and southbound trips on Saturday and Sunday.
  • 66 McLaughlin (Sunday): new earlier northbound and southbound trips on Sunday.
  • 103 Hurontario Express (Sunday): new earlier northbound and southbound trips on Sunday.
  • 109 Meadowvale Express (Saturday, Sunday): new earlier and later northbound and southbound trips on Saturday and earlier northbound and southbound trips on Sunday.
  1. 300-series service to high schools

The routes below will have additional trips to support our high school student riders.

  • 307 Philip Pocock-Bloor East: new weekday 7:12 am westbound trip from Kipling Bus Terminal that arrives at Philip Pocock Secondary School at 7:44 am.
  • 313 Streetsville-Meadowvale: new weekday 7:48 am southbound departure from Meadowvale Town Centre Transit Terminal that arrives at Streetsville Secondary School at 8 am.

MiWay’s school routes (300 series) will not operate from March 11 to 15 due to March Break.

  1. Schedule adjustments

Schedules will be updated on various routes to improve service reliability for our customers (a complete list of routes will be available on miway.ca).

  1. Holiday service

On Good Friday, March 29, 2024, MiWay will operate on a holiday schedule with further adjustments to the routes outlined below:

  • Routes 17 Hurontario will operate every 25 minutes and 23 Lakeshore will operate every 29 minutes,
  • Routes 28 Confederation, 46 Tenth Line-Osprey and 48 Erin Mills will not operate due to low demand.

More information about these changes will be available at miway.ca beginning Wednesday, February 7, 2024.

February 2, 2024
Love0

Renowned Folk Music Ontario Conference coming to Mississauga this fall

By Announcement, Events, Music

The City of Mississauga and Visit Mississauga are pleased to share that Folk Music Ontario has selected Mississauga as the host city for its 2024 conference and awards from October 3 to 6, 2024.

“We are excited to welcome Folk Music Ontario to Mississauga this year,” said Acting Mayor Joe Horneck. “As 2023’s Music City of the Year, our lively music scene is thriving and draws many talented artists from across the country. We look forward to spotlighting Ontario’s folk music talent and inviting them to our vibrant city this fall.”

The Folk Music Ontario Conference is the largest gathering of Canada’s folk music industry. Folk Music Ontario has partnered with Visit Mississauga to host a weekend of professional development, networking, live music and awards in venues around the downtown, including the Living Arts Centre.

“We’re delighted that Mississauga was selected to host this year’s conference and awards. It showcases our live music venues and aligns with the City’s Music Strategy,” said Victoria Clarke, CEO, Visit Mississauga. “Kudos to our team for securing this event and thank you to Folk Music Ontario for partnering with us. We look forward to amplifying Mississauga’s talented music scene to celebrate and support our local artists with these type of event opportunities.”

Last year, Mississauga was named the 2023 Music City of the Year and was recognized for its efforts in establishing a Music Strategy with a goal of positioning the city as an incubator for top musical talent and a national destination for live music events and festivals.

For more information about the 2024 Folk Music Ontario Conference, visit the website.

About the City’s Music Strategy

In 2022, the City announced its first Music Strategy: 2022-2026, which identifies 32 actions over the next five years to support the growth and development of Mississauga’s music industry. It focuses on four guiding principles, which include amplifying Mississauga’s artists, creating a favourable environment for live music, supporting underrepresented people and groups, and celebrating Mississauga’s history and success.

About Visit Mississauga

Visit Mississauga, is the official destination marketing organization (DMO) for the City of Mississauga. The organization is industry-led and responsible for developing a tourism strategy and leading tourism marketing and development efforts for a destination. The organization’s mandate of implementing the City of Mississauga’s Tourism Master Plan Tourism Mississauga is committed to promoting local businesses and bringing large scale events and attracting visitors to the City. To learn more about Visit Mississauga or check out other exciting events coming to Mississauga, go to visitmississauga.ca.

About Folk Music Ontario

For more than 36 years, the Folk Music Ontario Conference has been the premier Canadian gathering for connecting folk music professionals. With its unwavering commitment to nurturing the growth and development of the folk music sector, the conference offers a melodic blend of professional development, showcasing, and unparalleled networking opportunities for artists and music industry professionals.

Mississauga’s The Snake Charmer performing at Folk Music Ontario 2023. Photo credit: David Leyes
February 1, 2024
Love0

Fourth Street at Meredith Avenue (Manhole Replacement) – Road Closure March 4- 29th, 2024

By Resources, Ward 1

The Region of Peel is requesting a temporary road closure for the intersection of Fourth Street and Meredith Avenue. Work will be completed during regular working hours (Monday-Friday, 7am-7pm) from March 4-March 29th.

As a part of the scope of work, the manhole located within the intersection will require the full replacement.  In order to complete the required work in a safe manner, the Region will require road closures at this intersection.

February 1, 2024
Love0

City recognizes Dana Wilson and four Mississauga schools for their efforts in promoting traffic safety

By Announcement, Food for thought

On January 31st, Mississauga City Council, on behalf of Mississauga School Traffic Safety Action Committee, awarded the 2023 Dr. Arthur Wood Award to Dana Wilson, Principal of Hillside Public School. Four Mississauga schools also received the 2023 Wilde Wood School Safety Zone Award including St. Basil Elementary School, St. Dominic Catholic Elementary School, Darcel Avenue Senior Public School and Nahani Way Public School.

“Congratulations to this year’s award winners for prioritizing student road safety and encouraging active travelling by walking and biking,” said Acting Mayor John Kovac. “Your hard work and commitment towards promoting traffic safety for students is truly remarkable and serves as an inspiration for others to strive for. You’ve helped make our schools safer for students travelling to and from school. Thank you for being a role model for us all!”

Since 2016, the Mississauga School Traffic Safety Action Committee (MSTSAC) has focused on recognizing schools who promote active transportation and traffic safety around schools. The Wilde Wood Award was named after James Wilde and Arthur Wood who co-founded the Kiss and Ride concept in Mississauga. It is awarded to schools from the Peel District School Board and the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board.

Dr. Arthur Wood Award

Dana Wilson, Principal of Hillside Public School, has received the Dr. Arthur Wood Award for her work advocating and promoting traffic safety for students. Her efforts at Hillside Public School, including the School Walking Routes Program and the School Streets Pilot Project (that took place in May 2022), have greatly improved the safety of students. Wilson’s efforts also emphasize active travelling as she encouraged cycling to school, organized bike skills and drills sessions and secured new bike racks for Hillside Public School.

Members of Council, School Board Trustees and members of MSTSAC present Dana Wilson with the 2023 Wilde Wood School Safety Zone Award.

Wilde Wood School Safety Zone Award

Four schools received the Wilde Wood School Safety Zone Award for their outstanding leadership and dedication in promoting school zone safety and active transportation.

Significant highlights from each school:

St. Dominic Catholic Elementary School

  • Organized a week-long walk and bike to school event to encourage active travel.
  • Implemented safety reminders as a part of their monthly newsletters.
  • Installed bike racks to encourage biking to school.
Members of Council, School Board Trustees and members of MSTSAC present St. Dominic Catholic Elementary School with the 2023 Wilde Wood School Safety Zone Award.

St. Basil Catholic Elementary School

  • Promoted Bike to School Day and Walk to School Day to encourage active travel.
  • Installed bike racks to encourage biking to school.
  • Partnered with the City’s Enforcement staff and Peel Regional Police to keep school areas safe.
  • Dedicated staff and student ambassadors acted as active transportation champions.
Acting Mississauga Mayor and Councillors presenting award to St. Basil Catholic Elementary School.
Members of Council and members of MSTSAC present St. Basil Catholic Elementary School with the 2023 Wilde Wood School Safety Zone Award.

Darcel Avenue Sr. Public School

  • Promoted community walks and education on active transportation to encourage active travel.
  • Dedicated staff and student ambassadors acted as active transportation champions.
  • Installed bike racks to encourage biking to school.
Darcel Avenue
Members of Council, School Board Trustees and members of MSTSAC present Darcel Avenue Sr. Public School with the 2023 Wilde Wood School Safety Zone Award.

Nahani Way Public School

  • Promoted active transportation through newsletters and assemblies.
  • Organized Kiss and Ride to keep traffic moving efficiently and ensure student safety.
Members of Council, School Board Trustees and members of MSTSAC present Nahani Way Public School with the 2023 Wilde Wood School Safety Zone Award.

Learn more about school walking routes, the crossing guard program, cycling and the Mississauga School Traffic Safety Action Committee.

February 1, 2024
Love0