The City of Mississauga has received two awards from the Ontario Public Works Association (OPWA). The City’s Works Operations and Maintenance (WOM) division has received OPWA’s Project of the Year Award in the Management Innovation category for its expanded winter maintenance service. In addition, Helen Noehammer, Director, Works Operations and Maintenance, has been named OPWA’s Top Public Works Leader of the Year. The OPWA Awards celebrate outstanding projects, programs and professionals across Ontario’s public works community. These awards recognize excellence in areas such as leadership, service, innovation, sustainability and community impact.

Expanding the City’s winter maintenance service

During the 2025-2026 winter season, the City delivered enhanced winter maintenance service across Mississauga. This included two new services: citywide residential driveway windrow clearing and residential sidewalk clearing. The introduction of these two services was approved by Mississauga City Council to better support residents during the winter.

The WOM team improved how winter services are planned and delivered. To ensure the services were delivered successfully, staff:

• Improved the City’s snow clearing routes so crews could work more efficiently while delivering reliable snow clearing service.
• Adjusted the City’s maintenance yards to make space for the new equipment.
• Shared clear information with residents to help them understand the new services.
• Reviewed the delivery of the services after each snowstorm to find opportunities for improvements.
• Worked closely with the City’s Parking Enforcement, Traffic Management and Municipal Parking teams to ensure there was alignment with winter parking restrictions.
• Installed dash cameras into snow clearing equipment so that the City could address obstacles created by parked cars and better monitor overall performance.

Improved quality of life for residents

During a winter of historic snowfall, including a storm that brought up to 55 centimetres of snow, the City’s expanded winter maintenance service made a difference for residents.

With its new driveway windrow clearing service, the City cleared at least a three-metre wide opening in 134,000 driveway windrows whenever roads were plowed. In the past, many residents were left with heavy piles of snow at the end of their driveways after their street was cleared. By clearing a space in residents’ windrows, it was easier and safer for residents to leave their homes to get to work, school and appointments.

In addition, the City cleared 900 kilometres of residential sidewalks during each snow-clearing event. This helped keep walking routes open and safe and made it easier for residents to access the services they needed throughout the winter.

The City delivered these new services while continuing to clear 5,700 lane kilometres of roads, 1,500 kilometres of priority sidewalks, 3,300 bus stops, 127 kilometres of roadside multi-use trails and 73 kilometres of bike lanes.

Leadership that strengthens Mississauga

The City is also proud to share that Helen Noehammer, Director of Works Operations and Maintenance, has won the Ontario Public Works Association (OPWA) Top Public Works Leader of the Year award.

This honour recognizes Noehammer’s more than 30 years of leadership and contributions to transportation and municipal engineering. Following 20 years of service with another municipality, Helen joined the City of Mississauga in 2014 as the Director of Infrastructure Planning and Engineering, and in 2022 moved to become the Director of the Works Operations and Maintenance Division.

During her tenure with the City, Noehammer has championed many important city-building initiatives and strategies, including:

• Implementation of the city-wide residential driveway windrow clearing program and residential sidewalk clearing program.
• Introduction of the City’s Stormwater Charge, which is used to fund stormwater services and programs and to meet the increasing demand for stormwater management.
• Development of the award-winning 2019 Transportation Master Plan and the City’s first Vision Zero Action Plan.

Her work on transportation and safety plans has influenced how the City’s roads and infrastructure are funded, managed, and improved. Noehammer consistently prioritizes listening to frontline staff and ensuring they have the tools and resources they need to deliver high-quality work.

This award recognizes her strong leadership and commitment to building a safer and more accessible city.

2025 Phil Green Recognition Award

Rahul Mehta is a dedicated cycling advocate. He works to strengthen the local cycling community and promote biking as a practical and inclusive way to get around the city. Through education, working with others and hands-on involvement, he has helped create more welcoming and safe spaces for people of all ages and abilities to participate in cycling.

In his role as an Active Living Specialist with the Peel Multicultural Council, Rahul supports the Mississauga Cycles project, a mentorship and bike-access program that helps newcomers and residents learn to ride. It also teaches basic bike maintenance, how to change a flat tire and much more.

Rahul’s enthusiasm and dedication to encouraging newcomers and residents to cycle is commendable. He has devoted his time to achieving a healthier, more welcoming, and more engaged Mississauga.

The Phil Green Recognition Award continues to honour Mississauga resident Phil Green who was a founding MCAC member and worked diligently to promote safe cycling and sustainable transportation in the city.

2025 Cycling Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Recognition Award

Kevin Saldanha, a Streetsville veterinarian, has made several contributions to cycling in Mississauga, including setting up the local Cycling Without Age – Mississauga chapter. This movement started in 2012 in Denmark to help older adults and individuals who have limited mobility get back on rides using a trishaw. This is a purpose-built three-wheeled vehicle with pedals and an electric motor.

Through free trishaw rides, Kevin brings the joy of cycling to seniors and people with mobility challenges who are often excluded from cycling spaces. His work restores connection, dignity, and a sense of belonging, showing that cycling is also about people, not just bikes.

By building a welcoming and diverse volunteer community, Kevin ensures that age or ability is never a barrier to participation. His compassionate leadership makes cycling more inclusive and strengthens the fabric of the Mississauga community.

2025 Youth/School Cycling Recognition Award

Lucas Caravaggio, a 12-year-old Mississauga resident, has been riding his bike since he was three years old. Throughout the years, Lucas developed enthusiasm and commitment to safe riding. Whether he’s biking to school or going on a leisurely ride, Lucas always models appropriate and responsible cycling etiquette.

Lucas rides his bike to school almost every day, even in bad weather. He always follows the school policy to walk the bike when entering the school grounds, which demonstrates care and consideration for his school community. He has been an excellent role model to the younger students at his school, always wearing a helmet when riding his bike, as safety for him is very important.

Learn more about cycling in Mississauga and the Mississauga Cycling Advisory Committee.

Quotes

After nearly eight years, the City of Mississauga is ending its naming rights and concession agreement with Paramount Fine Foods (PFF) for the Paramount Fine Foods Centre (5500 Rose Cherry Place). Effective June 1, 2026, the facility will no longer be known as the “Paramount Fine Foods Centre” or “PFFC”, and the City will take over the food operations at the facility. In the interim, until a new naming partner is found, the facility will be renamed the “Mississauga Sports and Entertainment Centre”. The City unilaterally terminated the contract with Paramount Fine Foods for lack of payment and is in the process of considering its legal options for remedy.

Moving forward

Scheduled bookings, programs, rentals and events

The City is working directly with tenants, sports organizations, partners and event organizers to ensure a seamless transition. There are no impacts to scheduled programs, bookings, rentals or events at the facility. All bookings will continue as planned, and tickets that reference Paramount Fine Foods Centre will be honoured. During the transition period, both the former and new facility names may appear in communications, listings and customer materials. Visitors and guests should continue to follow existing directions, parking and accessibility information.

The temporary facility name will be used across the full suite of buildings that make up the Mississauga Sports and Entertainment Centre, including:

• Mississauga Sports and Entertainment Centre (5500 Rose Cherry Pl.)
• Mississauga Sports and Entertainment Centre Community Rinks (5500 Rose Cherry Pl.)
• Mississauga Sports and Entertainment Centre SportsPlex (5600 Rose Cherry Pl.)
• Mississauga Sports and Entertainment Centre Sports Fields and Dome (5475 Rose Cherry Pl.).

During the transition, visitors and guests will see clear on-site information, updated signage and customer service support to help navigate any changes. Updates will be shared through City platforms and channels, including mississauga.ca, social media, Google search and maps and other key listings.

The City’s priority is to minimize disruption while ensuring a high-quality experience for all visitors and guests.

Food services and concessions

Starting June 1, 2026, the City will also assume responsibility for food service operations at the facility, with a focus on maintaining a consistent and positive customer experience.

Finding a new naming partner

The temporary name will remain in place while the City undertakes market analysis to understand the value of future naming rights and to secure a new naming partner. A new website, mississaugasec.com is being developed.

About the Mississauga Sports and Entertainment Centre

The Mississauga Sports and Entertainment Centre features a wide range of indoor and outdoor facilities designed to support sports, recreation, and large events. Facilities include an indoor main spectator arena used for sports, concerts, and major events, and which serves as the home of the Raptors 905 of the NBA G League, the official affiliate of the Toronto Raptors.

The Centre also includes three additional ice rinks for hockey and skating, a full-size indoor artificial turf field that can be configured into multiple field sizes, and a triple gymnasium for sports such as basketball and volleyball, as well as a gymnastics centre and fitness centre. Indoor amenities include meeting rooms and lounge spaces. The outdoor facilities include two full-size, fully lit artificial turf fields used year-round for sports like soccer, football, field hockey, and lacrosse with one field covered by an air-supported dome in the winter to enable continuous use.