Announcement – Page 12 – Councillor Stephen Dasko, Ward 1

A Trifecta! Mississauga Earns Three Awards For Financial Excellence

By Stephen DaskoAnnouncement

The Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) of the United States and Canada, has recognized the City of Mississauga for its budget and financial reporting documents with three financial awards. The awards received are the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award, the Canadian Award for Excellence in Financial Reporting and the Popular Annual Financial Reporting Award. These awards underscore the City’s excellence in creating budget documents and financial reports that surpass North American benchmarks, illustrating transparency and excellence in financial management.

Distinguished Budget Presentation Award

The City of Mississauga has received the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for its 2025–2028 Business Plan & 2025 Budget document. This is the 37th consecutive year that Mississauga has received this award.

The award recognizes the City’s commitment to meeting the highest principles of governmental budgeting while ensuring that the budget document serves not only as a financial plan, but also as a policy document, an operations guide, and a communications device for its residents, businesses, and stakeholders.

Canadian Award for Excellence in Financial Reporting

The Canadian Award for Excellence in Financial Reporting has been awarded to the City of Mississauga for the 2023 Financial and Sustainability Report. In order to achieve this recognition, governments must publish a financial report that goes beyond the minimum requirements of Public Sector Accounting Standards, as established by CPA Canada. Governments must also demonstrate a constructive “spirit of full disclosure” designed to clearly communicate the municipality’s financial story and to motivate potential users and user groups to read the report. This is the 27th consecutive year that the City has received this award.

Popular Annual Financial Reporting Award

The Popular Annual Financial Reporting Award was received for the 2023 Financial Report Highlights document which is a condensed synopsis of the City’s 2023 Financial and Sustainability Report. This award recognizes the City’s effort to clearly communicate the municipality’s financial picture through the production of a compact and high-quality financial report specifically designed to be easily understandable and engaging to the general public and other interested parties. This is the eighth consecutive year that Mississauga has received this award.

The City’s budget and financial reporting activities shape the City’s priorities, and the services delivered. This ongoing recognition from GFOA reflects decades of thoughtful municipal planning, budgeting and fiscal discipline consistently practised by Mississauga’s Council and the City’s leadership team.

Learn more about the City’s financial activities, including the business plan and financial reports, on the City’s website.

Background

The Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA), founded in 1906, represents public finance officials throughout the United States and Canada. The association’s more than 20,000 members are federal, provincial/state, and local finance officials deeply involved in planning, financing, and implementing thousands of governmental operations in each of their jurisdictions. GFOA’s mission is to advance excellence in public finance.

Quotes

“We are proud to be recognized by the Government Finance Officers Association for over three decades, highlighting the City of Mississauga’s commitment to municipal budgeting and fiscal responsibility. This recognition is also a testament to the hard work done by our City Council and staff to create a budget and financial documents that help communicate important and complex financial information to residents in clear and concise way.” – Mississauga Mayor Carolyn Parrish

“The City of Mississauga’s continued commitment to transparency and fiscal responsibility ensures Mississauga residents stay well-informed about the City’s financial status. We are honoured to receive this sustained recognition from the GFOA which is a culmination of the work of dedicated staff and Council members who continue to drive excellence in financial reporting and ensure our city’s financial practices meet the highest standards.”

– Marisa Chu, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer, City of Mississauga

March 26, 2025

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Peel Region Council Passes Motion In Response To U.S. Tariffs

By Stephen DaskoAnnouncement

BRAMPTON, ON (March 26, 2025) – Peel Region is taking decisive actions to protect its community and Peel’s economy in response to escalating U.S. trade tariffs. On March 20, Peel Regional Council passed a motion to adjust Peel’s procurement practices in response to the challenges Peel faces from U.S. trade tariffs.

With $2.4 billion in purchases last year, Peel Region is one of the largest municipal purchasers in Ontario, and these tariffs may significantly impact Peel’s financial stability and economic health. In response to U.S. tariffs, Peel Region will be leveraging its purchasing power to support Canada’s economy through:

Adopting procurement strategies that prioritise Canadian and other non-U.S. goods, where feasible, during such time as U.S. tariffs are in effect. This includes identifying alternative suppliers within Canada and internationally to reduce Peel’s dependency on U.S. supply chains.

Aligning with federal, provincial and municipal strategies to assess joint actions that can reduce the risks associated with tariffs and support local suppliers. This includes evaluating upcoming procurement plans, expanding the local vendor base, and leveraging sustainable procurement policies that strengthen the community.

Quotations

“We recognise the serious economic risks these tariffs present to our residents, businesses and the services we deliver. We’re committed to working with all levels of government to help navigate these uncertain times.”

– Nando Iannicca, Regional Chair and CEO, Peel Region

March 26, 2025

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Over the age of 65? Register for a free fitness membership in Mississauga

By Stephen DaskoAnnouncement, Resources

Get active and stay healthy with the launch of the first-ever, free 65+ Fit membership in Mississauga, beginning April 1!

The City of Mississauga is pleased to announce the launch of the 65+ Fit membership for residents looking to get active and stay healthy. Starting April 1, 2025, approximately 130,000 older adult residents will qualify for the new membership. Mississauga is proud to lead the way and introduce an offering that reduces barriers to wellness, eliminates fees and makes Mississauga healthier.

The 65+ Fit membership includes:

Flexibility with exercise classes: Access to more than 400 drop-in group exercise classes across the City’s fitness centre locations, including the Mississauga Seniors’ Centre. You can also enjoy virtual classes from the comfort of your own home. The choice is yours – allowing you to find options that fit your needs and schedule.
Free fitness consultation: Learn from the best! Receive a 45-minute consultation with one of the City’s personal trainers to help support your goals and ensure you feel safe and comfortable with equipment.
Options to fit your exercise preferences: Enjoy the fully-equipped weight and cardio equipment rooms, fitness studios, and squash courts including a complimentary squash ladder.
Indoor walking tracks: Get your steps in and walk inside Carmen Corbasson Community Centre and Meadowvale Community Centre (some exclusions apply).
Unlimited drop-in recreational swims and recreational skates (some exclusions apply).

Enjoy these offerings at 13 locations across the city, including the Mississauga Seniors’ Centre.

How to register

Older adult residents must visit a local community centre with proof of Mississauga residency and valid identification. Acceptable documents include a utility bill, property tax bill or a valid Ontario driver’s license. Memberships must be renewed annually, and while the membership is free, standard drop-in fees apply for certain activities such as Shinny Hockey, Pickleball, and Aquafitness.

Residents must be 65 years of age or older and be a resident of Mississauga on the day of membership activation and their account must be in good standing (no amount owing to the City). Customers must also have their photograph taken to produce the membership card.

For more information, please visit the 65+ Fit membership for detailed information.

March 25, 2025

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Opening Of Baby Feeding Support Clinic At Meadowvale & 10 Peel Centre Drive

By Stephen DaskoAnnouncement

The Expansion Of The Peel Public Health’s Infant Feeding Program.

Our program has been supporting families by providing baby feeding support services, including telephone assessments and home visits.

Clinic-based appointments are now available at two multiservice clinic sites:

Brampton Baby Feeding Support Clinic: 10 Peel Centre Drive, Brampton
Meadowvale Baby Feeding Support Clinic: 6975 Meadowvale Town Centre Circle, Mississauga

Appointments are being scheduled via internal referrals only. As staffing resources increase, we are hoping to expand services to include referrals from the community. Currently, referrals are received from our hospital partners and self-referrals through our internal Multichannel Contact Centre. A Public Health Nurse will contact clients for a telephone assessment, home visit or clinic appointment based on individual needs.

Thank you for your continued support of our efforts to enhance family health within the community.

More information on Infant Feeding can be found here.

March 24, 2025

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Peel Regional Police Update: Launch of Youth Engagement Strategy

By Stephen DaskoAnnouncement, Resources, Youth

On Friday March 21st, 2025, Peel Regional Police launched a progressive and forward-thinking strategy that is aimed at shaping the service’s future engagement with youth, parents/guardians and community partners who serve youth.

Their new Youth Engagement Strategy will be carried out in consultation with community partners and youth over the coming years. This will include the creation of specific initiatives, such as establishing a youth mentorship program, providing training opportunities for PRP members to better engage with youth, and strengthening support to youth affected by hate and bias.

In 2024, a survey and focus groups were conducted to provide an independent, unbiased lens on youth safety, policing and police interaction with youth within Mississauga and Brampton. This research will help to shape the development of new programs and the refinement of existing ones.

PRP has several existing programs that bring young people and officers together in the spirit of cooperation, education and mentorship, including the Youth In Policing Initiative, the Young Women’s Mentorship Program which is aimed at empowering at-risk girls by fostering leadership skills, building confidence and providing mentorship opportunities, and the Boys to Men Program – an initiative designed to provide at-risk boys with guidance, support and positive role models.

The new strategy builds on the foundation of these and other existing programs and is designed to encourage a positive relationship between youth and police and to ensure youth feel comfortable engaging with police officers, something that ultimately supports the safety and well-being of youth and the broader community.

Please take a moment to view the Youth Engagement Strategy here.

PRP’s news release here: https://x.com/PeelPolice/status/1903111382159200477

March 24, 2025

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City awards funding for affordable rental units in eight new Mississauga developments

By Stephen DaskoAnnouncement, Planning & Development

The funding will help get more than 1,400 new rental units under construction including 25 per cent with more affordable or below-market rents.

March 24, 2025

Today at Planning and Development Committee, Mississauga will formally announce the recipients of the City’s $44 million Affordable Rental Housing incentive program. The program, funded in part, by the federal Housing Accelerator Fund, will kick-off a new wave of purpose-built rental construction citywide.Since 2005, only 2,200 rental units have been constructed in Mississauga. This funding will immediately unlock more than 1,400 shovel-ready rental units including almost 400 with more affordable rents.

As the City works to address the housing crisis, this represents another bold step to expand the supply of affordable rental housing for Mississauga residents.

Approved in July 2024, the incentive program is designed to help quickly increase Mississauga’s supply of affordable and below-market rental units. It offers financial incentives for private and non-profit rental developers including capital grants per affordable unit and waivers/grants for certain municipal fees and charges.

Successful applicants

The City received 12 applications from a variety of non-profit and private sector developers during an open call for applications. Located in six of the City’s 11 wards, the eight successful developments will bring:

1,450 new purpose-built rental units including 384 units with more affordable rents
- 261 units with affordable rents – which means rent is at or below 100 per cent of average market rent ($1,625 per month maximum for a 1-bedroom unit)
- 123 units with below market rents – which means rents are below 125 per cent of average market rent ($2,031 maximum for a 1-bedroom unit)
A variety of unit sizes including 200 family-sized units (two or more bedrooms)

Average market rent is published annually by Canada Home and Mortgage Corporation (CHMC) and refers to the value of all units in the primary rental market (including older units, rent controlled etc.). Average market rent is typically lower than the rents landlords advertise for new tenants.

Financial incentives

The funding is designed for shovel-ready projects that have demonstrated they are ready to start construction within the next two years.

Successful applicants will receive a set capital grant per affordable unit ($130,000 per unit for affordable units or $60,000 per unit per below-market unit). They will also receive waivers/grants for certain municipal fees and charges. The funding will be issued approximately one month after building permit issuance provided all eligibility requirements are met.

Units that are funded through the program must meet minimum unit sizes and remain affordable for a minimum of 25 years.

Mississauga needs more purpose-built rentals

Purpose-built rentals are built specifically for the rental market – unlike private condominiums which are often used as rentals but offer fewer protections for tenants.

In recent years, Mississauga’s development has been almost entirely comprised of market condominiums. In the Toronto Census Metropolitan Area, which includes Mississauga, approximately 60 per cent of apartment condominium units built between 2016-2021 were occupied by renters.

Getting more purpose-built rental housing under construction in Mississauga is important and is a key action under the City’s housing plan and the Mayor’s Housing Task Force. These types of homes are more attainable for people who are new to the housing market or who have moderate incomes. They also provide more security for tenants over the long-term.

Next steps

City staff will work with successful applicants as their projects move towards Building Permit issuance to ensure they continue to meet all necessary eligibility requirements.

Fact Sheet

Read our fact sheet for details about the new rental developments.

Images

Artist rendering of apartment building — Artist rendering of 596 Lolita Gardens, Hanseatic Holdings Ltd/ Park Property Management Inc.

March 24, 2025

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Peel Region strengthens youth violence prevention efforts with $270,000 in grant funding

By Stephen DaskoAnnouncement, Resources

BRAMPTON, ON (March 20, 2025) – Peel Region is reinforcing its commitment to preventing youth violence by providing additional support to community partners through a new grant funding opportunity. An expression of interest (EOI) has been made available to community partners to fund racialized trauma, trauma-informed and violence-informed training for providers serving youth in Peel.

This initiative, totaling $270,000 in funding, will run from April 1, 2025, to March 31, 2026, and is designed to enhance the capacity of service providers to address the complex needs of youth in our region, particularly those from vulnerable and racialized communities.

Youth violence remains a growing concern in Peel, and tackling it requires a comprehensive approach that includes investing in early intervention, to improve the well-being of young people.

This funding is part of the $7.3 million time-limited investment from Public Safety Canada’s Building Safer Communities Fund (BSCF), which has been instrumental in expanding youth violence prevention programs. Funding in Peel has been allocated to community-based service providers to deliver critical programs and services to support youth well-being. Some examples include:

Deliver holistic support for racialized and at-risk youth, including mental health counseling, housing assistance, and employment services.
Provide 1:1 support for young men on parole, helping them access education, employment, and psychological care.
Connect young women at risk of gang involvement with positive role models and life-skills support.
Expand access to arts, sports, and recreational programs to help youth develop positive peer relationships.
Offer life skills training and mentorship opportunities in schools and the community.

This ongoing collaboration with community partners has led to meaningful improvements to critical services for at-risk youth, including strengthened engagement with more young people and providing service providers with the necessary tools to support them effectively.

This latest training initiative is informed by needs and opportunities identified through Peel Region’s partnership with community organizations and through the ongoing collaborative development of the Youth Violence Prevention (YVP) strategy.

“This funding opportunity shows the power of collaboration between Peel Region and our dedicated community partners. By listening to and learning from the needs of local youth, we are co-creating a more inclusive, responsive, and effective approach to youth violence prevention. Together, we are building stronger, safer communities for and with young people in Peel.

Nancy Polsinelli, Commissioner of Health Services, Peel Region

March 20, 2025

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Learn gardening basics at a “Spring Season Garden Planning” workshop

By Stephen DaskoAnnouncement, Food for thought

Register online to participate in a Homegrown Mississauga workshop to learn about garden preparation and setup.

March 20, 2025

Are you interested in getting into gardening this spring but you’re not sure where to start? The City, in partnership with Ecosource, will be hosting a series of Homegrown Mississauga gardening workshops throughout the growing season.

The first of the series is the “Spring Season Garden Planning” workshop, which will run in March, April and May. Attendees will learn the basics of garden planning (e.g. crop planning and building healthy soil) and how to grow their own fruits and vegetables (e.g. seed starting and transplanting). Subsequent seasonal workshops in the summer, fall and winter will cover topics such as tending to the garden, harvesting and preparing for colder weather.

These workshops support the Urban Agriculture Strategy, by teaching residents gardening skills, so that they can access healthy foods by growing them close to home. The workshops will be great for residents with limited or no gardening experience. Everyone is welcome. Children under the age of 12 must be accompanied by an adult. The first workshop will include a presentation and a hands-on gardening activity involving soil, seeds and water so please dress appropriately.

What

An in-person workshop that will teach you the basics of starting a garden.

When and where

The same “Spring Season Garden Planning” workshop will run at four different locations and dates in March, April and May:

Monday, March 24 at the Malton Youth Hub from 3:30 to 5 p.m. (drop-in participants only).
Monday, April 7 at the Burnhamthorpe Library Program Room from 5:30 to 7 p.m. (register online).
Monday, May 5 at Meadowvale Community Centre from 5:30 to 7 p.m. (register online).
Monday, May 26 at Mississauga Valley Community Centre from 5:30 to 7 p.m. (register online).

Cost

Free – online registration is required as space is limited.

March 20, 2025

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Mississauga increasing parking fines to encourage better compliance and address safety concerns

By Stephen DaskoAnnouncement, Parking

Increased fines for 76 parking offences will go into effect on April 1, 2025.

March 20, 2025

Effective April 1, 2025, fines will increase for 76 parking offences in Mississauga. This week, Mississauga City Council approved updates to the City’s Traffic By-Law and Administrative Penalty By-law, following approval of a staff report on February 5, 2025. By increasing fines, the City aims to encourage better compliance with parking regulations and prevent safety risks caused by illegally parked and stopped vehicles.

Since 2021, the City has experienced a significant increase in parking service requests and penalties issued, with numbers continuing to trend upwards.

In 2024, the City received 182,096 service requests and issued 208,433 penalties.
Compared to 2021, this is a 75 per cent increase in service requests and a 60 per cent increase in issued penalties.

Updates to the Administrative Penalty By-law, effective April 1, 2025

A 38 per cent fine increase will be applied to 66 parking offences as they relate to the City’s Traffic By-law.
Of the 66 offences, an additional $10 increase will be applied to the City’s most common parking violations, such as parking in a prohibited area, parking during the prohibited period between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m., and parking at a paid parking machine without displaying a receipt. A $50 fine increase will be applied to offences that pose heightened public safety concerns, such as parking or stopping in a bike lane, in a school zone, on a sidewalk or crosswalk, and within three metres of a fire hydrant.
A $50 fine increase will be applied to parking offences as they relate to the City’s Fire Route By-law and the Accessible Parking By-law.

Updates to the Lakefront Increased Penalty Zone, as per the Traffic By-law

Each year, from May 1 to September 30, parking and stopping violations incur a fine of $100 on local roads, in City parks and municipal parking lots south of Lakeshore Road. Effective April 1, 2025, fines will increase to beyond the current fine amount of $100 for four parking offences within the Lakefront Increased Penalty Zone, including stopping a vehicle on a sidewalk, parking within three metres of a fire hydrant, and parking and stopping in a school zone. The boundaries of the Lakefront Increased Penalty Zone will also be extended, extending from the city’s east limit to the city’s west limit. The west limit was previously Meadow Wood Road.