Category

Issues

Region of Peel Remains Committed to Continuous Improvement

By Issues

December 3, 2020

The Region of Peel continues to demonstrate its commitment to providing services that are effective and efficient, which provide value for the residents’ tax dollars. This commitment ensures that the Region remains innovative in order to improve community outcomes.

The Region developed a Continuous Improvement Program to ensure client needs and user experiences are the focus of improvement initiatives which help to save and avoid costs. This year, the COVID-19 pandemic has challenged the Region to find ways to adapt and transform service delivery to ensure the health and safety of the community, while continuing to drive positive outcomes.

Over the past 11 months, 40 improvement initiatives were completed – with cost savings of $2.47 million and cost avoidance of $3.91 million. Some of the initiatives completed include:

  • Leveraging existing channels to deliver Peel Infant Parent Program (PIPP) and the Learning in Our Neighborhood (LION) programs through EarlyON service providers resulting in a cost avoidance of $639,000;
  • Achieving $364,000 cost avoidance using Call Back Technology and avoiding the hiring of additional staff to maintain service levels with COVID-19 inquiries;
  • Shifting to on-line education and outreach to students in the Waste service, saving $350,000 annually;
  • Removing generators in Suite A and using an oversized generator in Suite B to power up both buildings to 100 per cent capacity, resulting in $700,000 in capital savings;
  • Managing external Legal resources roster with $85,000 in cost avoidance;
  • Achieving $360K cost savings for the procurement of energy with multiple suppliers vs. single supplier and an estimated $170,000 cost avoidance through the benefit of competitive supplier prices; and,
  • Achieving $261,000 cost avoidance in time saved through an improved on-boarding process.

The financial benefits achieved from the program will be reflected in the 2021 budget report to Council on Jan. 28, 2021.

“Reducing the need for increased taxes on residents and businesses in Peel, while ensuring that services are delivered effectively and efficiently is what the Region of Peel strives for,” said Kathryn Lockyer, Interim Commissioner of Corporate Services. “These initiatives lead to improved client experience, enhanced staff well-being, and positive community outcomes, which all contribute to the Region’s vision to build a Community for Life in Peel.”

“Due to the immediate challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, new process adaptions were identified and implemented. Throughout this challenging year, 40 Continuous Improvement Initiatives were completed with $2.47M in cost savings and $3.91M in cost avoidance,” said Stephen Van Ofwegen, Commissioner of Finance and Chief Financial Officer. “The Region has remained committed to delivering services that provide value to taxpayers.”

 

COVID-19 Lockdown: How to Stay Safe in Mississauga While Accessing the Outdoors

By Covid-19, Issues

December 2, 2020

As part of the Government of Ontario’s Keeping Ontario Safe and Open Framework Mississauga residents are reminded that it is crucial they stay home and limit close contact to their households, only leaving their homes except for essential reasons.

In terms of necessity, exercise and focusing on mental health remains a priority, even while lockdown measures are in place.

“As both COVID-19 fatigue and positive cases continue to rise, it is essential that all Mississauga residents do everything they can to stay safe while still looking after their physical and mental health,” said Mayor Bonnie Crombie. “With more than 500 parks in Mississauga, there is plenty of space for families from the same households and individuals to get outside and get some fresh air and exercise.”

As close contact increases the highest risk of COVID-19 transmission, it is crucial that residents observe outdoor etiquette to help keep everyone safe. This includes keeping their distance from others and passing safely while using the same trails and pathways. Also, even when outdoors, wear a face covering if physical distancing cannot be maintained.

Local outdoor amenities available this winter

Mississauga Celebration Square (MCS)

MCS has transformed into the Great Bright North with vibrant and festive lighting. An example of one new lighting installation is Chimes. Every movement of the central wind chime triggers an unique light and sound reaction in this 7,000 sq. ft. artwork. Chimes is a creation of Collectif Blackbox and a coproduction of the Quartier des Spectacles Partnership and Spectra (Illuminart). It was created for the Fête des Lumières of Lyon in 2017 and is being displayed for the first time in the GTA at MCS.

Guests planning to walk through the Square must keep within their household groups and maintain a safe physical distance of two metres at all times.

Community Outdoor and Natural Rinks

Skating can take place at one of 26 outdoor ice rinks, including those highlighted below. The outdoor community rinks are free to the public and open daily from sunrise to 11 p.m., weather permitting.

  1. Mississauga Celebration Square – Opening in December. There are currently no restrictions or pre-reservation requirements in place. Public washrooms on Celebration Square will be open to the public. The Celebration Square ice rink will be open daily from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
  2. Burnhamthorpe Community Centre Outdoor Rink – Opening by Monday December 7, weather permitting. The rink will be open to the public Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Drop-in skating activities are being planned and pre-reservation will be applicable for each activity at activemississauga.ca. Change rooms will be not be available at this location. Public washroom access will be available.
  3. Woodhurst Outdoor Rink – Opening mid-December, weather permitting. The rink will be open to the public Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Drop-in skating activities are being planned and pre-reservation will be applicable for each activity at activemississauga.ca. Change rooms will be not be available at this location.

View the full list of natural ice rinks here

Trails

The majority of the City’s trails receive regular winter maintenance and can be safely used and explored by outdoor enthusiasts. However, trails that do not receive winter maintenance are still used in the snowy months by residents who enjoy activities including snowshoeing and deep-snow hiking. This year, the City will be adding additional woodchips to the woodlot trails to help with traction. The trails will also be marked for winter use.

Available Park Amenities

The below park amenities will be open this year for use by the community. Visit the City’s interactive map to search for a park by location or filter parks for specific features, including those listed below:

  • Leash-free zones
  • Toboggan hills
  • Boxed soccer (pitches will be left unlocked for community use)
  • Outdoor sport courts
  • Playgrounds
  • Picnic shelters
  • Outdoor fitness equipment
  • Secondary sports fields
  • Artificial fields (will be left unlocked for community use)

Public Washrooms

Park washrooms designed for year-round use will remain open this season with enhanced cleaning practices. Also, many of the parks and trails connect into local community centres and/or arenas that are normally open for washroom access. Local food establishments normally available within community centres and arenas will remain closed at this time.

Year round washrooms can be found at the below locations.

  1. Lakeside Park
  2. Jack Darling Memorial Park (adjacent to the leash-free area)
  3. Marina Park (inside the lighthouse)
  4. R.K. McMillan Park
  5. Erindale Park
  6. Father Angelos Saad Community Park (formerly known as Fallingbrook Park)
  7. Garnetwood Park
  8. Mount Charles Park
  9.       Community Common Park
  10. Mississauga Celebration Square
  11. The Riverwood Conservancy (inside the Visual Arts Mississauga building)

In addition to the year-round washrooms mentioned above, portable washrooms will also be placed later this month in high-demand locations and key trail areas. These washrooms will be in place until indoor amenities open for public access. The washrooms will be winterized and accessible and will be located in areas that receive winter maintenance. Portable washroom locations can be found in the list below.

For information on health and safety recommendations during the COVID-19 pandemic, please visit peelregion.ca/coronavirus.

For information about the City’s response to COVID-19:

City Seeks to Implement New Interim e-Scooter Strategy

By Issues, Resources

December 2, 2020

Today, members of General Committee supported the recommendation to implement a new interim e-scooter strategy. The strategy responds to the presence of personally-owned electric kick-style scooters (e-scooters) currently being operated in Mississauga.

“Devices such as e-scooters can connect residents to their destinations by helping them complete the first or last kilometre of their travel, whether it’s to a bus stop, carpool lot or their final destination,” said Geoff Wright, Commissioner, Transportation and Works. “This interim strategy will create opportunities for us to collect resident feedback, which will inform whether shared e-scooter systems should become part of Mississauga’s greater transportation system in the future.”

On January 1, 2020, the Province of Ontario launched a five-year e-scooter pilot program to evaluate whether e-scooters are suitable to be operated on roadways. The pilot allows for the operation of e-scooters, so long as municipalities opt-in to the program by adopting or amending their by-laws to regulate their use. Currently, e-scooters are banned in Mississauga on the basis that the City has not yet adopted or amended its by-laws to regulate their use.

As part of the interim strategy, the Parks By-law and Traffic By-law would be amended to regulate where e-scooters can be operated within the city. This will allow staff to evaluate how residents use e-scooters. It will also help inform future decisions about the City’s micro-mobility program, which is examining how a shared program of publicly available bikes, e-bikes or e-scooters could be used for travel in Mississauga.

“Once amended, our City by-laws would allow e-scooters to operate on public roadways with a posted speed limit of 50 km/h or less and on cycling infrastructure, including bicycle lanes and multi-use trails along roadways,” said Helen Noehammer, Director, Infrastructure Planning and Engineering Services. “They will not be allowed within parks, on trails within parks or other City-owned land not designated as public roadways.”

When determining how the use of e-scooters should be regulated in the city, staff considered best practices in other cities, the consistency between e-scooters and similar devices on the road, road safety, accessibility, maintenance standards and the public education that would be required.

Noehammer added, “When developing the interim e-scooter strategy and preparing our recommendations for regulating e-scooter use, staff also consulted with the City’s Accessibility Advisory Committee, Road Safety Committee and Mississauga Cycling Advisory Committee to obtain their feedback and address any concerns.”

The amended by-laws will be brought to Council for approval in early 2021. Once in effect, residents will be invited to share their feedback on their experiences operating their e-scooters in the manner set out by the by-laws, and their experiences interacting with others operating e-scooters.

The City’s interim e-scooter strategy and the recommendation that staff amend the Parks by-law and Traffic by-law will go to Council for approval on December 9, 2020.

For more information about the City’s micro-mobility program, visit mississaugabikes.ca/micromobility/.

Background: 

The City’s Transportation Master Plan recommended that a shared system of bikes, e-bikes or e-scooters be created in Mississauga. In October 2019, General Committee supported the recommendation for City staff to look at how a program of shared bikes, e-bikes or e-scooters could be used for travel in Mississauga, at which point the Ontario Highway Traffic Act did not allow e-scooters on roads and sidewalks.

Recreational Facilities Update: Shower & Warming Access for the Homeless

By Covid-19, Issues

As a result of the lockdown, our Recreation facilities have been closed for our regular services, including relief from the cold and our Shower Pass program for homeless members of our community.  Starting this Saturday December 5th, we will be providing limited access to three of our community centres for these purposes.  Shower and lobby facilities will be available daily from Monday through Saturday, 1-4pm, at the following locations:

  • Malton Community Centre
  • Meadowvale Community Centre
  • Port Credit Arena

The Library’s Open Window Hub will be providing hygiene kits and referral resources will be made available.  The Recreation team will continue to monitor demand for these services and we are prepared to expand access if required.  In the case of an Extreme Cold Weather alert, we are also prepared to extend hours at these locations to serve as a warming centre.

Community Virtual Meeting: 958-960 East Avenue (File OZ 20/005 W1) TONIGHT

By Events, Issues, Planning & Development

Dear Resident,

Re: Community Virtual Meeting 

958-960 East Avenue (File OZ 20/005 W1)

The City of Mississauga has received an application from Peel Housing Corporation to redevelop their existing property at the southwest corner of East Avenue and Lakeshore Road with a 7 storey rental apartment building containing 151 residential units.

In order to implement their plans, the applicant is proposing to amend the Official Plan designation from Mixed Use and Residential Low Density II to Residential High Density.  In addition, the applicant is proposing to rezone the property from RM8-14 (Back to Back and/or Stacked Townhouses – Exception), and R3-75 (Detached Dwellings – Typical Lots – Exception) to RA2 – Exception (Apartments – Exception).

Due to the COVID pandemic, we are not able to have an in-person meeting. Therefore, we have arranged a Community virtual meeting on Wednesday, December 2, 2020 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. The Call-in details are as follows: Join by phone: 647-484-1596, Meeting Access: 172 960 9925#, Meeting Password: ward1.

When it’s time, join your Webex meeting here.

Meeting number (access code): 172 960 9925

Meeting password: ward1 (92731 from video systems)

Join meeting

If you would like to submit your comments, please forward to Paul Stewart, Planner, Planning and Development Department, 300 City Centre Drive, 6th floor, Mississauga, ON  L5B 3C1 or paul.stewart@mississauga.ca.

Sincerely,

Stephen Dasko

City’s Natural Ice Rink Program returns for 2020-21 winter season

By Issues

The City of Mississauga ’s Parks Operations team is excited to announce the launch of its annual Natural Ice Rink Program.

Each winter, select parks across the City become home to natural ice rinks to allow for residents to enjoy outdoor pleasure skating in neighbourhood parks. Rinks are maintained by dedicated resident volunteers who donate their time to help us provide these amenities in local parks where conditions allow.

Enjoy some outdoor skating fun this winter! Select City parks offer natural ice rinks, operated by dedicated neighbourhood volunteers. Please note: all rinks are weather dependent. For a list of rink locations, visit https://mississauga.ca/events-and-attractions/parks/natural-ice-rinks/

All rinks will be open by December 15 from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily, subject to weather conditions.

Snow Maintenance and Leaf Pick Update

By Events, Issues

Crews were called in this morning to start on our priority roads and priority sidewalks with the snowfall through the overnight.  Accumulations vary across the City so far up to 3cm.  Forecast call for snow through most of the day and crews will continue to make our routes safe.

 

As a result, the vacuum leaf program is postponed for today.

 

Please be patient on the roads and give our crews time and space to work.

Today is Giving Tuesday

By Events, Issues

Giving Tuesday is a global movement unlocking the power of generosity to transform communities. After Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Giving Tuesday is a day dedicated to giving. It started as a simple idea in 2012 and is now celebrated in more than 60 countries around the world.

Today, join Mississauga Gives to celebrate the Giving Tuesday movement in Mississauga and encourage each other to do good. Donate to charity, volunteer, support a small business, fundraise, help spread the word, or perform an act of kindness – especially during these challenging times.

Learn more about the global Giving Tuesday movement at GivingTuesday.org and locally at mississaugagives.ca.

 

Councillor Dasko Giving Tuesday

COVID-19 Lockdown – Week 1 Enforcement Includes Thousands of Inspections

By Covid-19, Issues

November 30, 2020

Mississauga, as part of Peel Region, has been in the Grey-Lockdown zone of the Government of Ontario’s Keeping Ontario Safe and Open Framework for one week.

In that week, there have been enhancements as to how the City’s Enforcement Division has approached the new regulations.

“We launched an ambitious proactive inspection plan designed to get ahead of violations and correct behaviours quickly and purposefully,” said Sam Rogers, Director of Enforcement for the City of Mississauga. “Enforcement Officers were re-assigned from their regular duties to double our ‘boots on the ground’ and conduct thousands of inspections.”

Rogers added that public complaints have tripled in the past week and 4,500 inspections were conducted in the first seven days of the lockdown which resulted in 57 charges and 51 notices of contravention.

“Violations were observed across all sectors including house parties, gyms, retail stores, car dealerships, pet retail, salons, furniture stores, restaurants and electronics stores,” noted Rogers. “The vast majority of people and businesses are complying but there are some out there who are intentionally breaking the rules and putting lives at risk.”

“I want to thank the vast majority of residents and businesses who are complying with the lockdown restrictions,” said Mayor Bonnie Crombie. “These enhanced enforcement measures will allow us to better identify those who are not in compliance with the regulations and penalize those who flagrantly flout the rules. Everyone has a part to play in limiting the spread of this virus.”

Business owners and residents are being asked to take the regulations outlined by the province seriously.

“Lockdown can’t end until we change our behavior,” added Rogers. “To ensure this mindset shift happens, we will be strictly enforcing the Lockdown regulations. If you are intentionally violating the rules, we will be knocking on your door.”

Peel Region will remain in the Grey-Lockdown level for a minimum of 28 days or two COVID-19 incubation periods. The Ontario government will reassess after that period to determine if each region will stay where they are or be moved to a different level.

For information on health and safety recommendations during the COVID-19 pandemic, please visit peelregion.ca/coronavirus.

For information about the City’s response to COVID-19:

Upcoming changes to waste services in Peel

By Issues, Resources

November 27, 2020

The Region of Peel advises residents of upcoming changes to waste services in Peel.

At Peel Community Recycling Centres (CRCs):

Ending waived disposal fees for loads up to 100 kg:

  • Effective, January 4, 2021, CRCs will end the waived disposal fees for single loads (one per day) weighing 100 kgs.
  • Residents will be charged the minimum fee of $6 for the first 50 kgs.
  • All applicable loads over 50 kgs will be charged at $118 per tonne.
  • Dedicated loads of recycling, metals, electronics and appliances continue to be accepted for free.

For the safety of the community and staff, residents should expect longer than normal wait times due to physical distancing protocols at the CRCs. Residents are encouraged to check peelregion.ca/waste/communityrecyclingcentres for the most up-to-date information on operating hours and acceptable items.

At the curbside:

Winter garbage exemption period is suspended:

  • Residents are advised that the winter garbage exemption period (originally scheduled from January 25-February 5, 2021) is suspended in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, to minimize manual collection and ensure worker safety, while maintaining services for the long term.
  • Residents are reminded that:
  • Unlimited amounts of garbage will not be collected.
  • You can only place up to 2 extra bags on your garbage collection day. No garbage tags needed.
  • Additional bags beyond the 2-bag limit will not be collected, but they can be taken to any Peel CRC, where disposal fees may apply.
  • Bulky items continue to be collected at the curb on your garbage day and accepted at Peel CRCs year-round.

End of two extra garbage bags for collection:

  • As of February 8, 2021, the additional two-bag limit for excess garbage will end.
  • This means that residents will have to purchase garbage tags to dispose of excess garbage bags.
  • Residents can purchase garbage tags in advance, starting January 15 by visiting peelregion.ca/waste.
  • Residents can bring excess garbage of up to 100 kgs for free at any Community Recycling Centre until January 3, 2021.
  • Disposal fees will apply for garbage that is dropped off from January 4, 2021 onwards.
  • Excess garbage must be placed in bags. Containers or cans will not be collected.

For the latest updates on waste service changes and other services and facilities temporarily affected in Peel, please visit peelregion.ca/coronavirus/affected-services.

The Region of Peel works with residents and partners to create a healthy, safe and connected Community for Life for approximately 1.5 million people and over 175,000 businesses in the cities of Brampton and Mississauga and the Town of Caledon. Peel’s services touch the lives of residents every day. For more information about the Region of Peel, explore peelregion.ca and follow us on Twitter @regionofpeel and Instagram @peelregion.ca.