Category

Planning & Development

Mississauga seeks input for a convention centre and hotel at the Living Arts Centre

By Announcement, Events, Planning & Development

On January 29, the City of Mississauga opened a Request for Expressions of Interest to reimagine the Living Arts Centre and its surrounding lands.

February 3, 2025

The City of Mississauga is inviting Requests for Expressions of Interest (RFEI) to help redevelop the Living Arts Centre (LAC) into a multi-functional hub for the arts, culture, tourism, business and events. The City envisions transforming the lands surrounding the LAC into a modern and sustainable convention centre and hotel, designed to bring even more events for the arts, tourism and business sectors.

The proposed LAC transformation will help Mississauga further solidify its position as a top destination for business, tourism and culture. This development will help fill a gap in Mississauga’s downtown, offering a much-needed venue for world-class conferences and business opportunities, while providing a space for international, national, and local events, as well as cultural showcases.

Located in the heart of Mississauga’s downtown core and near Toronto Pearson International Airport, the LAC is a hub for visitors from all over the world with a rapidly growing population and a strong business community. The City requires modern, versatile spaces to accommodate the demand for local, national and international events. The LAC has long been recognized as a cultural landmark housing performance theatres, an exhibition gallery, eight professional art studios and sophisticated meeting facilities.

The request for expressions of interest is now open to organizations interested in partnering with the City to reimagine the LAC lands. This process will help the City identify the best potential uses for the site.

For more information on how to submit an expression of interest, please visit our website.

Background

  • Mississauga is a leading business and tourism destination, home to more than 100,000 businesses, 1,400 multinational firms, and 77 U.S. Fortune 500 and 66 Global Fortune 500 companies. The City attracts millions of visitors annually with its world-class restaurants, events, parks and experiences. This includes the LAC, which plays a key role in Mississauga’s vibrant arts and tourism scenes.
  • The City is also home to Toronto Pearson International Airport, Canada’s largest airport, which serves more than 50 million passengers annually.
  • Mississauga also boasts the second-largest economy in Ontario and a highly educated workforce, supported by two globally recognized post-secondary institutions located in the city and 32 additional institutions within a one-hour commute.
  • Information gathered during the RFEI process will provide the City with options on how to use the LAC and the surrounding lands for a hotel and convention/conference centre to support the City’s growth.

City Hall is open for business! Everything you need to know about Mississauga’s in-person services

By Announcement, Planning & Development, Resources

Looking to come by for in-person support, register for a program or make a payment? Several services now have a permanent presence in the Great Hall.

January 30, 2025

As 2025 gets underway, you’ll notice more activity on the ground floor of Mississauga City Hall as we bring back in-person services in one place to serve residents better.

Looking to come by for in-person support, register for a program or make a payment? The below services now have a permanent presence in the Great Hall (ground floor of City Hall) and are open during regular City business hours: Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Welcome Desk

Our friendly customer service staff from the 311 Citizen Contact Centre are here to assist with wayfinding, inquiries related to City services and assisting with booking appointments at the self-service electronic kiosk. Payments can be dropped off at designated drop boxes, with one located just outside of City Hall at the north entrance and another located at the Welcome Desk. Need additional support? 311 is available to serve residents by phone (dial 311 or 905-615-4311, if outside City limits), email and online.

Legislative Services

Service counters are open and staff are ready to issue marriage licenses, perform civil ceremonies, provide commissioner of oath services and intake liquor licence applications, freedom of information (FOI) requests, claims and liens submissions, formal complaints and burial permits. Residents can also visit to receive assessment roll information and have minor variance and consent applications processed. Visitors are asked to kindly book an appointment prior to visiting City Hall. 

Planning and Building

Members of the public can visit in-person with inquires or requests to schedule meetings for development applications, building permits or related matters. Walk-in appointments for these services are accepted.

Recreation Customer Service Desk

Residents can interact with our Recreation Customer Service Team to book many facilities across the City, including rooms in community centres, gymnasiums and arenas, including outdoor sport and picnic amenities. Residents can also register for recreation and culture programs, sign up for a fitness membership or apply for recreation’s financial assistance program, ActiveAssist. Walk-in appointments are accepted. Questions? Call 905-615-4100 or email.

C Café

Looking to grab breakfast or lunch while visiting? C Café has re-opened with a tasty menu of options for everyone to enjoy.

Security Services

Security staff are onsite to provide support to City staff, customers and visitors through heightened visibility at City Hall.

Model of City Centre

Located in the Great Hall across from C Café is a model of City Centre that was originally constructed in 1989 that took approximately three months to complete. Constructed at a scale of 1:500 (500 times smaller than the real buildings), the model features current and future visions for City Centre. Check it out today!

For more information, please visit the City’s website or call 311.

Time for bold action is now! Mayor’s task force makes recommendations to address the housing crisis

By Announcement, Planning & Development

The Mayor’s Housing Task Force report includes 30 actions to help kick-start development and outlines immediate steps the City is taking to help get homes built more quickly and affordably.

January 22, 2025

Today, Mississauga City Council received Partners in Homebuilding, a report from the Mayor’s Housing Task Force. As the housing crisis continues to worsen, the report challenges all levels of government, including Mississauga, to think and act differently.

The recommendations in the task force report will help guide future housing efforts in Mississauga. As an immediate next step, Mayor Parrish will bring forward a motion next week with actions the City will take to help quickly address housing affordability.

The task force includes more than 30 experts from Ontario’s private and not-for-profit building and development industry. It was assembled by Mayor Parrish two weeks after taking office in June 2024. The Mayor’s goal was to help break down barriers by bringing together those who plan for and approve housing (government) and those who build it (industry).

Over the course of four months, and engagement with federal and provincial ministries, the task force assembled a series of recommendations in four key priority areas:

  1. Reform development charges, taxes and fees to help lower housing costs: Ninety-five per cent of new homes built in Canada are built by the private sector. The Task Force is recommending 14 actions to help balance demand and incentivize more affordable housing developments.
  2. Update building and design standards to help boost supply and make building more affordable: In a housing crisis, the aim of guidelines and standards must be to help – not hinder – good city-building. The Task Force is recommending seven actions that will help create efficiencies across the industry to increase supply.
  3. Transform zoning to unlock more housing: Zoning reform provides certainty for developers and can help streamline the development application process. The Task Force is recommending five actions that will support Mississauga’s transformation into a dynamic urban city.
  4. Create sustainable programs and funding that will mobilize industry to help meet the demand for affordable housing: The private sector can – and is willing to – play a significant role in helping to build affordable housing. The Task Force is recommending four actions to help develop a sustainable, long-term funding program for affordable housing.

The report also outlines 14 actions the City is taking right now to address the housing crisis, including:

  • Increasing housing supply: Adding permissions for another 124,000 units to boost residential growth, making it easier to build mixed-use communities around transit, and finding creative ways to build new housing above or alongside city facilities.
  • Bringing down costs: Offering financial incentives to get more purpose-built rentals built, making it less expensive to build homes on residential lots – like garden suites, triplexes and fourplexes, lowering borrowing costs and costs for non-profit developers.
  • Streamlining processes: Creating a housing-focused team of city-builders at the City to review applications quickly, update urban design guidelines, improve financial policies, and drive efficiencies in the housing development approval process.

In the coming months, staff will update the City’s Housing Action Plan with recommendations that will be advancing from the Mayor’s Housing Task Force.

To read the full report and learn more about the task force members, visit Mississauga.ca/housing-taskforce.

Retail Study – Community Engagement

By Planning & Development

As directed by City Council, the Economic Development Division in collaboration with Development & Design (Planning & Building Dept) are developing a Retail Strategy with the assistance of Parcel Economics.

The study will assess the current and future potential of retail, addressing challenges such as e-commerce, shifting demographics, and development pressures. Retail spaces are essential to our communities, supporting economic activity, employment, and cultural diversity. With intensification continuing, it’s important that we understand the impact to the retail sector and identify ways to support and maintain our City’s retail spaces.

As part of this initiative, Invest Mississauga are launching two surveys—one for the community and one for businesses. The feedback will help shape a strategy that ensures a vibrant, inclusive retail environment in Mississauga.

Please find the survey links here. The surveys will be live until February 9, 2025.

Let your voice be heard in Mississauga’s first Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy

By Events, Planning & Development

Join a virtual engagement session to share your perspective and influence the development of the City’s first EDI strategy, shaping future policies and initiatives

The City of Mississauga is committed to creating a more inclusive, diverse and equitable community and wants to hear from you! Join an important virtual engagement session on February 5, 2025 at 6 p.m. to share your experiences and valuable insights as part of the development of the City’s first-ever Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Strategy.

Virtual EDI Strategy Engagement Session:

  • Date: Wednesday, February 5, 2025
  • Time: 6 – 7:30 p.m.
  • Location: Online Virtual (Click here to register)
  • Confidential and anonymous: The session will be exclusively facilitated by the Diversity Institute (DI) on behalf of the City of Mississauga. DI will gather recommendations to develop the EDI strategy. Only high-level findings without personally identifiable information will be shared back with the City and used for the EDI Strategy.

Why participate?

We want to hear from you – people who live, work or conduct business in Mississauga. Perspectives on how City initiatives can be more equitable, inclusive and accessible will help inform the City in its role as an employer, service provider, policy maker and as a purchaser of goods and services. This is an important opportunity to influence key decisions that will guide the City’s policies, practices and procedures moving forward. Residents, business owners and other community stakeholder perspectives are vital in ensuring the strategy reflects the needs and aspirations of everyone in Mississauga.

How to register

To join the virtual session, please register in advance.

Don’t miss out on this important opportunity to make your voice heard. Together we can build a more inclusive and equitable Mississauga for all.

About the project

In April 2024, the City launched the Empowering Change: A Comprehensive EDI Strategy: 2024-2030 project in collaboration with the Diversity Institute. This project forms part of a commitment to advancing EDI and addressing racism and oppression within processes, practices and protocols. As part of the project, we are engaging diverse communities across the city with the goal of understanding diverse perspectives to influence the development of the City’s EDI strategy and guide future policies and initiatives aimed at fostering a more equitable community.

Your voice matters

Virtual Community Meeting for the Proposed New Mississauga Official Plan 2051

By Planning & Development

Join us for A Virtual Community Meeting for the Proposed New Mississauga Official Plan

The City is preparing to finalize its new Official Plan to guide how Mississauga will grow and develop over the next 25 years. From housing and transportation to the environment and economy, the Official Plan includes important policies that help to shape our city.

As we work to finalize the plan, the City is hosting a virtual public meeting for residents to learn more, ask questions and share comments.

To date, public input has played an important part in shaping the policies that make up the new Official Plan, including:

  • Where housing, industry, offices and shops should go
  • Which services and amenities such as parks, schools, roads, trails and transit are needed
  • How we protect the city’s culture, heritage and environment
  • How the city should grow and what growth will look like

The proposed Official Plan will be available on the City’s engagement website for review the week of January 13, 2025.

Meeting Details

Date: Thursday January 23, 2025
Time: 6:00 – 7:30 p.m.
Location: Online – Webex Events
Registration: To register, please click here

Mississauga’s vision for growth outlined in the proposed new Official Plan

By Announcement, Planning & Development

Residents are encouraged to join a virtual meeting on Jan. 23 to learn more about the City’s proposed new Official Plan.

Mississauga is growing, and we’re finalizing our proposed new Official Plan to help guide the City’s growth to the year 2051. This important plan covers everything from housing and transportation to the environment and the economy.

Public input from earlier consultations has helped shape the latest version of the proposed new Official Plan, helping determine the best places for housing, services, and amenities. The proposed plan now includes more housing options, a vision for complete communities with better walking, cycling and transit networks, support for local businesses and job growth, stronger environmental protections, and a focus on culture, heritage, and inclusion. It also aligns with recent provincial planning changes.

To share these updates, the City is hosting a virtual public meeting on January 23 from 6:00-7:30 PM. Residents are encouraged to join to learn how the proposed plan will shape the City’s future and see what’s next for Mississauga.

What

  • Official Plan Virtual Public Meeting

When

  • Date: Thursday, January 23, 2025
  • Time: 6:00-7:30 PM
  • Location: Online – WebEx virtual meeting

How to participate

  • Visit our website to register for the online meeting.
  • If you are unable to attend, the virtual meeting will be recorded and posted on the website following the session.

Prepare for the meeting

Background

  • The City reviews and updates the Official Plan every 10 years to meet Mississauga’s changing needs, as required by the Ontario Planning Act. It covers key areas like transportation, housing, culture, heritage, the environment, and the economy.
  • The proposed new Official Plan will come into effect once it is adopted by City Council and approved by the Province of Ontario.
  • To learn more, visit mississauga.ca/officialplan

Have your say on MiWay’s annual service plan and new transitway station wayfinding signage

By Planning & Development, Transit

Join MiWay staff at an information session to learn about the upcoming service and station wayfinding signage improvements and provide your feedback.

MiWay is proposing increases to service frequency on multiple routes, revising some routes to improve travel times and introducing new routes to boost service where it is needed most to meet the growing demand for transit service in Mississauga. MiWay is also updating signage at nine transitway stations in Mississauga to make it easier for customers to find their bus stop.

MiWay service improvements

MiWay is proposing the following service improvements, based on customer demand that will be implemented from April 2025 to April 2026:

  • Route 39 Britannia will have new routing to improve travel times along Britannia Road.
  • A new Route 50 Lisgar will provide service between Meadowvale Town Centre and Erin Mills Town Centre.
  • A new Route 135 Eglinton Express will provide service from Winston Churchill Station and Renforth Station.
  • Increases to both weekday and weekend service on multiple bus routes.

Residents can provide feedback on the proposed service improvements in-person at a public information session listed below or online by visiting the 2025 Annual Transit Service Plan engagement project webpage and filling out a survey.

Transitway station wayfinding signage improvements

MiWay is developing new transitway wayfinding signage to make it easier for customers to find their bus stop. This will include the City Centre Transit Terminal near Square One and eight other City-owned and operated transitway stations in Mississauga.

Residents can provide feedback on the new signage in-person at the public information sessions at the City Centre Transit Terminal and Renforth Station or online by visiting the Transitway Wayfinding Study project webpage and filling out a survey.

Public information sessions

Attend a drop-in session listed below to view information boards, ask questions and provide your feedback to MiWay staff.

  • City Centre Transit Terminal: inside the bus terminal building on Tuesday, January 14, 2025, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
  • Meadowvale Community Centre: inside Auditorium 2 on Wednesday, January 15, 2025, from 3 to 5:30 p.m.
  • Renforth Station: inside the bus terminal building on Thursday, January 16, 2025, from 2 to 6 p.m.

Provide feedback online

Unable to attend a public information session? We still want to hear from you! Visit the MiVoice engagement platform to view the project webpages for both the 2025 Annual Transit Service Plan and Transitway Wayfinding Study and provide feedback by filling out a quick survey.

City of Mississauga announces Director of Infrastructure Planning and Engineering Services

By Announcement, Planning & Development

Emma Calvert brings a wealth of experience focused on the planning, development and construction of a multi-modal transportation system and stormwater network.

The City of Mississauga is pleased to announce Emma Calvert as the City’s Director of Infrastructure Planning and Engineering Services, effective December 19, 2024.

In this role, Calvert will report to the Commissioner of Transportation and Works overseeing key areas such as the City’s Capital Works, Environmental Services (including Stormwater Management), Transportation Infrastructure Management and Transportation Planning. Collectively, these areas focus on the planning, development and construction of a multi-modal transportation system and stormwater network.

With more than a decade of experience with the City, most recently as the Acting Director and Manager leading the Development, Engineering and Construction team, Calvert’s leadership has been essential in addressing the aftermath of this past summer’s storms. Her efforts in delivering financial relief programs and developing future action plans have been critical. She has also played a key role in major developments along Mississauga’s waterfront, including Lakeview Village and Brightwater. Prior to joining the City, Calvert held progressive leadership roles with environmental engineering consulting companies in both British Columbia and Ontario.

Calvert holds an Honours Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from Queen’s University and a Masters Certificate in Municipal Leadership from the Schulich School of Business. She is a member of the Professional Engineers of Ontario, the Ontario Public Works Association and the Municipal Engineers Association, where she is also part of the Development Engineering Committee.

Quotes

“I am pleased to welcome Emma to this important role. Her leadership experience combined with her insights from both the public and private sectors will be invaluable in advancing new initiatives and modernizing business processes. I am confident that Emma will play a key role in enhancing our transportation system and stormwater network, elevating the quality of life in our community.” – Sam Rogers, Commissioner of Transportation and Works

“I am pleased to step into this new role and look forward to working closely with the team, senior leaders, as well as Mayor and Council to deliver projects and services that will positively impact our community and infrastructure.” – Emma Calvert, Director of Infrastructure Planning and Engineering Services