Stephen’s Initiatives

Proposal to support Bill C-233 “Keira’s Law”

By Announcement, Stephen’s Initiatives

I am pleased to announce that the Proposal to support Bill C-233 “Keira’s Law” was passed today unanimously in Council.  The City of Mississauga Council lends support to Member of Parliament Anju Dhillon’s Private Members Bill C-233, that has now been passed to raise the level of education on domestic violence and coercive control for federally appointed Judges.

RESOLUTION 0194-2023
adopted by the Council of
The Corporation of the City of Mississauga
at its meeting on September 13, 2023

0194-2023 Moved by: S. Dasko Seconded by: M. Reid

Whereas violence against women is a Canadian public health crisis that demands urgent action;
and Whereas one in four women experience domestic violence in their lifetime, and one woman or girl is killed every other day, on average, somewhere in our country;
and Whereas the most dangerous time for a victim of abuse is when she separates from her partner, according to research from the US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, when there is a history of coercive control, violence and a recent separation, a woman’s risk of domestic homicide goes up 900 times;
and Whereas, the current Canadian court system is not equipped to protect women, according to the National Judicial Institute, there is no mandatory education for Judges on domestic violence; judges need education on what constitutes domestic violence or coercive control and formal education program would ensure another line of defense for victims, as well as preventing violence and abuse before it happens;
and Whereas, according to Article 19 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, children must be protected from “all forms of physical or mental violence, injury or abuse, neglect or negligent treatment, maltreatment or exploitation, including sexual abuse, while in the care of parent(s), legal guardian(s) or any other person who has care of the child,” our current family justice system often fails our children in this regard;
and Whereas, in worst case scenarios, children are killed by a violent parent, as reported by the Canadian Domestic Homicide Prevention Initiative, recent separation and domestic violence are the two biggest risk factors for domestic violence related child homicides;
and Whereas, custody disputes are an additional risk factor; each year in Canada, about 30 children are killed by a parent; mothers are responsible about 40 per cent of the time, often due to postpartum depression or mental illness and in the 60 per cent of cases where fathers are the murderers, anger, jealousy or post-separation retaliatory revenge are the usual motivations;
and Whereas, Keira’s Law is named after four-year-old Keira Kagan, who was killed while in the custody of her father, in 2020;

Now therefore be it resolved:
1. That the City of Mississauga Council lends support to Member of Parliament Anju Dhillon’s Private Member’s Bill C-233, Page 3 of Motion Memorandum that has now been passed to raise the level of education on domestic violence and coercive control, for federally appointed Judges; and
2. That this motion be forwarded to the Prime Minister, the Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth, the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, and Mississauga Members of Parliament (MP’s), the Premier of Ontario, the Ontario Attorney General, and Mississauga Members of Provincial Parliament.

Motion to Declare Gender-Based Violence & Intimate Partner Violence an Epidemic

By Announcement, Stephen’s Initiatives

I am pleased to announce that the proposed Motion to Declare Gender-Based Violence & Intimate Partner Violence an Epidemic in the City of Mississauga was passed today unanimously in Council.

The City of Mississauga will request that the Region of Peel’s upcoming awareness campaign regarding gender based and intimate partner violence include this declaration and take a stand and advocate with 41 other municipalities to push the Province of Ontario to officially recognize it as such.

We will also send a communication to the Minister of Justice, the Attorney General Canada, the Prime Minister of Canada signed by Mayor Crombie and members of Council to advocate that Femicide be added as a term to the Criminal Code of Canada and ask that the provincial and federal governments provide appropriate supports necessary to address the epidemic.

RESOLUTION 0193-2023
adopted by the Council of
The Corporation of the City of Mississauga
at its meeting on September 13, 2023

0193-2023 Moved by: S. Dasko Seconded by: B. Butt

WHEREAS gender-based violence is defined as violence or abuse perpetrated against a woman, girl or gender-diverse individual because of their gender, gender expression, gender identity or perceived gender; and
WHEREAS according to the Canadian Femicide Observatory for Justice and Accountability, in the last 5 years at least one woman or girl was killed every 48 hours in Canada
WHEREAS Renfrew County delivered 86 recommendations in a unanimous verdict on the deaths of three local women, who were killed by their former partner on a single morning in 2015; and
WHEREAS these 86 recommendations speak to oversight and accountability, system approaches, collaboration and communication, funding, education and training, measures addressing perpetrators of intimate partner violence (IPV), intervention, and safety; and
WHEREAS the number one recommendation put forward is to have the provincial government formally declare intimate partner violence as an epidemic; and
WHEREAS femicide continues to take place in Peel Region, with the most recent one taking place on July 31st when Argentina Fuentes was killed in Mississauga; and
WHEREAS a femicide took place between July 17 and 18 in Mississauga, when Pitch “Polly” Phunpa was killed in her Port Credit apartment; and
WHEREAS Peel Region has already had 6 femicides connected to the Region in 2023, with 4 of those femicides taking place in July alone; and
WHEREAS there have been 38 femicides in Ontario in the last 36 weeks; and
WHEREAS Canada does not currently include the term femicide in their criminal legislation; and
WHEREAS 75% of women reported abuse and conflict with a partner, spouse or parent as their top reason for their housing loss in Peel Region in 2021; and
WHEREAS Canada continues to experience a crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls; and
WHEREAS Indigenous women are killed at seven times the rate of Non-Indigenous women; and
Page 2 of 3
WHEREAS technology-facilitated gender-based violence is a growing problem, with 33% of young women between 15 and 24 experiencing unwanted behaviour online; and
WHEREAS all statistics are only scratching the surface and do not include unreported cases; and
WHEREAS the demand for support services increases as awareness increases; and
WHEREAS according to the Peel Regional 2021-2022 Snapshot published by the Peel Committee Against Women Abuse, Embrave: Agency to End Violence have seen a 27 percent increase in survivors accessing shelter programs between 2021 to 2022 in Peel Region; and
WHEREAS many of the inquiry’s recommendations are either applicable to or could be adapted to the municipal or regional level of government; and
WHEREAS The Region of Peel has formally acknowledged family violence and intimate-partner violence a key area of focus in the Peel Community Safety and Well-Being Plan; and
WHEREAS on Feb 13, 2020, the Region of Peel Council unanimously supported a motion to work with the City of Brampton, City of Mississauga, Town of Caledon, Peel Regional Police and community organizations to develop and strategize a public education and awareness campaign to tackle the issue of domestic violence across the Region; and
WHEREAS the “It’s Not Ok” and “Break the Silence” public awareness campaigns launched as of November 2020, annually for the past 3 years during the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence; and
WHEREAS 41 municipalities across Ontario, including the City of Brampton and the Region of Peel have declared intimate partner violence and gender-based violence an epidemic; and
WHEREAS the Government of Canada and Arif Virani, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada have recognized gender-based violence as an epidemic.

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT THE CITY OF MISSISSAUGA:
1. Declare gender-based violence and intimate-partner violence an epidemic in Mississauga; and
2. Request that the Region of Peel’s upcoming awareness campaign regarding gender-based and intimate partner violence include this declaration; and
3. Take a stand and advocate with the 41 municipalities and regions that have declared gender-based violence and/or intimate partner violence an epidemic to push the Province of Ontario to officially recognize it as such; and
4. Send a communication to Mississauga MPs and MPPs, signed by Mayor Bonnie Crombie on behalf of Council, requesting that they join their municipal counterparts in solidarity, asking for an epidemic of gender-based violence and intimate-partner violence to be declared at the Provincial and Federal levels; and
5. Send a communication to the Honourable Arif Virani, Minister of Justice and Attorney General Canada, and the Prime Minister of Canada, signed by Mayor Bonnie Crombie on behalf of Council, advocating that Femicide be added as a term to the Criminal Code of Canada; and
6. Send a communication to Premier Ford and Prime Minister Trudeau, signed by Mayor Bonnie Crombie on behalf of Council, advocating to the provincial and federal governments to provide the appropriate supports necessary to address the epidemic; and
7. Send a copy of this Resolution to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) and Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO).

 

 

Councillor Dasko Invites You to Nominate a Business or Individual for the Ward 1 Community Excellence Awards!

By Announcement, Events, Stephen’s Initiatives, Ward 1

ALL NOMINATIONS ARE DUE BY OCTOBER 5TH, 2023 AT MIDNIGHT. 

This year’s Ward 1 Community Excellence Awards will be held on October 26th, 2023 at 6:30 p.m. at the Mississauga Seniors Centre, 1389 Cawthra Road

Business Awards
Small business owners are an integral part of our community. In addition to contributing to the local community’s unique identity and being involved locally, small business owners are job creators, providing local employment opportunities allowing local residents to work closer to home. Having multiple small businesses all striving to be unique and innovative, can result in a healthy marketplace and well-served consumers. One-of-a-kind and locally made products can attract customers to our area, bolstering tourism and contributing to our local community. These establishments benefit our local economy and help support the place we call home.

New Business Award
The recipient of this award has been in business for a minimum of 1 year and a maximum of 5 years. This award recognizes outstanding achievement as a new business in some or all of the following: Research & Development, Company Growth, Products & Services, Market Development, Sales & Marketing, Community Service.

Entrepreneur of the Year Award
This award recognizes the endeavors of an exceptional individual or company who creates the products and services that keep our local economies moving forward.

Best Real Estate Agent
This award recognizes a real estate professional who goes above and beyond for their clients and makes important contributions to the community.

Excellence in Customer Service Award
This award recognizes a business for their outstanding dedication, loyalty and achievement to exceptional service standards in our community that consistently exceed customer or guest expectations.

Automotive Services Excellence Award
This award honours an Automotive Services establishment with outstanding service, provided to Ward 1 residents with consistent high standards and integrity.

Best Patio Dining Experience Award
The best patio dining experience award is presented to a restaurant that has created a patio that provides the most enjoyable overall guest experience, setting high standards for food quality, while providing guests with excellent customer service that enhances the dining experience.
This local favourite provides an opportunity to relax and enjoy a delicious meal and a great atmosphere.

Best Pizza Shop Award
Recognizing a local pizza shop – takeout or delivery that provides the best tasting pizza and customer experience.

Best Coffee Shop Award
This award recognizes a coffee shop in Ward 1 that has a loyal following that provides great quality coffee, tea and snacks. It also creates a clean memorable atmosphere that keeps customers coming back for more.

Restaurant of the Year Award
This award is presented to a restaurant that provides the most enjoyable overall guest experience, setting high standards for food quality, offers a well-priced meal, while providing guests with excellent customer service that enhances the dining experience. This local favourite may also provide an opportunity to relax and enjoy a delicious meal in a great atmosphere.

Arts and Community Awards
The Ward 1 Arts Awards recognize leaders who attain a level of merit in their artistic discipline and celebrate outstanding works of creativity across all arts disciplines. These awards recognize the individual contributions to arts and culture in our community. Cultivating the arts plays an important role in our city by improving well-being, unifying communities, improving academic performance, strengthening the economy, driving tourism, while sparking creativity & innovation in our community.

Artist of The Year Award – Music Performance
The Ward 1 Artist of the Year – Music Performance award recognizes the musician or musical group that has consistently delivered exceptional live performances, captivating audiences with their talent, stage presence, and artistic expression throughout the year.

Artist of The Year Award – Dance Performance

The Ward 1 Artist of the Year – Dance Performance award recognizes the outstanding achievements of a dancer or dance troupe who have demonstrated exceptional artistry, creativity, and skill in their dance performances throughout the year.

Artist of The Year Award – Visual Artist
The Ward 1 Artist of the Year – Visual Artist award recognizes outstanding accomplishments and contributions within the field of visual arts over the past year. This category celebrates artists whose exceptional creativity, skill, and innovation have made an impact on the art scene locally and inspired audiences through their visual creations.

Environmental Stewardship Award
Whether helping to protect our climate, reduce waste, support local food or enhance our natural spaces, this individual is recognized as an environmental leader who has made significant contributions to improving our environment.

Volunteer of the Year Award
Our city is built by those who give their time and expertise selflessly and expect nothing in return. This award recognizes an individual who demonstrates excellence in volunteering to make Ward 1 a better place to live, work, and play.

Lifetime Achievement Award
Ward 1 would like to honour with great respect and admiration, an Individual for their lifetime of support, promotion and vision for our community.

 

Please make your nominations by email to Stephen.Dasko@mississauga.ca in the following format:

Nominator Name:
Nominator Email:

Award for Nomination:
Nominee Name:
Nominee Email:

ALL NOMINATIONS ARE DUE BY OCTOBER 5TH, 2023 AT MIDNIGHT. 

Port Credit Library Re Opening August 15, 2023!

By Announcement, Resources, Stephen’s Initiatives, Ward 1
Join Councillor Stephen Dasko for the Re-Opening of the Port Credit Library on August 15!
Open House Celebration
August 15 at 9:30 am at the Library
Ribbon cutting and refreshments

All are welcome

Councillor Dasko is excited to announce that the Port Credit Library will be re-opening ahead of schedule!

Starting from August 15, our doors will be open once again to all book enthusiasts, knowledge seekers, and eager learners in our community.

The Councillor had this to say, “I am so pleased to be able to announce that this significant part of our community is re-opening ahead of schedule! Through the power of community collaboration and the unwavering dedication of our hardworking City staff, we proudly announce the re opening of our library. ”

To learn more, click here.