BRAMPTON, ON (April 28, 2025) – On this National Day of Mourning, Peel Region remembers and honours those individuals who have been killed, injured or fallen ill on the job, and those impacted by workplace tragedies. This day serves as a reminder of the importance of ensuring the safety and well-being of all workers.

In commemoration of this important day, flags at Peel Region buildings will be lowered to half-mast, and a moment of silence will be observed at 11 a.m.

The National Day of Mourning offers an opportunity for employers and workers to collectively renew their commitment to improving health and safety in the workplace to prevent further injuries, illnesses, and deaths.

Peel Region prioritizes the health and safety of its employees and all who work in its communities. To ensure workers remain safe, it is important that employers and workers work collaboratively to create and maintain a healthy and safe workplace.

Residents are encouraged to participate in the various events and ceremonies taking place across Peel to honour the thousands of lives that have been impacted by workplace tragedies.

Quotations

“Today we remember and pay tribute to those workers who have lost their lives on the job and all those impacted by workplace tragedies. This day also offers us a moment to reflect on our collective responsibility to create safe and healthy workplaces. To prevent future incidents, we must all work together to recognize and meet the health and safety needs of our employees.”

– Nando Iannicca, Peel Regional Chair and CEO.

BRAMPTON, Ont. – April 25, 2025. In Peel, one in six adults is living with diabetes. This is higher than the provincial average, and rates are expected to keep rising.

Data projects 100,000 new cases of diabetes in Peel region between 2020 and 2030. To address this, Peel Public Health is prioritizing the reduction in risk factors that contribute to the development of chronic diseases like diabetes.

Peel Public Health focuses on delivering programs and services that encourage residents to adopt healthy lifestyle choices that can help prevent type 2 diabetes.

Enabling active living and healthy eating is a key priority for Peel Public Health. By working with families, schools, local government and community organizations, we can help create places where healthy food is available, active living is promoted and residents are supported throughout every stage of their lives.

Some of the programs and partnerships that support this goal include:

• Healthy early years: The infant feeding program supports families through hands-on, in-person education or telephone counselling from public health nurses.
• Healthy schools: Through partnerships with local school boards and schools, Peel Public Health offers programs like Playground Activity Leaders in Schools (PALS) to encourage physical activity in school-age children.
• Healthy communities: Through partnerships with local faith leaders, we are increasing access to healthier food and opportunities for active living by creating supportive environments within places of worship.
• Healthy partnerships: We are also working with university researchers to understand and explore how the use of artificial intelligence (AI) can be used in public health, including diabetes prevention.

Peel Public Health will continue to approach community health and well-being through community, municipal and internal partnerships that support residents in reducing their risk factors for diabetes and other chronic diseases.

To learn more about Peel’s approach to healthy communities, visit our website, and for more information on diabetes in Peel, please see the April 24 council report.

Quotations

“As diabetes rates continue to rise in our community, Peel Public Health encourages residents to make healthy lifestyle choices to reduce their risk of diabetes. This can include healthy eating, increasing physical activity and getting screened regularly based on your age, family history and whether you are part of a high-risk population.”   

– Dr. Hamidah Meghani, Medical Officer of Health, Peel Region 

The City of Mississauga is making the following changes to its senior leadership team, effective Thursday, May 1, 2025:

Commissioner Corporate Services, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer

Marisa Chiu, current Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer, will become the Commissioner of Corporate Services, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer. Chiu joined the City in March 2023, and has overseen the development and adoption of two City budgets. Before joining the City, Chiu was the Comptroller of Finance and Enterprise Risk and Interim Executive Officer of Finance at the Toronto District School Board, where she managed a diverse portfolio and a $3.5 billion budget. In her new portfolio as Commissioner, Chiu will continue to manage the Finance division, as well as oversee the Corporate Business Services and Information Technology divisions.

Biography: Marisa Chiu

City Solicitor and Commissioner of Legislative Services

Graham Walsh will take on the new portfolio of City Solicitor and Commissioner of Legislative Services. Walsh returned to the City of Mississauga in 2024, having previously served as the City’s Deputy City Solicitor from 2018 to 2023 and Legal Counsel from 2012 to 2017. He also served as Solicitor and Director of Legal Services for the Region of Waterloo from 2022 to 2024. In his new portfolio, Walsh will continue to manage Legal Services, while taking on oversight of the Legislative Services and Human Resources portfolios.

Biography: Graham Walsh

Commissioner of Community Services

Raj Sheth will assume the role of Commissioner of Community Services. Sheth is currently the Commissioner of Corporate Services, a position he has held since May 2023. Sheth has been with the City of Mississauga for 30 years, serving in progressively senior roles including Director of Facilities and Property Management where he oversaw the building of many City facilities, including community centres, libraries and fire stations. In the role of Commissioner of Community Services, Sheth will oversee the following service areas: Recreation and Culture; Library; Parks, Forestry and Environment; Facilities, Planning & Development; and Enforcement.

Biography: Raj Sheth

These organizational changes were recommended by City Manager and Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Geoff Wright and were finalized through Mayoral decisions.

In response to the growing auto theft crisis in Peel Region and across Canada, Peel Regional Police and the Peel Police Service Board were among the first to react by holding the first ever Auto Theft Summit at the start of 2023 – a platform that brought together law enforcement, government officials and industry partners to develop and implement recommendations to help combat organized auto theft and raise awareness. PRP also made significant investments in its Commercial Auto Crime Bureau, doubling in size and becoming one of the largest in the country.

Thanks to these collective efforts, we are seeing real results.

Since the beginning of 2025, Peel Regional Police has recovered almost half of the vehicles stolen in the region, with a total value of $26 million. In addition, 479 auto theft-related charges have been laid against 257 individuals.

Our collective efforts have helped tackle the issue with the following results:

• More than $380 million in recoveries, which equates to over 7,400 vehicles recovered, since January 2023
• More than 1,100 auto theft-related charges laid against 543 individuals since January 2023
• 16% decrease in auto thefts in 2024 compared to 2023
• 45% reduction in auto thefts compared to the same period last year, a $60 million reduction

These achievements are a direct result of the unwavering dedication and professionalism of members, complemented by the continued support and advocacy of the Peel Police Service Board. Their commitment has been instrumental in enabling, resourcing and sustaining these important efforts. The successful conclusion of these complex national and international investigations was also made possible through funding provided by the Ministry of the Solicitor General.

Deputy Chief Nick Milinovich’s video providing an update on organized auto theft in Peel Region: https://x.com/PeelPolice/status/1915121692201931096

BRAMPTON, Ont. (April 24, 2025) – Today, Peel Regional Council received the 2024 Homelessness Point-in-Time (PiT) Count, a community-level measure of homelessness at a single point in time that provides both local and national insights.

In compliance with both federal and provincial requirements, Peel Region participates in a Point-in-Time Count which consists of:

Enumeration: An estimate of the number of people experiencing homelessness on a single night, and identifying where they stayed (such as shelters, transitional housing, and unsheltered locations), and;

Housing Needs Survey: A survey that is completed in-person with individuals experiencing homelessness to gather key information on demographics and experiences.

Peel conducted the 2024 PiT Count on Nov. 13, 2024, and the Housing Needs Survey between Nov. 13 to 15, 2024. There were 1,035 participants that completed this survey.

Peel publishes yearly data to quantify homelessness using multiple sources to ensure consistent and accurate tracking. The Point-in-Time Count represents homelessness on one specific night and is only one method used to track homelessness within Peel.

Key findings from the 2024 PiT Count reveal a growth in the homeless population, including growth in our local homeless population and asylum claimants. Results indicated that:

• when including asylum claimants, there was a 223 per cent increase in overall homelessness in Peel compared to the 2021 PiT Count, with 2,799 individuals experiencing homelessness on Nov. 13, 2024, and;
• when asylum claimants are removed from this analysis, the count identified a 93 per cent increase in local homelessness compared to the 2021 PiT Count, with 1,674 individuals experiencing homelessness on Nov. 13, 2024.

Overall homelessness includes sheltered homeless (2,593 individuals) and unsheltered homeless (206 individuals). The sheltered homeless includes 1,125 individuals within the asylum response system.

This is the first PiT Count in Peel that includes the asylum claimant response system, as this system was not in place during the 2021 count. The emergence of this system in 2023 has led to significant shifts in homelessness trends, particularly in demographics, service needs and shelter utilization rates. The inclusion of asylum claimant data in the 2024 PiT Count provides a more comprehensive picture of homelessness in Peel, highlighting the distinct challenges faced by each group and the need for targeted responses.

Distinguishing the asylum claimant response system from local homelessness has allowed Peel to enhance service delivery by tailoring supports to the distinct needs of each population. Separating the asylum claimant response system ensures local homelessness services are better protected from additional strain, and residents experiencing homelessness receive the focused support they need.

Homelessness continues to be a multifaceted issue that demands systemic interventions and tailored solutions. The 2024 PiT Count data highlights critical trends and gaps in services, particularly among vulnerable populations such as racialized groups, youth, and asylum claimants. An increase in homelessness among women was also noted with 40 per cent of responses from women, a 12 per cent increase from 2021. Women were also found to have a higher percentage (27 per cent) of housing loss due to conflict or abuse with a partner/spouse or parent/guardian compared to men (16 per cent).

This data is only a snapshot of the bigger picture. The count does not include those who are couch surfing or living in unstable housing conditions, and does not capture cyclical or intermittent homelessness, meaning the actual number of people experiencing homelessness may be higher.

The Point-in-Time Count is just one data source used by Peel to track homelessness.

The findings from this count emphasize the need for continued investment in targeted supports, while also addressing the structural causes of homelessness, such as income disparity, discrimination, and systemic barriers to housing access.

Next steps include that:

• the findings will inform program enhancements to ensure housing and homelessness services align with Peel’s evolving needs, and;
• Peel will continue to advocate for sustainable funding and policy measures to support both local residents and asylum claimants facing homelessness, and;
• targeted interventions, including culturally responsive services, will be explored to address the unique needs of subpopulations, including women, families, and asylum claimants, and;
• future PiT Counts will incorporate enhanced methodologies, including improved real-time data collection strategies, to improve the accuracy of homelessness measurements.

Access the Council report and 2024 Everyone Counts Peel Community Report to learn more about Peel’s 2024 Point-in-Time Count.

Quotations

“Peel’s 2024 Point-in-Time Count reveals what we’ve known for some time: homelessness is a multifaceted issue that requires multiple solutions, and we can’t do this work alone. Support from all levels of government and our partners is needed as we continue targeting supports for our residents.”

– Steve Jacques, Commissioner of Human Services, Peel Region.