As the year comes to an end, it’s time to gear up for 2024 and all that it has in store! If you’re planning to celebrate the occasion at your home in Mississauga, you’ll be happy to know that you’re allowed to set off fireworks on your private property from dusk on Sunday, December 31, 2023 until 1 a.m. on New Year’s Day – Monday, January 1, 2024.
To use fireworks on a public street or a City park, residents must obtain a permit from the City.
To dispose of used or unused fireworks, completely submerge the fireworks in water and soak them overnight. Wrap the soaked fireworks in a plastic bag to keep them from drying out, and dispose of them in your garbage bin.
Additional important reminders
The winter holidays are an extremely busy time of year for most residents. Be kind to your neighbours and remember to put safety first, no matter where you celebrate. Make the most of your celebrations by being prepared and planning your events with safety in mind.
Mississauga residents can make a complaint for illegal use of fireworks on private property or City parks by calling 311 or submitting a complaint online at mississauga.ca/fireworks. To report fireworks on public roadways, residents should contact Peel Regional Police using the non-emergency number: 905-453-3311.
You can also celebrate the New Year by joining other Mississauga residents at Mississauga’s Celebration Square for entertainment and fireworks on December 31st!
Enjoy and be safe.
To learn more or apply for a permit, go to mississauga.ca/fireworks. For additional questions, call 311 or review the City’s fireworks by-law.
Background
The City of Mississauga has a Fireworks By-law to regulate the setting off of fireworks within Mississauga. The City’s Fireworks By-law was updated on December 1, 2023 to allow fireworks until 11 p.m. on designated holidays except for New Year’s Eve, when fireworks are allowed until 1 a.m. on New Year’s Day.
The designated holidays when fireworks are permitted until 11 p.m. include Victoria Day, Canada Day, Lunar New Year and Diwali. Mississauga residents can use fireworks on these five designated holidays at home on their private property without needing to obtain a permit from the City. As of December 1, 2023, the maximum fine for the illegal use of fireworks increased to $100,000.
Peel Region offices and some non-emergency services will be closed for the holidays from Monday, December 25, 2022, to Monday, January 1, 2024.
The following non-emergency services will close starting Monday, December 25 and will reopen on January 2, 2024:
- Access Peel Counters
- Dental Services Contact Centre (closed as of December 23)
- Early Years and Child Care Services
- Housing Services, Client Services
The following non-emergency services are closed on December 25, 2023, but will remain open December 22, 26, 27, 28, 29 and reopen for regular service on January 2, 2024:
- Family Health Call Centre
The following non-emergency services will be closed Monday December 25, 2023, Tuesday Dec. 26, 2023 and Monday Jan. 1, 2024
- Healthy Sexuality Clinics
The following non-emergency service has a modified holiday schedule.
- Needle Exchange Program and Harm Reduction – Mobile Van
December 25, 26, 2023, January 1, 2024 – closed
December 27, 28, 29 2023, open 12:30 pm to 7:30 pm
Saturday December 30, open 4:00-11:00 pm
Vaccination Clinics
Vaccination clinics will be closed December 22, 2023-January 1, 2024, and will resume regular operations on January 2, 2024.
To check for available clinics and to book your appointment, visit: COVID-19 vaccine
Early Years and Child Care Services
Child Care Subsidy units will close at 12:00 p.m. on December 22, 2023 and will reopen on January 2, 2024. All other Early Years and Child Care Services units are closed from December 25, 2023 to January 2, 2024.
Ontario Works in Peel
The offices at both our Ontario Works locations are open from 8.30 a.m. – 4:30 a.m. Monday – Friday. Our offices will close on December 22 at 12:00 p.m. and re-open on January 2, 2024 at 8.30 am.
Emergency shelter, food or personal support
For urgent homelessness supports, including food, supplies, referrals, and shelter, call the Street Helpline 24/7 at 1-877-848-8481. For information on emergency shelter, visit the emergency shelter web page or call 905-450-1996.
Peel Living Maintenance Requests
For Peel Living maintenance requests, contact the 24-hour request line at 905-790-7335.
TransHelp
All trips for December 25, 26, and 27 must be booked by 7 p.m. on December 24. All trips for January 1 and 2 must be booked by 7 p.m. on December 31.
On December 25 (Christmas Day), December 26 (Boxing Day) and January 1 (New Year’s Day):
- TransHelp will operate from 6 a.m. to 1 a.m.
- Subscription trips will be cancelled, except for dialysis trips
From December 25 to January 1, the TransHelp office will be closed and unable to process applications, payments or feedback.
On December 24 and 31:
- The contact centre will close at 10 p.m.
- The latest pick up for passengers who require bus only transportation will be 8:30 p.m. Taxi vendors will continue to provide transportation after 8:30 p.m.
If you have any questions, email transhelp@peelregion.ca or call 905-791-1015.
Public Transit
Visit Brampton Transit and Mississauga Transit for holiday schedules.
Waste collection Brampton, Mississauga, Caledon
There will be no waste collection on December 25, and 26, 2023. Collection will be two days later this week. Also, there will be no waste collection on January 1. Waste will be collected 1 day later this week. Check peelregion.ca/waste/calendar to find your pickup day or sign up to receive free waste collection reminders.
Community Recycling Centre hours:
Dec 24 and December 31 – Caledon/Bolton closed. Remaining locations open until 12 p.m.
December 25-26 and January 1, 2024 – closed
December 27-30 – open during normal business hours
Peel Art Gallery, Museum and Archives (PAMA)
PAMA will be closed Sunday, December 24, Monday, December 25, Tuesday, December 26, 2023 and Monday January 1, 2024. PAMA will also be closing at 4 p.m. on Sunday, December 31. Visit PAMA for a variety of affordable family fun activities this Winter Break.
Mississauga’s 2024-2027 Business Plan & 2024 Budget was adopted today by Mayor Bonnie Crombie. The 2024 Budget moves Mississauga forward by prioritizing infrastructure, building and growth while maintaining a safe and healthy community. It outlines how the City will allocate resources to meet service expectations for 13 service areas and more than 300 programs and services over the next four years, ensuring affordability for residents and businesses.
Important investments
Key capital investments in 2024 include:
- Hybrid bus acquisitions – $87.9 million
- New fire stations and station renovations – $24.6 million
- Major road construction – $22.4 million
- New park development – $41.4 million
- Road rehabilitation – $44.6 million
- Storm sewers – $19.2 million
“Mississauga’s 2024 Budget proposes a modest 2.3 per cent increase on the City’s portion of the tax bill compared to 3 per cent last year. This was achieved through finding $3.7 million in savings and efficiencies while being extremely measured when considering anything new,” said Mayor Bonnie Crombie. “The budget remains prudent with tax dollars, with nearly half (2.9 per cent) of the budget increase allocated to maintaining the status quo for the 200 services provided by the City. We are exploring new opportunities to move Mississauga forward like housing, transportation, public safety and mitigating climate change. The largest investment within the budget is for transit as we look to increase service levels and support our community’s growth.”
Property taxes
More than 57 per cent of the City’s revenue comes from property tax from residents and commercial/industrial properties. This is the main revenue tool for municipalities as per the Municipal Act, 2001.
Mississauga residents will see a 2.34 per cent increase on the City portion of the residential tax bill and business owners will see a 1.59 per cent increase on the City portion of the commercial/industrial tax bill.
New initiatives
Of the 21 new initiatives proposed for 2024, 13 are funded by user fees or other revenues, or are funded from capital, and do not impact the tax rate. These initiatives include a MiWay service increase, the opening of a new fire station, parkland growth, and invasive species management programs.
“Of every property tax dollar collected, only 37 cents stays in the City of Mississauga, and we’re putting that money to good use,” said Shari Lichterman, City Manager and Chief Administrative Officer. “We’re committed to keeping costs low by identifying operational efficiencies, securing financial support from other levels of government, and charging user fees where appropriate. At the same time, we continue to make smart investments in making the quality of life for residents better today, and into the future.”
Cost savings
The City has implemented cost containment strategies to help bring down costs. The 2024 Budget contains savings of $3.7 million (a 0.6 per cent reduction in the City’s net costs). Since 2009, the City has achieved $80.8 million in cost savings.
The Business Plan & Budget plays a significant role in shaping our city, so it’s important to take the time to read and understand it. The City’s 2024-2027 Business Plan & 2024 Budget, contains valuable information about how tax dollars are spent and highlights specific projects that will be undertaken throughout the City.
Individuals who are interested to learn more about the City’s adopted 2024 Budget and the budget process can visit mississauga.ca/budget.
The City of Mississauga administrative offices will be closed on December 25, 26, 2023 and January 1, 2024. A number of City services will operate on a holiday schedule from December 26, 2023 until January 2, 2024. The Ward 1 office will be closed over the holidays from Friday December 22nd at noon until Tuesday January 2nd.
The City’s response times to media and social inquiries will be limited during this time. A list of City services and hours of operation during the closure is available in the 2023/2024 holiday hours schedule.
The schedule includes hours of operation for:
- Administrative offices for Mississauga Fire and Emergency Services and Parking Enforcement
- Animal Services, Library, Recreation facilities, Mississauga’s Seniors’ Centre, Museums of Mississauga and the Provincial Offences Office
- The Art Gallery of Mississauga
- MiWay – visit MiWay’s holiday service page for information on transit service levels and customer service
311 Citizen Contact Centre
Residents can dial 311 between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. to speak to a customer service representative who will assist with their call during the following times:
Open: December 21, 22, 27, 28 and 29, 2023
Closed: December 25, 26, 2023 and January 1, 2024
Regular hours resume on January 2, 2024
For urgent issues on weekends, statutory holidays or overnight, please dial 311 and select option 2 for after-hours dispatch service. Residents can also submit requests 24/7 online.
Information on snow clearing
Residents can follow @MississaugaSnow on X (formerly Twitter), call 311 (or 905-615-4311 outside city limits) or visit mississauga.ca/snow.
Peel Regional Police alongside MADD Canada, launched our annual Holiday Season R.I.D.E. campaign on Thursday December 14th. As you know, the Reduce Impaired Driving Everywhere (R.I.D.E) campaign is a year-round commitment by PRP to educate the public on the dangers of impaired driving.
Peel Regional Police has a zero tolerance policy for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Our Holiday Season R.I.D.E. program launched on November 12th and has already checked over 10,000 vehicles, charged 79 drivers criminally for impaired driving related offences and given an additional 70 other drivers warnings. The campaign will continue through to January as part of our ongoing and collaborative efforts to reduce impaired driving. The Holiday season campaign is marked by increased enforcement levels through the deployment of additional officers from all police divisions as well as our Road Safety Service.
We are encouraging the public to plan ahead this holiday season:
- If anyone consumes alcoholic beverages or drugs, do not drive.
- Plan for a designated driver, take public transit, call a cab or ride-sharing service
- Arrange to stay the night at a friends or family member
If you believe a driver may be impaired, call 9-1-1 when it is safe to do so. We encourage callers to provide as much detail as they can, including what they observed, a licence plate, vehicle and driver description, and the road/direction travelled.
Road safety is a shared responsibility. Peel Regional Police is committed to lowering the number of deaths and injuries on our roads by working together with our partners and the community.
We hope everyone enjoys a safe and joyous Holiday Season!
Starting Monday, Jan. 8, 2024, there will be MiWay service changes that include more weekday service on Route 66 McLaughlin, revised routing on Route 20 Rathburn to improve service reliability and eliminate service duplication along Rathburn Road, and new trips added on several routes.
More frequent weekday service on Route 66 McLaughlin
Route 66 McLaughlin will operate more frequently on weekdays to alleviate customer overcrowding resulting from increased customer demand between Sheridan College (Davis Campus in Brampton) and the City Centre Transit Terminal.
New on-street bus stop for Route 18 to serve the Sheridan College Davis Campus (Brampton)
To improve service reliability, Route 18 McLaughlin-Derry will service a new on-street bus stop on McLaughlin Road at Sheridan College Drive (bus stop #6626), close to the main entrance of the Sheridan College Davis Campus in Brampton. This route will no longer travel inside the campus to prevent bus congestion inside the campus terminal.
Revised routing on Route 20 Rathburn
To improve service reliability and eliminate service duplication along Rathburn Road with Route 9 Rathburn-Thomas, Route 20 Rathburn will be revised to end at the City Centre Transit Terminal (CCTT). This route will no longer travel to Erindale GO Station. At CCTT, customers can board Route 20 at Platform O. Alternative route options include: Routes 9 Rathburn-Thomas (to Erindale GO) or 38 Creditview and 38A Creditview-Argentia (along Creditview Road).
New trips added on several routes due to high customer demand
The routes below will have additional service based on ridership growth:
- 8 Cawthra: new weekday southbound trips at 7:25 am and 2:31 pm from the City Centre Transit Terminal.
- 10 Bristol-Britannia: new weekday southbound trip at 7:19 am from Meadowvale Town Centre, plus new northbound trips at 2:15 pm and 2:41 pm from the City Centre Transit Terminal.
- 13 Glen Erin: new weekday northbound trip at 2:12 pm from Clarkson GO Station.
- 35 Eglinton: will now operate every 28 minutes (instead of every 35 minutes) throughout the day on Sundays.
- 44 Mississauga Road: new weekday southbound trips at 7:45 am and 9:22 am from Meadowvale Town Centre. And new weekday northbound trips at 8:31 am and 4:13 pm from University of Toronto Mississauga.
Service on school routes resumes
Service to high schools (300-series routes) will resume on Monday, January 8, after the winter break ends.
Schedule adjustments
Schedules will be updated on various routes to improve service reliability (a complete list of routes will be available on miway.ca). Traffic and ridership patterns continue to evolve in Mississauga and MiWay will continue to adjust schedules so that services remain responsive to customer needs.
Holiday service
On Family Day (Monday, Feb. 19, 2024), MiWay will operate on a holiday schedule.
- Two routes will operate at a reduced frequency: 17 Hurontario and 23 Lakeshore.
Three routes will not operate due to low customer demand: 28 Confederation, 46 Tenth Line-Osprey and 48 Erin Mills
Learn more about these and other service changes, as well as the MiWay 5 service plan benefits, at miway.ca.
Focused on critical community needs including housing, public safety and infrastructure
Brampton, ON – (Dec. 8, 2023) – Yesterday, Regional Council approved Peel’s 2024 Operating and Capital Budget, with investments balanced between the needs of residents and businesses and the infrastructure needs of the broader community.
The development of the 2024 Budget was guided by Twelve Principles, with priority focus on the challenges Peel is facing as a growing community and increased service demands. Ongoing challenges include heightened inflation, aging infrastructure, the climate emergency and changing legislation.
The 2024 Budget includes investments of $5.9 billion to maintain current service levels for a growing population, while addressing priority community needs.
Critical urgent needs include:
- The housing affordability crisis
- Provincial housing targets that require accelerated infrastructure investments
- Public health and safety
- An influx of asylum seekers placing extraordinary pressure on Peel’s emergency shelter system
- The declared climate change emergency
- Eliminating systemic discrimination
Service Investments to Support the Community
- Increased investment in public safety through the addition of 135 uniformed officers, 96 civilian professionals, and 10 cadets
- Capital investments to replace and build infrastructure, vehicles and equipment, expansion of facilities and advancing innovation
- 2024-2027 Peel Regional Police Business Plan and 2024 Budget
Ontario Provincial Police – Town of Caledon
- Investments to support traffic safety, community engagement and property and violent crime reduction
- 2024-2027 Ontario Provincial Police Business Plan and 2024 Budget
- Enhancing investments in housing subsidy and wrap around supports through an investment of $5.4 million, to help 500-700 more households receive subsidies and/or supports
- Enabling the development of an initial 100 community and/or supportive housing units with non-profit partner(s), with a $71 million capital investment in the Non-Profit Housing Development Program
- Continuing to implement the Peel Community Housing Development Program with a capital investment of $12.4 million, enabling the development of a total of 1,444 units in the program
- Expanding the place-based homelessness outreach teams and maintaining mobile outreach teams by investing $6.5 million
- Improving access to health services and other supports for the homeless and precariously housed
- Service transformation; a multi-year initiative that involves temporary enhanced emergency/crisis responses, a focus on prevention and increased faster access to housing subsidies and enhanced case management support
- Providing $98 million for the state of good repair of Peel Living homes
- Enhancing tenant relations
- 2024-2027 Housing Support Business Plan and 2024 Budget
- Investing over $1 billion in capital investments to support the achievement of the Province’s new housing target – investments include $459.6 million for wastewater collection main replacement and construction, and $272.5 million for expansion of Water Resource Recovery Facilities
- Prioritizing short-term growth-enabling infrastructure projects in all local municipalities to address growth priorities and areas where there are current development pressures not previously contemplated
- Aligning the capital program with Peel’s new official plan
- Employing a climate change lens on new capital and rehabilitation projects
- 2024-2027 Water and Wastewater Business Plan and 2024 Budget
- Maintaining 1,700 lane kilometres of road to help keep residents safe and traffic moving
- $117 million for road construction, intersection improvements, and active transportation
- $25 million for roads structure replacement and rehabilitation and other asset management-related works
- $5.3 million for the replacement of TransHelp vehicles at end of life and technology investments to enhance service delivery
- Updating the Transportation Master Plan to account for changes in housing targets, and planning for growth to 2051
- Investing resources to support the expeditious implementation of higher order transit
- Building growth infrastructure on Mississauga Rd., Mayfield Rd., and Dixie Rd.
- Building and improving active transportation facilities such as sidewalks and multiuse paths
- 2024-2027 Transportation Business Plan and 2024 Budget
- Adding 36 paramedics and three 24/7 ambulances to manage system pressures such as increasing call volumes, offload delay and staffing shortages
- Investing $23.2 million to complete the construction of the Docksteader divisional reporting station
- Ensuring ongoing service delivery through a capital investment of $5.0 million for future Paramedic station design
- $8.2 million for purchases of ambulances and other fleet
- Delivering mental health and wellness initiatives to support the psychological health and safety of the paramedics
- 2024-2027 Paramedic Services Business Plan and 2024 Budget
- Serving 830 residents across all five Peel Long Term Care homes
- Stabilizing operations in Long-Term care due to increased Infection Prevention and Control (IPAC) requirements and complex post-pandemic resident care by adding18 staff
- Continuing to advance operations at the Seniors Health and Wellness Village
- Enhancing the workforce to improve resident care and staff experience
- Phased implementation and compliance with the Fixing Long Term Care Act, 2021 to enhance resident experience and quality of life net cost of $ 1.2 million
- Piloting integrated care and expanding Adult Day Services and Respite Care to support clients and caregivers to age at home
- 2024-2027 Seniors Services Business Plan and 2024 Budget
- Expanding public health inspection capacity to respond to the increased number of complaints and inspection requirements of water facilities and food premises
- Increasing tuberculosis program capacity to prevent transmission in the community
- Building capacity to address the health impacts of climate change and reduce risk to Peel residents’ health and well-being
- 2024-2027 Public Health Business Plan and 2024 Budget
- Ensuring food security and basic needs while supporting community groups including black serving agencies, asylum seekers and Peel’s other vulnerable populations through an additional investment of $3.2 million
- Providing an additional $2 million in 2024 to the food security funding stream for food banks who are experiencing a 60% increase in food bank use
- Finding solutions that can mitigate the impacts of poverty
- Coordinating a systems response to increased immigration and arrival of refugees seeking supports
- Advocating for resources and greater coordination for Anti-Human Sex Trafficking supports
- 2024-2027 Community Investment Business Plan and 2024 Budget
- Managing 550,000+ tonnes of waste annually from Peel’s 1.5 million residents
- Transitioning of Peel’s Blue Box program on Oct. 1, 2024
- Implementing the Organics and Yard Waste Processing Plan
- Implementing a Mixed Waste Processing Pilot
- 2024-2027 Waste Management Business Plan and 2024 Budget
- Continuing to implement the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care plan, with an increase of $60.6 million to expand the affordability program of lowering child care fees
- Expanding by 11,980 child care spaces to underserved communities
- Prioritizing diversity, equity and inclusion to ensure programs, policies and practices reflect the diverse needs of the community
- 2024-2027 Early Years and Child Care Business Plan and 2024 Budget
- Providing an average of 25,000 residents with Ontario Works assistance on a monthly basis
- Working with the community and other levels of government to improve social assistance programs
- Implementing digital solutions to increase access to supports and services
- 2024-2027 Income Support Business Plan and 2024 Budget
Cost savings and cost avoidance of $9.0 million have been reflected in the 2024 Budget, found through continuous improvement efforts and cost containment measures. The Continuous Improvement Program contributes to a strong culture of driving value, efficiency, and innovations at all levels of the organization and is directly tied to the Region’s annual budget process.
The 2024 Budget includes an average property tax increase of 1.9% for Region Controlled programs, 2.5% for Peel Regional Police and 0.1% for other External Agencies. In total, the budget increase of 4.5% contributes to the average residential property and commercial/industrial property tax bills of $245 and $432 respectively.
The budget includes a utility rate increase of 6.8%. The average home will see an increase to their utility bill of 21¢ per day (or $78 per year), while the average commercial/industrial property will see an increase of 22¢ per day (or $82 per year).
Quotes
“The 2024 Budget maintains vital services and makes key infrastructure investments while ensuring the challenges that our community is facing are a top priority. Council has passed a budget that invests responsibly in core service levels, promotes community safety, and protects the vulnerable, while also striving for innovation and efficiencies at all levels.”
Nando Iannicca, Regional Chair
“The 2024 Peel Region budget makes fiscally responsible, strategic investments in the community. The budget that has been passed includes funding for community housing, essential infrastructure, public safety, paramedics, and seniors’ services, climate change adaptation, the elimination of systemic discrimination, along with a host of important community-focused initiatives. Peel’s 2024 budget makes these necessary investments while following the Region’s long-standing reputation for fiscal responsibility.”
Gary Kent, Chief Administrative Officer
“In the midst of the social emergencies Peel Region is facing, the Council-supported 2024 Budget provides community investments that strike a balance between fiscal responsibility, and financial sustainability, while maintaining and improving services and infrastructure as we navigate these uncertain times. This budget ensures business continuity so that the Region’s $36 billion in infrastructure assets continue to provide service at the same level, now and in the future, and the complex and integral services of Peel continue uninterrupted.”
Davinder Valeri, Chief Financial Officer and Commissioner of Finance
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About Peel’s Transition
The Ontario government announced the dissolution of Peel Region and the establishment of a Transition Board (TB) as part of Bill 112. The Transition Board was appointed to provide recommendations to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing on a range of restructuring matters related to the dissolution of Peel Region to make Mississauga, Brampton and Caledon independent municipalities by January 1, 2025.
To learn about the Transition Board, how it will make these recommendations, and to provide feedback to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, visit Ontario’s Peel Region Transition Board website.
During our transition, Peel remains committed to providing services to residents and businesses. For information about our transition, visit Peel’s transition website.
About Peel Region
Peel Region works with residents and partners to create a healthy, safe, and connected Community for Life for approximately 1.5 million people and over 200,000 businesses in Brampton, Mississauga and Caledon. Peel’s services touch the lives of residents every day. For more information, explore peelregion.ca and follow us on X @regionofpeel and Instagram @peelregion.ca.