Category

Covid-19

City of Mississauga Invites Residents to Tele Town Hall

By Covid-19, Events

November 10, 2020

On Thursday, November 12, residents are invited to participate in a City of Mississauga Tele Town Hall session at 7:30 p.m. The live Tele Town Hall will provide important updates to the new and necessary restrictions for Mississauga residents and businesses to help reduce the spread of COVID-19.

Late last week, the Province declared Mississauga in Red-Control Level as part of Ontario’s new COVID-19 Response Framework. To further slow the spread of COVID-19, Peel Public Health has recommended additional and stricter public health measures that limit in-person interactions.

Residents will be able to listen and ask questions to an expert group of panelists from the City, Peel Region Public Health, and Trillium Health Partners, including:

  • Mayor Bonnie Crombie, City of Mississauga
  • Dr. Lawrence Loh, Medical Officer of Health, Region of Peel – Public Health
  • Michelle DiEmanuele, President and CEO, Trillium Health Partners

Residents who wish to participate in the session can do so in one of the following three ways:

  1. Pre-register: residents who wish to participate in the session are encouraged to register their telephone number in advance at the following link: Mississauga.ca/townhall
  2. Participate online: the Tele Town Hall will be available online.
  3. Join by telephone: a random selection of residents will receive a telephone call to participate in advance based on a list provided by a virtual town hall service. The call out is done to ensure as many residents as possible have an opportunity to participate. If you don’t wish to participate, simply hang up. If you don’t receive a call and would like to participate, dial 1-877-229-8493 and enter ID number: 115911 followed by the # key.

What:

City of Mississauga Tele Town Hall to update the community on new and necessary COVID-19 restrictions.

When:

Thursday, November 12, 2020

7:30 to 9 p.m.

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

For health information, please visit peelregion.ca/coronavirus

November 11, 2020
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Remembrance Day – Virtual Ceremony

By Covid-19, Events

With the recent enhanced restrictions outlined by Dr. Loh this week and in an effort to help stop the spread of COVID-19, the Civic Centre Remembrance Day ceremony will now be completely virtual.

We encourage you to watch the ceremony online starting at 10:40 a.m. tomorrow using one of the following links:

November 10, 2020
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Council & Committee Meetings – Virtual Format Only

By Covid-19, Events

November 10, 2020

In an ongoing effort to stop the spread of COVID-19 and to protect all individuals, Mississauga Council and Committee meetings will be held virtually until further notice, beginning with the November 11, 2020 meeting of Council.

The November 11, 2020 Council meeting is rescheduled to 1 p.m. and will be streamed online and archived on the City of Mississauga’s website.

View the Council and Committees Calendar for meeting dates, times and agendas.

Public Comments:
The public may submit comments regarding agenda matters to the city.clerk@mississauga.ca

For the latest updates on the City of Mississauga’s COVID-19 recovery and response visit: mississauga.ca/recovery.

November 10, 2020
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Mississauga’s COVID-19 Update for November 10, 2020

By Covid-19, Events, Issues

November 9, 2020

On Tuesday, November 10 at 3:30 p.m., media are invited to virtually attend Mayor Bonnie Crombie’s twenty-ninth weekly press conference focused on the City of Mississauga’s latest COVID-19 recovery plans.

Details

What:
Latest updates and announcements on the City’s COVID-19 plans for recovery in Mississauga

When:
Tuesday, November 10, 2020 at 3:30 p.m.

Who:
Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie
Dr. Lawrence Loh, Medical Officer of Health at Region of Peel
Nancy Macdonald-Duncan, Acting Fire Chief

Where:
Online – the virtual press conference will be streamed on the City’s website at https://web.mississauga.ca/council/council-activities/council-and-committee-videos/press-conferences-and-events/

Media: All media must RSVP to Megan Schabla, megan.schabla@mississauga.ca by noon on November 10 if they would like to participate and ask questions. Confirmed media will be provided with a WebEx meeting request and log-in details in order to join the conference.

For more information about the City’s COVID-19 response and service impacts, visit: mississauga.ca/recovery.

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November 9, 2020
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Dr. Loh to Discuss the Recently Announced Letter of Instructions

By Covid-19, Events, Issues

November 9, 2020

Dr. Lawrence Loh, Medical Officer of Health, Region of Peel, Peel Regional Chair Nando Iannicca and Dr. Naveed Mohammad, President and CEO of William Osler Health System will discuss the recently announced Letter of Instructions and provide additional information about the new restrictions and what they mean for Peel residents. A Q&A will be held immediately following.

The Region of Peel will be streaming on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2n3hfiz7HBg

November 9, 2020
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Province Declares Mississauga in Red-Control Level as part of Ontario’s COVID-19 Framework

By Covid-19, Issues

November 7, 2020

Yesterday, Mississauga, as part of the Region of Peel, was placed in the Red-Control Level of the Government of Ontario’s Keeping Ontario Safe and Open Framework. Beginning today, restaurants, bars and gyms/fitness centres will be able to reopen with restrictions.

“To all our small business owners: I am truly sorry that you are not able to open to the degree you had anticipated. The reality, however, is that the picture in Peel Region has changed over the last several days,” said Mayor Bonnie Crombie. “Brampton’s William Osler Health System has become overwhelmed with COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, and the concern is that Mississauga hospitals will soon be as well. Trillium Health Partners is nearly at full capacity and has seen a significant increase in COVID-19 patients. We also continue to see a significant amount of community spread as our numbers have continued to climb over the last three weeks. The second wave of COVID-19 is hitting Peel Region harder than just about anywhere else in the country.”

The Government of Ontario’s decision to place Peel Region in the Red-Control Level comes as the situation has become critical. Case counts remain high and continue to trend upwards, with the test positivity rate now being the highest in Ontario. In addition to the crisis being faced by the William Osler Health System, Mississauga’s Trillium Health Partners is now facing significant strain as it operates at full capacity.

In the past week, Mississauga has seen a rapid change in the status of the COVID-19 pandemic:

  • Case counts remain high and are now at 101 per 100,000 and continue to trend upward
  • Public health capacity is stretched thin across the Region
  • Weekly increases (November 1 to 7) were 583 for Mississauga and 2,041 for Peel Region
  • In Mississauga, hospitals are operating at almost 100 per cent capacity at Trillium Health Partners
  • William Osler Health System has reached capacity limits and is now transferring patients to other health care facilities
  • Mississauga’s positivity rate is at 4.3 per cent; positivity rates across the Region are all above the federal limit of 3 per cent and the highest across all of Ontario
  • Trillium Health Partners now has 31 COVID-19 positive patients in hospital; with six in Intensive Care Unit (ICU)
  • William Osler Health System has 56 COVID-19 positive patients; with 15 in ICU

Mayor Crombie added, “The trend that we are seeing in Peel Region is getting worse and we cannot ignore what is happening right here in our own community. We are starting to face a significant crisis that threatens lives, livelihoods and our healthcare system. The second wave of COVID-19 is hitting Mississauga and to save lives and stop the spread, we must take immediate action now.”

At the Red-Control Level, broader-scale measures and restrictions, across multiple sectors, have been put in effect to control the transmission of COVID-19.

Restaurants and bars are limited to 10 people indoors, must stop serving liquor at 9 p.m. and close by 10 p.m. Gyms are allowed to open and offer indoor classes with capacity limits of 10 people.

The Government of Ontario’s full framework, including all sector-specific regulations, can be found online.

Public Health Measures:

  • Limit in-person contact to people you live with and essential supports
  • All indoor and outdoor private gatherings should be limited to only those you live with and essential supports
  • Go virtual as much as possible
  • Continue to practise physical distancing, hand-washing, masking and staying home if you are ill
  • Get tested for COVID-19 if you are showing symptoms or have been exposed

Health Advice

Learn about symptoms of COVID-19

Find out where to get tested for COVID-19 in Mississauga

Access information on how to self-isolate

You can also download the COVID Alert app that can let you know of potential exposures.

The City of Mississauga continues to work closely with its health care partners and the Province and will continue to monitor Mississauga’s and Peel Region’s situation closely.

For the latest updates on the City of Mississauga’s COVID-19 recovery and response visit: mississauga.ca/recovery.

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November 7, 2020
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Mayor Crombie Responds to Province’s Decision on Peel Region being Placed in Control Category Under Provincial COVID-19 Framework

By Covid-19

November 6, 2020

“Today, the Province of Ontario has decided to place Peel Region in the Control or red category, under the new Provincial COVID-19 Response Framework. What this means is that beginning on Saturday November 7, restaurants, bars and fitness centres will be able to reopen, with restrictions. Among the restrictions, restaurants and bars will be limited to a total of 10 people in their establishments, can only serve liquor until 9 p.m., and must close by 10 p.m. Gyms will be able to have a maximum 10 people inside their facilities at a given time.

The Province had previously announced that Peel would be placed in the “Restrict” or the orange category under the Provincial framework, and I know that many restaurants, bars and gyms in Mississauga were preparing for larger reopenings.

To all our small business owners: I am truly sorry that you are not able to open to the degree you had anticipated. The reality, however, is that the picture in Peel has changed over the last several days, particularly in Brampton.

Brampton’s William Osler Health has become overwhelmed with COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations and the concern is that Mississauga hospitals will soon be as well. We also continue to see a significant amount of community spread as our numbers have continued to climb over the last three weeks. The second wave of COVID is hitting Peel Region harder than just about anywhere else in the country.

I support the Premier’s decision to place Peel in the Control category. The health and safety of our community remains my top priority. But we know our response right now has to be more than just putting limitations on restaurants, bars and gyms. We have known for quite some time that they are not the significant drivers of this virus in Peel Region. What we are seeing are high rates of transmission in industrial settings as well as in both large and small private gatherings.

Simply put: we are the ones moving this virus. The only way we get a handle on this is by changing our own behavior.

I am urging all Mississaugans to keep your close, in-person contact to just your immediate household and essential supports. If you decide to go out to eat at a restaurant or bar, please do it with just your immediate household. With Diwali just around the corner, I am asking you to please keep your gatherings to your immediate household. If you insist that your extended family must be involved, we ask that you please consider celebrating virtually or taking it outside.

By limiting your in-person contact, you are protecting your family, yourself and the community as a whole.

We will be monitoring our situation closely and I am hopeful that the measures we take now will keep schools open, protect our long-term care homes and allow for larger reopenings.”

– Bonnie Crombie, Mayor of Mississauga

November 6, 2020
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Mississauga Provincial Offences Court Office In-person Screening Appointments Resume

By Covid-19, Issues

November 6, 2020 

The Mississauga Provincial Offences Court Office has begun scheduling in-person screening appointments.

If you receive a letter or email from the court office to attend in-person, please attend the Provincial Offences Court Office on the scheduled date and time indicated for your in-person screening appointment.

The Provincial Offences Court in Mississauga is located at 950 Burnhamthorpe Road West.

Find out what to do if you get a parking ticket or tickets for provincial offences such as speeding or running a red light, tickets related to animal, pet or business licensing offences: Tickets, fines and penalties

When attending in-person please practice physical distancing and observe the Mandatory Face Covering By-law.

To stay informed on COVID-19 impacts on City services, please visit: mississauga.ca/recovery.

November 6, 2020
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Bill 197 Illustrates the Importance of Municipal Advocacy

By Covid-19, Issues, Resources

November 4, 2020

Today, General Committee received staff reports from Planning and Building and Corporate Services which examined the impacts of the Government of Ontario’s COVID-19 Economic Recovery Act, 2020 (Bill 197) to Mississauga.

As described in the staff reports, the Act contains amendments to several statutes that affect municipal planning, development charges, environmental assessments and transportation infrastructure. Changes to the Planning Act, which replace those previously proposed as part of the More Homes, More Choice Act, 2019 (Bill 108), are significant to Mississauga and come as the result of strong advocacy efforts from Mississauga and other municipalities across the province.

The changes originally proposed in Bill 108 would have significantly reduced the City’s ability to provide adequate park, recreation and library infrastructure to support new development.  The City advocated for a number of changes to Bill 108, and the province largely listened.

“The amendments to the Planning Act in Bill 197 are generally positive for Mississauga and largely a return to the status quo,” said Andrew Whittemore, Commissioner of Planning and Building. “We are pleased to see that the new legislation maintains the existing provisions for parkland dedication, cash-in-lieu payments, and the alternative parkland rates. In addition, the new structure of the Community Benefit Charge provides us with flexibility to fund growth-related capital costs for services such as affordable housing, public art, community services, parking or other Council priorities.

Bill 197 includes changes to the Development Charges Act. Development Charges are fees collected by the City for the development and redevelopment of land. Development Charges are the City’s primary revenue tool for funding growth-related capital costs. This reduces the overall burden on property taxes.

“These amendments come as welcome news during this challenging year as we continue to feel the impacts of COVID-19 on Mississauga’s budget,” said Gary Kent, Commissioner of Corporate Services and Chief Financial Officer. “Changes to the Development Charges Act eliminate the 10 per cent discount to soft services (libraries, parks and recreation). These were previously proposed to be recovered through the Community Benefits Charge and are now fully recoverable through development charges. This moves us closer to the ideal that ‘growth should pay for growth’ but is still not an absolute.”

To implement the CBC, a by-law will need to be developed. It is anticipated that this process will occur in tandem with the City’s update to its Development Charges by-law that is set to commence in early 2021.

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November 4, 2020
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Phase 2 Safe Restart Agreement Funding Requested for Transit and Municipal Streams

By Covid-19, Issues, Resources

November 4, 2020

Today, Council approved Mississauga’s submission to the Government of Ontario for Phase 2 of the Safe Restart Agreement Funding to help meet municipal operating shortfalls as a result of COVID-19 pressures.

“We are grateful for the initial funding from Phase 1 of the Safe Restart Agreement Funding. That was a step in the right direction,” said Mayor Bonnie Crombie. “We have reviewed our shortfall and the projected pressures we continue to face during this pandemic. As a result, we are requesting additional funding as offered by the province, to meet our City’s operating needs. We are committed to our recovery efforts and diligently doing our homework to ensure Mississauga receives its fair share in funding.”

The City of Mississauga received $46.1 million in Phase 1 Safe Restart Agreement funding: $15 million through the municipal relief stream and $31 million through the transit relief stream.

“We are grateful to both the federal and provincial governments for their COVID-19 relief funding and welcome the opportunity for further assistance going forward. The $46 million goes a long way to offset our deficit  and our anticipated expenses to December 31, 2020. We do not know with precision what November or December will bring in terms of positive or negative financial performance. In the meantime, staff continue to look for ways to help the City financially, including working diligently to secure funding from other levels of government through these types of programs. It is part of our ongoing actions to prepare for the 2021 budget.”

Safe Restart Agreement Funding

Through the Safe Restart Agreement the Government of Canada and the Government of Ontario will provide $4 billion to help Ontario municipalities relieve financial pressures created by COVID-19 and to keep transit systems running through municipal and transit relief streams. Through the Safe Restart Agreement with the federal government, $695 million will help municipalities address operating pressures related to the COVID-19 pandemic through the first round of emergency funding, and over $660 million will support transit systems. Up to $695 million in additional operating funding will be available through Phase 2 to eligible municipalities after they have provided the province with information on their estimated COVID-19- related financial pressures.

November 4, 2020
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