June 24, 2020

Today, Mississauga City Council took a strong stand against anti-Black racism, systemic racism and discrimination in all forms.

“We are in a pivotal moment right now and it is incumbent on all institutions, including the City of Mississauga, that we take action to address racism and discrimination,” said Mayor Bonnie Crombie. “To be good on the outside, we must be good on the inside. It is important that our institutions are representative of the people they serve and that everyone is treated fairly and with respect, free from bias and discrimination. Today’s motion commits the City as a corporation and a community to confronting racism and discrimination, and in particular anti-Black racism and discrimination, and take meaningful action. Our work to confront these challenges is never done, but I am confident that by working with Council, city staff, and the broader community, we can take significant steps forward.”

The City recognizes that racism and in particular, anti-Black racism and discrimination is a crisis that requires immediate action. The City reaffirmed its strong commitment to addressing systemic racism and discrimination by supporting policies and programs that address the inequities that racialized groups, Indigenous Peoples, and in particular Black communities continue to experience in Mississauga and committing to the safety and livelihood of its Black residents naming anti-Black racism as a pervasive threat to the safety and enjoyment of life in the city.

The Mayor’s Office in consultation with the Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Committee will:

• Convene a series of community-led consultations on systemic racism, anti-Black and anti-Indigenous racism and discrimination using an intersectional lens, and identify areas for systemic change in the community;
• Convene a Black Caucus to advise on the equity issues and priorities identified by Black communities in Mississauga, and report back to Council publicly in six months;
• Review the terms of reference for the Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Committee to ensure it is fulfilling its mandate and that it focuses in part on anti-Black and anti-Indigenous racism; and
• Review the  City and Region of Peel’s consultation and communications strategy with respect to racism and discrimination and the reform of our institutions; and
• Work with the Region of Peel carry out the Region’s anti-racism public education/awareness campaigns at the City level.

The City Manager and Chief Administrative Officer will:

• Name, condemn and stand against anti-Black racism in all its forms;
• Review on an ongoing basis, internal policies and programs to ensure all are free from racial bias and do not negatively impact racialized groups;
• Ensure continued implementation and progress of the recommendations from the City’s Workforce Diversity and Inclusion Strategy, including proceeding with the planned Workforce Diversity and Inclusion Survey when business returns to normal and build public accountability and commitment to bring to life recommendations from the Strategy;
• Engage our Black employees and their allies in a series of conversations on anti-Black racism to understand their experiences in the workplace and build a plan to address systemic inequities; and
• Continue to educate all new and existing employees on the City’s Respectful Workplace Policy and Respectful Workplace Statement of Commitment, as well as staff’s daily commitment to the compliance with the Respectful Workplace Policy. 

“We are listening and learning. There is work to be done and we must do better. We must ensure that our organization’s values, programs and policies are free from systemic racism and discrimination of any kind. I want our Black employees to know that I am committed and our Leadership Team is committed to addressing racism in the workplace and that racist and anti-Black sentiments have no place at the City of Mississauga. I want all employees to know and understand they have a shared responsibility in preventing and addressing anti-Black racism and discrimination in all its forms,” said Paul Mitcham City Manager and Chief Administrative Officer. “We must continue with the implementation of our Workforce and Diversity Inclusion Strategy which will help ensure we are creating an equitable work environment that values and respects individuals for their talents, skills and ability. One that recognizes the uniqueness of all employees and is accessible, equitable and fair for all.”

Resolution 0207-2020 – Anti-Black and Indigenous Racism

June 24, 2020

Today, City Council received an update on Mississauga’s Automated Speed Enforcement (ASE) program, an automated system that uses a camera and a speed measurement device to detect and capture images of vehicles travelling in excess of the posted speed limits. Council also approved several recommendations in the corporate report about speed management initiatives. Together, these projects will implement several safety actions in the Transportation Master Plan and advance the City’s commitment to Vision Zero.

“We continue to take action to make our roads safer for everyone. Mississauga is taking a thoughtful and planned approach to implementing Automated Speed Enforcement in Mississauga to ensure it is aligned with new provincial regulations and effective for years to come,” said Mayor Bonnie Crombie. Our goal is to keep our City safe and have zero deaths on our roads to achieve Vision Zero. To do this, we need to continue to lower speed limits in our neighbourhoods and implement speed reduction initiatives to create safer communities for our families to walk, cycle and play in. Given the recent rash of deadly speed-related accidents on roads across the GTA, we will be exploring how we can fast-track the implementation of ASE on major arterial roads.”

In addition to the ASE update, Council also received an update on the Neighbourhood Area Speed Limit Project. Before beginning the ASE program, a number of speed limit initiatives within the Neighbourhood Area Speed Limit Project need to be completed. This includes lowering speed limits to 30 km/h in neighbourhood school zones, implementing school area community safety zones, and lowering speed limits on residential streets to 40 km/h. The next step is to identify and implement these zones.

“We have heard repeatedly through the City’s Road Safety Committee that residents want lower speed limits in their neighbourhoods,” said Ward 9 Councillor Pat Saito and Chair of the Road Safety Committee. “A key piece to reducing speeds in our neighbourhoods is to first lower the speed limits followed by implementing Automated Speed Enforcement. This combined effort will be an important step forward in advancing Vision Zero in Mississauga.”

The report highlights the steps and processes required to implement ASE:

• Establish a Task Force to create court capacity for ASE
• Delay Phase 1 of ASE until January 2021 to allow necessary lowered school zone speed limits and community safety zones to be identified and signage installed
• Authorize staff to enter into agreements with the ASE vendor Redflex Traffic Systems (Canada) Limited, the City of Toronto Joint Processing Centre and the Ministry of Transportation
• Establish the City’s preferred method for dealing with ASE charges – issuing tickets under the Provincial Offences Act (POA) or through the Administrative Penalty System (APS) – a system of administering penalties used by a municipality to regulate by-laws

Once the above agreements are reached, the City can begin the ASE program six months later.

“The City has identified speeding as a problem on its roads and Council’s support of the implementation of these important speed initiatives will deliver on the actions in our Transportation Master Plan,” said Andy Harvey, Director, Traffic Management and Municipal Parking. “It is unfortunate that the COVID-19 pandemic has delayed the implementation of both our Neighbourhood Area Speed Limit Project and ASE. However, we are continuing to position the City to deliver ASE in an efficient, yet co-ordinated effort.”

Harvey added that provincial-wide closures including the court system, due to the coronavirus pandemic, has impacted the delivery of Mississauga’s ASE program.

For more information on ASE, visit aseontario.com.

Background

The Ontario Government amended Bill 65 – the Safer School Zones Act in 2017. This Act amended the Highway Traffic Act to introduce the use of ASE in school zones and community safety zones across the province. Ontario municipalities worked jointly with the Ontario Traffic Council to plan the implementation of ASE. In October 2019, Mississauga City Council approved amendments to the Traffic By-Law that will gradually lower speeds on residential streets from 50 to 40 km/h. To-date, 11 neighbourhoods have received 40 km/h signage at the entry and exit points.

Tweet: .@citymississauga moves forward with initiatives to lower speeds on residential streets to 40 km/h & school zones to 30 km/h, positioning us for Automated Speed Enforcement, a program using cameras to enforce speeds in school zones & advance #VisionZero. http://ow.ly/nYKu50AgR7m