Ward 11 E-Newsletter - March 2017
Councillor's Message

Welcome to the March 2017 issue of my Ward 11 E-Newsletter!  I hope you find this newsletter informative.   As always, I am pleased to assist you and your family with any municipal issue that you may have.  Please don't hesitate to contact my office directly at any time at 905-896-5011 or  george.carlson@mississauga.ca .  
In This Issue...
Free Tax Preparation Assistance from the Region of Peel

Tax season has arrived, and if you need assistance preparing your tax return, the Region of Peel is offering free tax preparation assistance for low-income families and individuals at its Regional offices in Mississauga and Brampton.  The clinics will be offered every Saturday through March and April, with the exception of the Easter weekend.  Last year more than 2,000 returns were filed through the Region's program.
 
The clinics are offered at no charge to individuals whose income is $30,000 or less and families whose household income is $40,000 or less. The services are provided by volunteer members of the Chartered Professional Accountants (CPA) of Ontario, as part of the Canada Revenue Agency's (CRA) Community Volunteer Income Tax Program.
 
The Region of Peel's program is one of many held across the region hosted by community-based non-profit organizations. All available free tax preparation clinics in Peel are listed on the CRA's website.
 
Advance sign-up is required and clients will be advised of the documents they need to bring when they make their appointments. Tax volunteers can complete tax filings for individuals with simple tax situations. Complex tax situations, such as self-employment income, bankruptcy, and Province of Quebec taxes cannot be completed by volunteers.  For more information about the Region of Peel's tax clinics, please visit www.peelregion.ca/social-services/peel-taxpreparation-clinics.htm .   Top  
New Animal Care and Control By-law Amendments

For those of you who are pet owners, please be advised that changes were recently made to pet licensing that allow residents to buy a new two-year pet licence at a reduced rate, as well as lower the cost of a pet licence for low-income residents.  In addition to revising the pet licensing fee structure, there will also be some changes to the cost of surrendering an animal to Animal Services.
 
The recommendations are based on comparisons to other major municipalities across Canada, as well as an online survey that asked residents and community stakeholders about pet licensing.  The recommendations include:
  • Enable residents to purchase or renew a regular two-year pet licence and receive a $10 discount
  • Discounted pet licence for low-income residents
  • Free pet licence for:
    • service animals certified for the blind, hearing impaired or other handicaps
    • therapy animals supported with medical documents
  • Reduction of fees for the surrendering of animals to the shelter for residents who may be experiencing financial hardship or meet the low-income measure
For more information about the changes to the by-law, visit www.mississauga.ca/animalservices .   Top  
City Awarded $2.5 Million in Canada 150 Community Infrastructure Funding

I am very pleased to announce that the City will receive over $2.5 million in Government of Canada funding for 28 infrastructure rehabilitation projects in Mississauga through Intake 2 of the Canada 150 Community Infrastructure Program (CIP 150).
 
The CIP 150 approved City projects under intake 2 include the rehabilitation of five trails, 17 playgrounds, one facility renovation and five specific renovation projects. The federal program celebrates Canada's 150th anniversary, under the theme Giving Back to Canada. The objective of the program is to strengthen public infrastructure and provide economic benefits in communities across Canada.  The Canada 150 Community Infrastructure Program helps municipalities undertake much-needed renovations and improvements to aging infrastructure. 

In total, the 28 infrastructure rehabilitation projects will cost over $5 million, which includes over $2.5 million CIP 150 funding.  Projects must be completed by March 31, 2018.
 
The rehabilitation of 14 trails and nine playgrounds along with two specific renovation projects at Lake Aquitaine Park and Riverwood Park with up to $2.1 million in funding was previously approved through Intake 1 of the CIP 150 program.
 
I am also very pleased to report that 6 infrastructure projects will be completed in Ward 11 as part of the CIP program intake 1 and 2.  The projects are budgeted at approximately $890,000 and will receive approximately $400,000 in CIP funding.  The Ward 11 projects are as follows:
 
Project Name
Project Estimate
Fed. Contribution
Trails Vista Heights
$26,400
$12,276
Trails Manor Hill
$161,458
$75,078
Trail Reconstruction & Extension Erin Woods
$47,300
$22,103
Playground Redevelopment Bancroft Park
$167,990
$78,500
Playground Redevelopment Godwick Green
$167,990
$78,500
Specific Jon Clipperton Park (North) Retaining wall  -  Streetsville Cadet Centre
$320,000
$149,533
Total
$891,138
$415,990
 
For more information about Mississauga's CIP projects, please visit www.mississauga.ca/canada150 .   Top  
Mississauga Asks Residents to Help Measure Local Internet Performance
 
The City of Mississauga and the  Canadian Internet Registration Authority  (CIRA) are asking for residents' help as they launch a six-month pilot to test Internet performance around the city. 

Residents and businesses can test the speed and quality of their Internet connections using an Internet browser on any computer or mobile device at  https://performance.cira.ca/Mississauga .
  
City staff will use the pilot's test data and crowdsourced data to analyze Internet performance across the city. A customized heat-map will be used to display the data collected. The heat-map will identify variations in the quality of internet performance. Data will also be available by ward or neighbourhood.  Studying City-wide Internet performance will help improve the City's ability to deliver programs and services through technology.   
 
This pilot supports Mississauga's IT Master Plan by ensuring the city has fast, dependable Internet service to meet the city's technology demands now and for the future.  Ensuring residents have a strong digital connection to the City of Mississauga is very important as the City has more than 34,000 subscribers to the Corporate eNewsletter, over 27,000 self-service online and mobile interactions, and more than 15 million website visits.  For more information about CIRA's national Internet performance testing program, please visit  https://cira.ca/performance .   Top  
Nominate Someone for a Mississauga Civic Award of Recognition
 
If you know an individual or organization that makes a great contribution to their respective community, why not consider nominating them for a City of Mississauga 2017 Civic Award of Recognition?  Nominations are now open for the City of Mississauga 2017 Civic Awards of Recognition, and local residents and organizations who contribute to the community through volunteering, or through achievements in sports, academia and the arts are eligible for nomination.
 
What:             2017 Civic Awards of Recognition
When:            Nominations are open until April 28, 2017 at 4:30 p.m.
How:              Visit the City's website at www.mississauga.ca/civicrecognition for criteria and
                      nomination form.  You can also submit nominations by email or regular mail.
 
The City will present the awards at a formal ceremony at the Mississauga Civic Centre on Tuesday, June 6, 2017. Nominations will be reviewed on a first come, first served basis. Due to the number of seats available, only the first 100 nominees will be considered, so be sure to send in your nominations early!  The Civic Recognition Program was launched in 1992 to recognize community service, achievements and significant milestones. Other awards in the program include the Certificate of Recognition, the Civic Award of Merit and Civic Award of Philanthropy.  For more information about the awards, please visit www.mississauga.ca/civicrecognition .   Top  
Poop and Scoop
 
I have received several calls from Ward 11 residents inquiring about who is responsible for picking up after dogs.  As a reminder, dog owners and walkers are responsible for cleaning up after their dogs. Please carry a scoop and bag when you are with your dog off your property. Dog owners who fail to "Stoop & Scoop" their dog's excrement can be fined.  All offences are subject to a fine of $90.00 plus a $20.00 service charge.  We all have to remember to be good neighbours and work together to ensure that Ward 11 remains a vibrant and clean community, so please be a responsible dog owner and pick up after your dog.   Top  
Councillor George Carlson| | george.carlson@mississauga.ca | 300 City Centre Drive
Mississauga, ON   L5B 3C1