Ward 11 E-Newsletter - May 2019
Councillor's Message

Welcome to the May 2019 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...
2019 Bread & Honey Festival

The Bread & Honey Festival has been great fun for everyone and a wonderful tradition in our community since 1973. The 2019 festival will be held on the weekend of May 31- June 2, so be sure to mark your calendars! This year's festival promises to be an amazing celebration with an amazing line-up of performers and activities. On Friday, May 31, the festivities kick off with a spectacular line-up of performers on the main stage starting at 6:30pm, including Gunpowder and Grace, Alessia Cohle, and David Boyd Janes. Also, don't forget to swing by the Lions Carnival, with spectacular rides, concessions, and games all weekend.

On Saturday, June 1, catch the spectacular Bread & Honey parade at 10am, starting at Queen St S. and Ontario St and going south to Old Station Rd. Be sure to check out the amazing live entertainment on the main stage starting at 12:30pm, including Upside of Maybe, Streetfire, Fiddlestix, and more. The Busy Bee Children's Island Stage is back again this year on Saturday and Sunday, with great performances and activities for kids, including face painting, pony rides, train rides, kids' crafts, and more. Don't forget to stop by the Chinese exhibition at Streetsville Arena.

On Sunday, June 2, don't miss the great line-up of performers starting at 11:30am, including the Mississauga Big Band, Blackboard Blues Band, and more. Also on Sunday, be sure to stop by the Village Square for "Beauty of Bees" featuring great local artists. If you enjoy fishing, head down to the banks of the Credit River on Sunday (south of the Island Bridge) from 9-11am for my annual Fishing Derby. The derby is open to children 16 and under. Please bring your own fishing gear, and fish for great prizes! For info about the festival, visit www.breadandhoneyfestival.ca. See you at the Bread & Honey!   Top  
20-Minute Makeover in Ward 11

F rom April 15 - 27 , thousands of people across Canada volunteered for 20 minutes to pick up litter around their workplace, school or community.  I organized a small cleanup at Streetsville Rotary Park , beside the Streetsville Library on Saturday, April 27, 2019. I would like to thank everyone who joined me to clean up this area; it looks great! I would also like to thank everyone in the Ward 11 community who organized groups of your co-workers, family and friends to clean up our community and protect and conserve our environment. Please visit the link below to view pictures of the great cleanups that were conducted across our community
https://photos.app.goo.gl/AxfVcbYWGRzu1qnA7. Thank you again for all your hard work!   Top  
New Garbage Exemption Periods

Please be advised that the Region of Peel's garbage exemption periods have changed. During an exemption period you can put unlimited amounts of acceptable garbage on the curb. You don't need to use garbage bag tags during this time. The exemption period on your garbage collection day for 2019 and 2020 are during the weeks of:
 
Spring 2019:
 
June 17-21, 2019
June 24-28, 2019
 
Fall 2019:
 
September 16-20, 2019
September 23-27, 2019
 
Winter 2019/2020:
 
January 27-31, 2020
February 3-7, 2020
  • Be sure to put your extra garbage out on your garbage collection day, not on your recycling collection day. Collectors will not pick up excess garbage left at the curb on your recycling collection day.
  • Collectors might collect your cart and excess garbage at different times during the day.
  • Leave your garbage cart and excess garbage at the curb until 8 p.m. If neither are collected by 8 p.m., report a missed collection.
Placing extra garbage on the curb
  • Put smaller garbage items in garbage bags.
  • Place larger items separately on the curb.
  • Place your excess garbage next to your garbage cart. Leave 1 m (3 ft.) of space between the excess garbage and the cart.
Excess garbage bag weight and size limits
A garbage bag placed at the curb for collection cannot:
  • Weigh more than 20 kg (44 lbs).
  • Be larger than 66 cm (26 in) wide and 90 cm (35 in) high.
  • Be smaller than 30 cm (12 in) wide and 30 cm (12 in) high.
To find your specific exemption day, please visit www.peelregion.ca/waste-scripts/when-does-it-go. For more information about waste collection, visit www.peelregion.ca/waste.   Top  
Older Adult Expo

If you are an older adult who would like to try a new activity or learn about a new service in the community, be sure to check out Mississauga's annual Older Adult Expo! Mark your calendar for June 4 and head over to South Common Community Centre, where you can visit exhibitors and join a fitness demonstration. The event details are as follows:
 
Older Adult Expo 2019 for Older adults (55+)
Tuesday, June 4, 2019
10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
South Common Community Centre
2233 South Millway, Mississauga, ON
 
At the Expo, Older adults can visit 78 exhibitors with information on active living, health and wellness, housing, financial services and planning your next vacation. Take part in a fitness demo where you can learn how to safely exercise with a chair or shopping bag. Socialize with friends at The Diner. Admission is free and you can win prizes. For more information about the Older Adult Expo visit www.mississauga.ca/olderadults.   Top  
City launches Tree Stewardship Program

The City's Forestry Section is launching a Tree Stewardship Program to encourage residents to support street trees adjacent to their property.
 
In 2018, the City installed tree watering bags on street trees that were planted in 2015 and no longer covered by warranty. This year the program will expand to street trees that were planted in 2016. Through its contractors, the City will water street trees during the months of June, July, August and September.
 
Forestry staff are asking for the assistance of residents in protecting street trees adjacent to their properties with supplemental waterings when dry conditions persist. Residents whose properties are adjacent to street trees planted between 2015 and 2016 will receive a door-hanger notice informing them of the initiative and requesting their assistance as a Tree Ambassador accordingly.
 
If you're interested in joining the Tree Stewardship Program, please visit www.mississauga.ca/treestewardship.  If you have any questions about the program, please contact 3-1-1 or 905-615-4311.   Top  
Mississauga Seeks Bee-City Designation

I am very pleased to report that the City of Mississauga will be taking important steps towards becoming a Bee City to help improve pollinator health and bee habitats within the community.
 
The City will be joining Bee City Canada, which is a program created to engage Canadian municipalities, First Nations, schools, businesses and other organizations to take action to protect pollinators. There are currently 23 official Bee-City municipalities across Canada including Toronto, Guelph and Newmarket.
 
For the City to be become a Bee City, Mississauga must commit to the following Bee City Canada requirements:
 
1)    Creating Healthy Pollinator Habitats- The City will expand pollinator initiatives by planting pollinator-friendly plants in pollinator gardens and existing flower beds, planting native trees and shrubs through the One Million Trees program and work with residents to install solitary bee houses to support native pollinators.
2)    Educate about Pollinators- Through the educational component of the One Million Trees program, pollinator-centred material will be enhanced to educate residents about the importance of pollinators and what they can do to enhance pollinator habitats in their own backyards.
3)    Celebrate Pollinators- The City will use International Pollinator Week, third week of June, as a platform to celebrate pollinators and share the work that is being done to protect them in Mississauga.
 
The City currently has several pollinator projects, and projects that support pollinator habitats, happening within the community. These include the One Million Trees program, the 13 pollinator and community gardens as well as the honeybee hive on the roof of City Hall. Residents are also encouraged to create their own pollinator-friendly gardens at their homes to help support and protect pollinators. For more information on the Bee City designation, visit www.beecitycanada.org.   Top  
City Launches Garlic Mustard Task Force

The City's Forestry Section is launching a Garlic Mustard Task Force to encourage residents to steward their local natural areas through planned Garlic Mustard removals.
 
Garlic Mustard is an invasive species that was brought to North America as a food source and for herbal medicine. In natural areas, Garlic Mustard outperforms native species by crowding out and displacing native plants such as Trillium flowers.
 
The City is currently taking measures to reduce the Garlic Mustard population in Mississauga, but since it can double in size in four years' time, the recruitment of interested volunteers for the new Garlic Mustard Task Force is needed to help fight against the growth of Garlic Mustard.
Task Force volunteers will receive training and be assigned a designated park or natural area near their homes to complete a series of Garlic Mustard removal pulls each year.
 
In an effort to reduce local populations of the invasive Garlic Mustard plant, the City's Forestry Section is planning its First Annual Garlic Mustard Pull for Saturday, June 1 from 10 a.m. to 12 pm at Mississauga's Windrush Woods.
 
If you're interested in joining the Garlic Mustard Task Force or to register for the upcoming Garlic Mustard Pull, please email parks.forestry@mississauga.ca . If you have any questions about the program, please contact 3-1-1 or 905-615-4311.   Top  
Mississauga's First Transportation Master Plan Approved

The City's first Transportation Master Plan (TMP) was recently approved by Council. The plan aims to keep Mississauga moving and continue to build a transit-oriented city where people can easily move across the city and beyond, to get to school, work, shopping or activities, while helping businesses with the efficient movement of goods and services.
 
The TMP is the result of Mississauga Moves, a two-year study that combined research and analysis with public engagement. The City analysed transportation and transit data, policies, future trends and international best practices. Public engagement took place in-person and online.
 
The new TMP outlines a vision, six goals and over 90 action items to guide the future of the City's transportation system from today to 2041. The TMP will also advance Vision Zero, a strategy to eliminate all traffic fatalities and injuries. The highlights of the plan are as follows:
 
Vision 
  • The TMP lays out a vision for providing mobility in our city from today to 2041:  In Mississauga, everyone and everything will have the freedom to move safely, easily and efficiently to anywhere at any time.
Goals
  • The vision will be realized through six goals:

1. Safety: Freedom from Harm

  • Safe conditions for all travellers, advancing Vision Zero by supporting hazard-free travel and striving for zero fatalities.

2. Inclusion: Freedom from Barriers

  • An accessible network, where moving is easy regardless of a person's age, ability, income or familiarity with the city.

3. Integration: Freedom of Choice

  • An integrated network, where people and goods have viable options for moving within and beyond the city.

4. Connectivity: Freedom of Access

  • Simple and pleasant connections between people and the places and things they need to prosper.

5. Health: Freedom to Flourish

  • Support for the health of people and the planet, with more people-powered trips, lower vehicle emissions and better stewardship of the natural environment.

6. Resilience: Freedom to Evolve

  • Leadership in adapting to changes that reshape the transportation system and how it is used.
Action Plan
  • The TMP is future-focused and includes over 90 proposed actions to implement the plan over the short term (1-5 years), medium (6 - 15 years) and long term (16+years). Actions in the TMP will be built into staff work plans over the coming years. Progress on the actions of the TMP will be tracked and reported annually.
For more information about the TMP, visit www.yoursay.mississauga.ca/transportation-masterplan.   Top  
The Mississauga Children's Choir

If you know kids who are interested in singing, consider checking out the Mississauga Children's Choir! The Mississauga Children's Choir was established in 1980 by community leaders who felt there was a strong need for a youth community choir. The Mississauga Children's Choir held its first Mississauga Choral Festival in 2004 with five choirs from Ontario and Alberta participating. Since then, attendance at the festival has grown and MCC hosts the Mississauga Choral Festival every other year.
 
The MCC offers the following choir levels:
  • CANTIAMO (AGES 3-6)- A 50 minute music program geared towards the youngest singers
  • TRAINING CHOIR & TRAINING CHOIR SOUTH- Choristers are introduced to rudimentary elements of music
  • JUNIOR CHOIR- Encompasses children at the late beginner stage of singing; audition required
  • SENIOR CHOIR- Encompasses children who are more experienced and mature singers; audition required
MCC is now accepting registrations for the 2019/20 season for younger choristers interested in Cantiamo and Training Choir.No audition is required to join and they offer both Cantiamo and Training Choir at 2 locations in Mississauga (St. Andrew's in Port Credit and Westminster United on Tomken Road). MCC's season runs from September 2019 to June 2020. For more information about the MCC and its programs, visit www.mississaugachildrenschoir.com .   Top  
Councillor George Carlson| | george.carlson@mississauga.ca | 300 City Centre Drive
Mississauga, ON   L5B 3C1