Dear Residents of Ward 3,

Season's greetings to you and your loved ones! As we approach the festive holiday season, I extend warm wishes for a safe and joyous Winter Solstice, Merry Christmas, a Happy Hanukkah, a festive Orthodox Christmas, a Joyous Kwanzaa, and a Happy New Year to all those observing these celebrations.

This is a special time dedicated to cherishing the bonds of family, and I hope it brings you abundant joy, love, and laughter.

Please find below essential updates to stay informed about during the Holiday season. Should you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to my office.

Best regards,

Chris

I am happy to share with the community that the redevelopment of the Tomken Twin Arena is now complete.

Some of the facility lifecycle repairs and replacements include:

• Repair of roof assembly and roof components
• Wall panels and wall flashings
• Replace/repair exterior windows and doors
• Building envelope repairs
• Mechanical and HVAC equipment replacement
• Building automation system replacement
• Refrigeration equipment replacement
• Resurface asphalt parking lot

I would like to thank Andrew, Jessica, skate patrol, and the entire maintenance facility staff for all their help in the completion of this project.

To check some of the improvements made, visit: www.mississauga.ca/tomken-twin-pad-arena-redevelopment.

I am delighted to inform you that during this season, there are Natural Ice Rinks currently in operation within Ward 3.

This announcement aims to share the positive news regarding the presence and active utilization of these ice rinks within the specified ward, creating a wonderful opportunity for both residents and visitors to partake in the various winter activities and recreational pursuits that these facilities have to offer.

The following Natural Ice Rinks are currently in operation:

• Beechwood Park (P-184 ) 4139 Ottewell Crescent
• Golden Orchard Park (P-189) 1170 Tynegrove Road
• Cherry Hill (P-064) 828 Flagship Drive
• Applewood Hills (DIY)

I am delighted to notify you that the installation of two park benches and accompanying pads at Beechwood Park has been successfully completed.

I would like to take this moment to express my gratitude to Park Operations for their invaluable assistance in the seamless installation process of these benches.

Your support has played a crucial role in enhancing the amenities at Beechwood Park, providing a comfortable and inviting space for the community to enjoy.

Congratulations to the Salvation Army Mississuaga (Cawthra) on the completion of the BRAVE Program. Empowering and educating girls aged 13-18 in the community is something the program focuses on through a catalytic movement approach.

BRAVE is a movement that starts with meeting girls where they are, regardless of socio-economic circumstance, educational attainment, life experience or goals and ambitions.

I am pleased to inform you that construction of the new multi-use trail connecting the Eastgate Parkway and Cawthra Road intersection to Forest Fire Lane has been completed, and is now open.

Do you know a cyclist or a group in your community who has made an impact in cycling or other forms of sustainable active transportation in 2023? The Mississauga Cycling Advisory Committee (MCAC) is looking for nominations for the Phil Green Award. The award recognizes and celebrates those who have made an outstanding effort to promote and encourage others to cycle or use another mode of active transportation to travel in Mississauga.

The Phil Green Award is presented by MCAC annually. The award continues to honour Mississauga resident, Phil Green, who was a founding MCAC member and worked diligently to promote safe cycling in Mississauga.

The deadline to submit your nomination is Friday, January 19, 2024 at 11:59PM.

For more details, visit: www.mississauga.ca/recognize-a-cyclist-or-community-group-phil-green-award.

Many of us are dog owners and love our furry friends. In fact, more than 60,000 domesticated dogs call Mississauga home. Having a dog can have many pawsitive benefits like getting us outside to exercise, improving our mental and physical health, strengthening our immune system and being a lovable companion. However, owning a dog also comes with many responsibilities including picking up after them.

It’s completely natural for your dog to use the outdoors as their washroom, but when they do a doo-doo, it’s really important for dog owners to pick up after their pooches and properly dispose of the waste and the bags used to collect it. Doing so keeps recreational, public areas and green spaces clean. It also reduces the risk of spreading disease to people or other animals.

Please remember to bring dog waste bags with you when walking your dog. Remember to place dog waste in waste containers (garbage bins) or a designated dog waste container or take it home and throw it out with your garbage.

Winter weather is on its way and temperatures are dropping in the coming weeks. Preparing for the cold days ahead means thinking twice about the safety of our roads, homes, cars, families and pets.

If you’re a first-time pet owner, it’s essential to understand that winter can be harsh on some pets. Mississauga Animal Services wants to remind residents that if it is too cold for you, it’s also too cold for your pets.

Take a moment to review your responsibility as a pet owner in Mississauga and help keep everyone safe. If you have concerns about pets left outdoors in cold weather, contact Mississauga Animal Services at 905-896-5858 to report it.

To learn more, visit: www.mississauga.ca/prepare-your-pet-for-winter-with-safety-tips.

As we head out on the roads this holiday season, it’s important to remember that we are all taking a risk. Whether we’re driving to visit family and friends or simply running errands, we need to be aware of the potential dangers and take steps to protect ourselves and others.

Whether you’re walking, cycling, taking transit or driving, the City of Mississauga reminds you to stay alert and safe when travelling around the city.

The City is prepared to respond to any snowfall or icy conditions to ensure routes are safe and accessible. Residents are reminded to stay patient during a snow event. Those driving are reminded to clear snow off their vehicles, give crews and equipment space to work and remove parked cars from their street so crews can work to clear roads.

For more road safety information and additional safety tips, visit: www.mississauga.ca/get-home-safely-this-holiday-season.

Mississauga is moving forward with our 2024 Budget!

The City is prioritizing infrastructure, building and growth while maintaining a safe and healthy community.

What can you expect to see in 2024? Key capital investments 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 – $44.5 million
• Storm sewers – $19.2 million

Learn more: www.mississauga.ca/2024-budget-moves-mississauga-forward.

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 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.

For more information, visit: www.mississauga.ca/2022-2023-holiday-hours-of-operation.

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.

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.

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.

Snow Clearing

The City’s winter maintenance crews clear priority roads and sidewalks, on-street bike lanes, bus stops, pedestrian crossings and specific trails within 12 to 24 hours of the snow stopping.

Crews clear residential roads within 24 to 36 hours of the snow stopping.

Although we salt and plow roads and sidewalks to make them safe and passable, some snow may remain. Only priority roads are cleared to bare pavement. It may take us longer to clear roads and sidewalks if there are back-to-back storms, or a significant weather event.

Snow Plow Tracker

Use the updated snow plow tracker to view a map of our snow clearing routes and track our entire fleet as it clears streets and sidewalks across the city.

Track Snow Plows

This online tracker can be used on desktop and mobile devices, so bookmark the page or save it for quick access. We will no longer support the Mississauga Roads 2.0 app. If you downloaded the app in the past, you can remove it from your Apple or Android device.

When Snow will be Cleared

The amount of time it takes to treat and clear roads and sidewalks depends on the amount of snow that’s fallen.

The City plows when five centimetres of snow or more accumulates. If there is less than five centimetres of snow, roads, sidewalks, bus stops and trails are salted, but not plowed.

Significant Weather Events

In extreme weather conditions, the City may declare a significant weather event. During a significant weather event, the timing for winter maintenance crews to clear the snow resets when the event is over.

Priority Roads

Priority roads are routes for emergency vehicles, public transportation and most street traffic. Certain residential roads are also considered priority roads, depending on their geography.

View Priority Roads Map

The Region of Peel clears snow on regional roads:

• Dixie Road
• Cawthra Road

Priority Sidewalks

Priority sidewalks are located on major roads or bus routes, or outside of hospitals, schools or long-term care homes.



View priority sidewalks map

Winter Salt and the Environment

The City uses rock salt, or sodium chloride, to clear main roads, residential streets, sidewalks and bus stops. If there’s a major storm coming, the City may use brine to pre-treat priority roads a few days ahead of time. Brine is water saturated with salt. Spraying it on the roads makes it harder for ice to form, making the roads easier to plow.

If the temperature drops below -7° Celsius, we use treated salt, or magnesium chloride on residential, non-priority roads. Treated salt works better at colder temperatures, which means we can use less salt, and there’s less of an impact on the environment.

Snow around your Home

Be a good neighbour and make sure you clear your sidewalk and driveway of snow and ice as soon as possible after a snowfall. This will allow others to travel safely, whether they’re going to work, essential appointments, or getting some exercise. Residents can also help older adults and people with physical disabilities by offering to help clear snow and ice from their property.

Contact Us

If your street has not been salted or plowed within these timelines, please contact 311 (905-615-4311 outside City limits).

To learn more please visit: Here.

I was heartbroken to hear the news that an asylum claimant adult male in his early forties, who was forced to camp outside the Dundas Street Shelter in Mississauga sadly lost his life. The issue of asylum seekers in our shelters reached a critical breaking point in 2023. This is a humanitarian emergency and it must be treated like one.

I wrote a letter to The Honourable Marc Miller, Minister of Immigration Refugees and Citizenship, urging additional supports for cities across Ontario to deal with this crisis. Additional letters were sent by the Ontario Big City Mayors, GTHA Mayors and the Peel Region Mayors and Chair.

I was proud to table a motion at Peel Regional Council in October 2023, asking that the $19.3 million in funding that we’ve applied for through the federal government’s Interim Housing Assistance (IHAP) Program be allocated and flow immediately. This motion also requested that the Federal Government move to an allocation distribution for IHAP funding in 2024. This is to include $42 million in the Region Peel and that the Federal Government create a dedicated Asylum Claimant Program separate and apart from the community housing and homelessness system, including a Regional welcoming reception centre.

As a result, I was honoured to attend the Federal announcement as the Acting Mayor, Councillor for Ward 3, and Regional Councillor on November 24 2023. It was announced that $7 million from the Federal Government are set to establish a welcome centre and 2 new shelters in Mississauga for asylum claimants, refugees, and all those vulnerable seeking shelter.

It is important to note that Peel Region has heavily invested in helping those in need to secure affordable housing and shelter. Only 24% of our operating revenues for emergency housing flow from provincial and federal transfers, the rest is covered by Peel Region property taxpayers.

We need to work together - across all levels of government - and with community partners to ensure that those arriving in Canada find success in their new home. As a City and a Region, we will continue to make investments and we will continue to do everything possible to ensure that those arriving here in Mississauga and across the Region are set up for success in their new home.

I want to thank our staff at the Region of Peel, the many community and faith organizations in Mississauga, Peel, and GTHA who have been stepping up in a big way to provide those in need with shelter and food and I thank them for their efforts.

As a City and Region, we will continue to make investments and we will continue to do everything possible to ensure that those arriving here in Mississauga and across the Region are setup for success in their new home.

To view my letter and motion please visit: https://chrisfonseca.ca/2023/11/17/12917/.

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

To learn more, visit: www.peelregion.ca/budget/approved/by/council.

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

For more information, visit: www.peelregion.ca/news/archiveitem/2023&month.

Peel Regional Police alongside MADD Canada, launched our annual Holiday Season R.I.D.E. campaign. 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 12^th 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. 

Until December 31, 2023, the Burnhamthorpe Community Centre will be continuing its complimentary drop-in arena and community programs, providing residents with ongoing opportunities to engage in various activities without incurring any fees.

Whether you're interested in recreational sports or community-focused initiatives, I invite you to take advantage of these cost-free offerings as part of our commitment to fostering a vibrant and inclusive local environment.

Join us at the Burnhamthorpe Community Centre for an extended period of accessible and enriching experiences that contribute to the overall well-being of our community members.

For more details, visit: www.activecommunities.com/drop-in-calendar/burnhamthorpe/community/centre.

During the winter season, the City of Mississauga Recreation Department will be hosting Parkinson Disease exercise classes every Thursday at the Burnhamthorpe Community Centre.

Rate relief is available through the City for those who cannot afford the fees.

You're able to attend classes in 4 ways:

1. Register for the Session
2. Pay-as-you-go:
3. Pass Card Visits
4. Membership- Wellness or All-in

For more information, visit: ActiveMississauga.ca.

There’s magic in the air at Celebration Square! With spectacular art installations, twinkling lights, and skating on the City’s largest outdoor ice rink, there are so many ways to embrace the cold throughout the season.

Over the past 2 years, I have been advocating on behalf of Ward 3 residents by working with staff to respond and action residents inquires regarding short term accommodations.

Please join me for a community information session on Thursday, January 18th, 2024 from 7:00 - 9:00PM at the Burnhamthorpe Community Centre, Fleetwood Village Room.

At the upcoming meeting on Monday, January 8th, 2024 at 6:00PM (Mississauga Civic Centre), Planning and Building staff will present a report addressing issues raised and will provide a recommendation on the proposal. Planning and Development Committee will make a decision about this project at this meeting. 

The applicant is proposing to change the official plan and zoning to permit a 12 storey condominium apartment building containing 399 units with non-residential uses on the ground floor and 20 three storey condominium townhouses. 

This meeting will be held in person and online. Advance registration is required to make a verbal submission at the meeting virtually. Advance registration is preferred to make a verbal submission at the meeting in person.

The proceedings will be streamed live online for the public to view at the following link: www.mississauga.ca/council-and-committee-videos.

City staff will provide an update on the status of the applications and the implementing official plan amendment and zoning by-law amendment for the proposed development. The meeting will take place on Monday, January 8th, 2024 at 6:00PM (Mississauga Civic Centre).

City Council approved official plan amendment and rezoning applications on July 6, 2016 to permit a six storey apartment building with 52 residential units and commercial uses on the ground floor. The applicant has requested that the implementing documents be brought to Council, with an ‘H’ holding symbol applied to the zoning, which was not previously considered by Planning and Development Committee in their endorsement of the proposal. 

This meeting will be held in person and online. Advance registration is required to make a verbal submission at the meeting virtually. Advance registration is preferred to make a verbal submission at the meeting in person.

The proceedings will be streamed live online for the public to view at the following link: www.mississauga.ca/cityhall/council-and-committee-videos.

For the foreseeable future, on evenings where we do not have a requested clock tower lighting the Mississauga Civic Centre clock tower will continue to be lit white as a symbol of peace in the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.