City of Mississauga Councillors Report - WARD 5

Summer 2013
300 City Centre Drive, Mississauga, ON L5B 3C1 905-896-5500 bonnie.crombie@mississauga.ca mississauga.ca Bon BonnieCrombie.ca nieCrombie.ca

Councillors Message

Upcoming Events
June 22, 2013 Malton Festival at Wildwood Park June 26, 2013 Town Hall Meeting at Malton Community Centre June 27, 2013 Town Hall Meeting at Frank McKechnie Community Centre July 1, 2013 Canada Day celebrations at Mississaugas Celebration Square August 17, 2013 Meet Your Neighbours BBQ at Malton Community Centre August 22, 2013 Ward 5 Bike Ride at Frank McKechnie Community Centre October 2013 Ward 5 Harvest Festival at Britannia Farm (Date: TBD) Visit BonnieCrombie.ca for regular calendar updates

Hello Residents of Ward 5!

Summer is finally here! I hope you have plans to enjoy the weather and all of the attractions Mississauga has to offer including Celebration Square, which will be hosting a number of festivals, concerts and free shows throughout the summer. Every year I have the opportunity to send you two newsletters; one in my role as Mississauga City Councillor and another as a Region of Peel Councillor. This is my City of Mississauga newsletter in which you will find information about some of the large infrastructure projects occurring in our ward, including the Hanlan Water Project and the Hurontario-Main Light Rail Transit (LRT). You will also find helpful information about the status of second units (basement apartments), the installation of bike lanes on Bristol Road, as well as an update on the McLaughlin Road Environmental Assessment. I have also included an update on some important issues, such as the proposed changes to the federal electoral boundaries in Mississauga, and the citys property standards by-law. Although I can only afford to send two printed newsletters per year, I have begun sending residents a bi-weekly electronic newsletter called Focus on Five. If you have not already done so, please send me your email address to be added to the list. It is filled with upcoming events, updates on issues facing residents, and an overview of what is happening at City Hall. I send it every two weeks, so if you want to stay up to date, please sign up today. As always, my door is always open. Since being elected, I have worked hard to be as transparent and accessible as possible. Please feel free to contact me with your comments, questions and concerns, as well as suggestions on how I can better keep you informed. I hope to see you out and about in Ward 5 this summer! Sincerely,

Bonnie Crombie

Stay Connected: Sign Up for the Ward 5 E-Newsletter

Unfortunately, due to budgetary constraints, I can only send out two hard copy newsletters like this one every year. However, since January 2013, I have been sending a bi-weekly electronic newsletter called Focus on Five. Over 1,200 residents currently subscribe to this e-newsletter which contains information about upcoming events, big issues in Ward 5 and across the City, and an overview of what is happening at City Hall. If you would like to receive this e-newsletter, please email Bonnie.Crombie@Mississauga.ca with the subject NEWSLETTER and Ill be sure to put you on the list. If you want to see previous copies of Focus on Five, please visit BonnieCrombie.ca

Over 500 residents joined me on April 27th for the Ward 5 Community Clean-Up and Family Eco Fair, which included a park clean-up of the Malton Greenway and a live birds of prey demonstration, complete with a bald eagle. A great day was had by all. My sincere thanks to all of our sponsors for making the day a success and to the residents for their efforts in cleaning up our community.

I hosted a pancake breakfast and park clean-up at Frank McKechnie Community Centre on April 27th as part of Mississaugas Earth Day celebrations. Over 250 residents joined us for this clean-up, including over 50 youth volunteers.

Bonnie Crombie Mississauga City Councillor, Ward 5 Visit BonnieCrombie.ca @CrombieWard5

Get A Move On In Mississauga!

Recently, you may have heard a lot about the future of transit and transportation here in Mississauga and across the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). Our ability to move people and goods throughout Mississauga and the wider region is critical to our economic success. If we are stuck in traffic or forced to wait for inefficient public transit, our ability to live, work and play is negatively affected. In fact, some studies have shown that gridlock and congestion costs the GTA $6 billion per year. Earlier this year the provincial organization Metrolinx, which is responsible for planning our public transit and transportation networks in Ontario, released a list of projects it wants to build over the next 20 years called the Big Move. Within this plan, there are a wide variety of projects from new highways, to subways to Light Rail Transit ways, such as the LRT being proposed on Hurontario Street that would run from Port Credit to Brampton.

This is what the transit system in the GTA could look like if the Metrolinx Big Move plan is implemented in the coming years.

The cost of this plan is roughly $34 billion over 20 years. To fund this ambitious list of projects, Metrolinx has proposed 4 revenue tools including, a $.05 per litre gas tax; a 1 per cent increase in the HST; a $.25/day business parking levy; and increased development charges. According to Metrolinx, these tools will help us raise the $2 billion needed every year to finish this plan. As the Councillor for Ward 5, I often hear from residents how difficult it is for them to get to work. Often, residents will live in one city and work in another, so our transit planning and funding must reflect this and be regional in nature. I am supportive of the work that Metrolinx is doing because I believe that if their proposed projects are built, we will be able to move seamlessly across the GTA, resulting in increased productivity, economic growth, and a reduction of our commute, which is now 82 minutes on average. However, I do have some concerns about the revenue tools that they are proposing. Any funds that are raised must be raised fairly and Mississauga taxpayers cannot be disproportionately affected; we cannot and should not pay more than other municipalities. We are at the start of what will be a larger discussion about how we move in the future. I would like to hear what you have to say. You can call me at 905-896-5500 or email me at Bonnie.Crombie@Mississauga.ca Final decisions have not yet been made, but the bottom line is that if we continue to do nothing, we will continue to fall further behind. As Mayor McCallion has said many times, we must take action now.

In March I joined the Mayor of Oshawa, John Henry, Oakville Mayor, Rob Burton and the Chair of Torontos Civic Action, John Tory for a Mayors Roundtable on Transit. The discussion was focused on what our transit and transportation networks should look like, and more importantly, how we should pay for them.

Did you Know?

Property Standards
Its everyones responsibility to keep our community beautiful and this means maintaining your own property. The City has a set of property standards by-laws that could be enforced if you do not keep your property in good order. This includes cleaning up litter and debris, making sure all vehicles are properly plated and licensed, maintaining the exterior of your house, and keeping grass shorter than 12 inches at all times. It also includes keeping the inside of your house in good working order, especially maintaining functioning appliances and controlling pests. You can review By-law 654-98 at www.mississauga.ca/portal/cityhall/bylaws or by calling the Citys Compliance and Licencing Department at 905-896-5655.

In May a replica of one of the trains that will run on the Hurontario LRT line was brought to City Hall for residents to visit. These are state of the art vehicles that will move people quickly up and down Hurontario and can reach speeds of over 80 km/hr.

Hurontario-Main Light Rail Transit (LRT)

Recently you may have heard discussions about the progress being made on the Hurontario LRT. In fact, a replica of the actual train which will be used to carry residents along Hurontario was recently on display in Celebration Square in May. The project continues to move forward as planned. Most recently, engineers held a public meeting at Mississaugas City Hall to update residents on the progress of the project. Based on the feedback from two public meetings held in June 2012 and May 2013, the designers and engineers working on the Hurontario LRT project are in the midst of preparing the Transit Project Assessment Process (TPAP). The TPAP will include a draft project report outlining the comments and concerns received to date and an update on the progress of the project. The project managers are still accepting feedback. If you wish to learn more about the Hurontario LRT project or provide your comments, please visit www.hurontario-main.ca or contact me at 905-896-5500 or by email at Bonnie.Crombie@Mississauga.ca

An artists rendering of what the streetscape may look like with the addition of the Hurontario LRT.

List of Initiatives 2nd Year as Ward 5 Councillor

Officially created the Malton Business Improvement Area and formed the inaugural Board of Directors Worked with staff and the community to pass a by-law to prohibit the location of crematoriums less than 300 meters from residential areas Brought hockey back to Malton through the Malton Shinny Hockey Program that provides children aged 7-13 the opportunity to play hockey and receive coaching Opposed the proposed federal electoral boundaries in Malton and was successful in having the Federal Electoral Boundary Commission change their plans to ensure all Mississauga residents, including those in Malton, are included within a federal Mississauga riding Unanimously passed a by-law at Peel Region and Mississauga City Council to prohibit persons under age 18 from using indoor tanning equipment Continue to work closely with City staff to expedite the Malton Community Improvement Plan (CIP) Moved two motions calling on the federal and provincial governments to preserve the data already collected from the federal long-gun registry Moved a motion to create a Governance Committee at City Council (passed unanimously) Held regular office hours every Thursday since being elected from 3pm-5pm at the Malton Community Centre Brought community groups and youth agencies together to formalize a plan to establish a youth drop-in centre in Malton Hosted 12 community and town hall meetings Worked with local residents to create the first official residents association in Ward 5, The Concerned Citizens of Malton Finalized a construction timeline and completion date for the Goreway Bridge Twice voted against pay raises for City Councillors in the 2012 City Budget Voted against closing the Region of Peel Learn.Play.Care centres and joined the Child Care Task Force at the Region of Peel to further study the implications of closing these centres in the future Formed the Ward 5 Faith Council, a panel of religious leaders from all faiths to discuss the issues facing their congregants and residents.

Dont Divide Malton Update on Federal Electoral Boundary Changes

Im pleased to say that we are one step closer to ensuring Malton remains in Mississauga! In January, the final report from the Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission was presented to Members of Parliament for review. As you may recall, the Commission initially recommended dividing Malton, with half of the community to be included in a Brampton riding. This would mean that roughly 30,000 Mississauga residents would be excluded from a Mississauga riding and become the minority in a Brampton-dominated riding. This was unacceptable to me as Malton residents are first and foremost Mississauga residents. At the public meeting on October 31st, we made a compelling case to the members of the Electoral Boundaries Commission. Our message was echoed by the Citys solicitor, fellow City Councillors, Members of Parliament and Members of Provincial Parliament. The Commission heard our message loud and clear and changed their proposed boundaries to include Malton in Mississauga. Heres what they said in their final report:

there were significant concerns about the Commissions Proposal, which divided the community of Malton, and questions about whether that community should be assigned to an electoral district in the City of Brampton or in the City of Mississauga. The Commission decided that the community should not be divided and that it should be located in an electoral district in the City of Mississauga. This decision reflects the Commissions desire to respect municipal boundaries wherever possible.
At the time of writing, the final boundaries have been approved by Members of Parliament in Ottawa and have been referred back to the Commission for final approval. I will continue to keep you informed as I learn more, but I am confident that we were successful and that Malton will remain within a Mississauga riding.

Second Units
In the coming years, Mississauga will need to address the increasing challenges related to the availability of affordable housing. The Region of Peel has the longest waiting list for social housing in the Province. Second Units, also known as basement apartments or in-law suites have been identified as a way to provide healthy and safe housing choices to households with affordability issues and are now part the Citys Affordable Housing Strategy and Action Plan. Additionally, Ontario laws now require municipalities to allow second units. The City of Mississauga is looking at ways to properly regulate Secondary Units and how to legalize existing units that may not currently be legal. The proposed Second Unit Implementation Strategy includes: Draft Official Plan policies (for Council approval) permitting second units in detached and semi-detached homes as well as townhouses Draft Zoning By-law regulations for Council approval, including parking and distance from the property lines for entrances and stairs Develop a licensing program to ensure zoning, building and fire codes, as well as property standards, are met Develop informational materials and hold information sessions to help the public to understand what is required for a legal second unit in the City and Build support and understanding with professional organizations interested in second units A public meeting was held on February 25, 2013 and in June 2013, Council will consider a report on comments received at the February meeting and staff recommendations. The full legalization of Secondary Units pending Council approval will likely occur in the Fall of 2013. Secondary Units are still not permitted and will remain illegal until Council approve the by-law. Please visit www.mississauga.ca/housingchoices for more information and updates.

Bike Lanes on Bristol

In 2010, the City of Mississauga began consultations for proposed bicycle lanes on Bristol Road from Creditview Road to Kennedy Road. The installation of these bicycle lanes are part of the Cycling Master Plan, which was endorsed by City Council. One of the main objectives of the plan is to create a fully connected network of cycling paths across the city to encourage more people to ride their bikes safely. Along with improving connectivity the installation of bicycle lanes on Bristol Road is also a traffic calming measure. During the 2011 Ward 5 by-election and since I was elected, I have heard from a majority of residents that they want to slow traffic on Bristol Road and are supportive of bicycle lanes as a way to do this.

On June 5, 2013 I joined residents at a public meeting on the installation of bike lanes on Bristol Road at Frank McKechnie Community Centre.

The consultations on the Bristol Road bicycle lanes began in 2010 and featured public information centres (PICs) where residents were asked for their feedback and were given an opportunity to ask questions. Following these meetings, letters were sent to all affected residents. In December 2011, shortly after being elected, and again in May 2012, I hosted town hall meetings on the issue of bike lanes on Bristol Road. In response to resident inquiries, I again hosted a town hall meeting on June 5th, 2013 where I was joined by City of Mississauga staff. We heard from residents about their concerns, answered their questions, and provided background on the project and the rationale behind the current proposal. At the end of the meeting, the residents in attendance concluded that the bike lanes will slow traffic and increase safety. I committed that if the new configuration of Bristol Road does not work well for residents after a period of time, we will revisit and perhaps reconfigure where necessary. Construction on the Bristol Road bike lanes began in May 2013 and is set to conclude in July. Should you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me. You can also visit BonnieCrombie.ca where I have dedicated an entire page to this issue, complete with background information and supporting documentation.

McLaughlin Road Environmental Assessement (EA)

The City of Mississauga has begun examining the future of McLaughlin Road because of increased traffic volumes and the current configuration of the road. If you On January 29th, I joined City of Mississauga staff and our engineering consultants for a public have travelled meeting on the McLaughlin Road Environmental on McLaughlin Assessment. Over 100 residents attended the Road recently, in meeting to see the various proposals for the possible redevelopment of the road. particular during rush hour, you will notice that traffic is very heavy. Between Bristol Road and Matheson Boulevard, McLaughlin Road narrows to one lane, which creates even more congestion and negatively affects the ability of residents in the neighbourhood west of McLaughlin Road to enter or exit their neighbourhood. These issues have prompted the City of Mississauga to examine ways to improve McLaughlin Road. In January, the City of Mississauga partnered with engineering consultants to begin work on an Environmental Assessment (EA). This EA will take a look at the different ways McLaughlin Road could be improved and the effects these changes would have on residents and the surrounding environment. In January as part of the EA process, I joined City of Mississauga staff and our engineering consultants to host a Public Information Centre at the Peel District School Board offices on Matheson Boulevard. At this meeting, staff provided a variety of options that are being considered to improve McLaughlin Road in the future. From this meeting, staff have taken all comments received and will bring back a report with a proposal about the future development of McLaughlin Road. The next PIC will likely be held in September 2013. I will continue to keep residents updated on the progress of the EA, but I encourage you to visit BonnieCrombie.ca for more information on the project and the proposed options.

Profile of an outstanding resident: Lennox Guiste

Since my election, I have had the privilege of getting to know Lennox. We first met when I was invited to the 12th Annual Forest Heights Community Clean-Up in April 2012. Upon meeting Lennox and hearing what his neighbours had to say about him, I knew immediately that he was doing great work in his community. Lennox has always been involved in his community because he feels a strong need and desire to give back, but also to make his community a great place to live. Lennox moved to Canada in 1968 and calls Mississauga home. Upon moving into the Forest Heights community over 15 years ago, he immediately took action to preserve the beauty of the neighbourhood and the Britannia Woods forest near his home. The developer at the time was planning to cut down the trees and build homes. This was unacceptable to Lennox, so he joined some of his fellow neighbours to encourage residents to sign a petition to prevent the clearing of the woods. Their efforts were successful and the Britannia Woods were preserved. From that day forward, Lennox and his fellow Forest Height residents made a commitment to keep their community clean and beautiful. To do this, they started the Forest Heights Residents Association and began an annual tradition of planting trees and cleaning up their community. Each year for the last 13 years as the lead organizer, Lennox has brought together over 150 residents for this celebration to encourage residents to take pride in their area and give back to their community. When I asked Lennox why he keeps doing this year after year, his answer was simple: we all have a responsibility to maintain our properties, ensure our streets and parks are clean, and that we as residents take ownership of our area. We live here and it is our responsibility to keep our community beautiful. I could not agree more and that is why I am pleased to recognize and thank Lennox for his outstanding contributions to his community. Im sure there are many other residents in Ward 5 just like Lennox. If you know of an outstanding resident who you believe goes above and beyond the call of duty, let me know about them and they may be featured in my next newsletter.

Lower Your Electricity Bill This Summer

Every resident in Mississauga will have their existing electricity meter replaced by a smart meter that can measure when you use electricity. Your current electricity meter can only measure how much electricity you use in a month, not when you use it. The new Time of Use (TOU) measurement system allows Enersource to calculate when you use power and charge different rates accordingly. There are three rate categories: Highest price - On-Peak (when electricity demand is highest) Medium price - Mid-Peak (when demand is moderate) Lowest price - Off-Peak (when demand is lowest) By changing when you use electricity, you can save a lot of money. For instance, the middle of the day would be considered on-peak as residential and industrial consumers are all using a lot of power at this time. This means that the electricity system is under great demand and electricity is at a premium, so buying power at this time is more expensive. With TOU, if you were to do your laundry at this time, you would pay more than if you did it in the evening. The TOU pricing chart highlights where you can save money by making small changes in your routine.

In March I joined the staff at Frank McKechnie Community Centre to celebrate the re-opening of the pool. From June 2012 March 2013, the pool was closed for lifecycle maintenance and repairs. It has now re-opened, better than ever.

I was pleased to join the Forest Heights Residents Association for their 13th Annual Community Clean Up and Tree Planting in celebration of Earth Day on April 20th. Despite the snow, over 150 residents came out to give back to their community.

In February the players of the inaugural Malton Shinny Hockey League were honoured to be asked to be one of only two teams to welcome the Stanley Cup to the Hershey Centre. The second season of Malton Shinny Hockey will begin in September. If you are interested in learning more, please visit maltonshinnyhockey.ca

Keep Your Community Safe

I often get asked about community safety and what the City and the Region are doing to keep our communities safe. Peel Regional Police regularly patrol our community and do what they can, but they cannot be on every street or at every park all the time. There are ways for you to help keep your community safe. The police need to hear from you. If you see something suspicious in your neighbourhood please call the non-emergency line of Peel Regional Police. Malton (21 Division): (905) 453-3311 ext. 2100 Britannia (12 Division): (905) 453-3311 ext. 1200 Peel Regional Police also have an excellent crime mapping website, where residents can track the crime that is occurring in their neighbourhood and across the city. You can find this helpful tool, along with many other safety and security tips at peelpolice.ca. If you are going on vacation this summer, here are some tips to keep your home safe: Do not advertise your absence by posting your vacation plans, or activities, on social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter or Foursquare. Hide or Sign out programs such as Google Latitude on your mobile devices. Ask a trusted friend, or neighbour, to look in on the house on a daily basis. Request that they pick-up flyers and mail. Invite them to use your driveway. Let other trusted neighbours know that you will be away and tell them what visitors you might expect on the property. Ask them to call police if they see anything unusual. Arrange for the lawn and garden to be regularly maintained. Manage phone calls with an answering machine that leaves the impression youre at home. In the absence of an answering machine, turn down the ring volume. Disable the garage door opener. While away from your home, or on vacation, remember to always give your home a lived-in look. Use and adjust your light timers. In recent months, I have hosted two town halls on community safety. Join me again this month on June 26th at the Malton Community Centre and June 27th at the Frank McKechnie Community Centre where I will host Town Hall Meetings which will feature a segment on community safety presented by Peel Regional Police. Both Town Halls will take place from 7:00 pm 9:00 pm. For more information please visit BonnieCrombie.ca.

Hanlan Water Project to begin in Ward 5 in 2013

Construction for the Hanlan Water Project, the largest and most extensive water infrastructure project the Region of Peel has undertaken, began in south Mississauga in late 2011. Ward 5 construction is scheduled to start in late summer/early fall 2013 and be completed by mid-2016. The project includes the installation of: The 2,400-mm (2.4 metres or 8 feet) diameter Hanlan Feedermain from Lakeview Water Treatment Plant, located at East Avenue in south Mississauga, to Hanlan Pumping Station at Tomken Road and Britannia Road East The 1,500-mm (1.5 metres or 5 feet) diameter Mississauga City Centre Subtransmission Watermain from the Hanlan Pumping Station to the intersection of Cawthra Road and Burnhamthorpe Road As shown on the map, both the Hanlan Feedermain and the Mississauga City Centre Subtransmission Watermain run down Tomken Road south of Britannia Road East to Eastgate Parkway. To maximize efficiency and minimize future disruptions some local distribution watermains will also be replaced. This work will begin late this year, 2012, or in early 2013. Ward 5 residents who live west of Dixie Road closer to the construction route would have recently received the first Hanlan newsletter which provides an excellent overview of the project. If you would like to read an electronic copy you can download it at hanlanwaterproject.ca. As always, please feel free to contact me at 905-896-5500 or Bonnie.Crombie@Mississauga.ca
In February I was pleased to join Mayor McCallion to welcome the Toronto Marlies, the MLSE Team Up Foundation, and RONA Inc., to the Malton Arena for an open practice. Due in large part to the revival of hockey in Malton through the Malton Shinny Hockey Program, the Team Up Foundation and RONA gave the City of Mississauga $54,000 to invest in improvements to the Malton Arena.

Mississaugas artistic and cultural diversity sets us apart from many other cities. There is no better example of this than the 2nd Annual Punjabi International Film Festival (PIFF), which took place over the May long weekend. I was pleased to participate in many of the events, including movie screenings and an outdoor festival at Wildwood Park.

Road Resurfacing in Ward 5

There are a number of roads and streets in Ward 5 that are scheduled to be resurfaced this summer. If you have any questions about this planned work, please let me know by calling 905-896-5500 or emailing Bonnie.Crombie@Mississauga.ca Street Name Breton Avenue Clansman Trail Coopers Avenue Delaware Drive Ferret Court Forum Drive Kennedy Road Kennedy Road Longhorn Trail Nahani Way Palomino Drive Springbok Crescent Thornwood Drive Trailwood Drive From Springbok Crescent Trailwood Drive Kennedy Road Eglinton Avenue Clansman Trail Eglinton Avenue Dakota Road Matheson Blvd Trailwood Drive Thornwood Drive Trailwood Drive Breton Ave (50 metres South) Trailwood Drive Bristol Road East To 50 metres north thereof Thornwood Drive Kennedy Road Nahani Way End Nahani Way Matheson Blvd Hwy 401 Bridge End Bristol Road East Thornwood Drive Thornwood Drive Nahani Way Hurontario Street
I was pleased to join the inaugural board of the Malton Business Improvement Area for their first meeting in January. The BIA has already begun working to revitalize the business area in Malton and has some exciting plans for this year. Keep an eye out for their work in and around Malton in the coming months.

I had the pleasure of joining Fortress Distribution in January for their grand opening in Mississauga. They are a Mississauga success story and 1 of 10,000 businesses in Ward 5.

300 City Centre Drive, Mississauga, ON L5B 3C1 905-896-5500 bonnie.crombie@mississauga.ca BonnieCrombie.ca