Ontario Construction News staff writer
Mississauga council is advocating for provincial and federal funding to address housing affordability, climate change, transit and active transportation and growth.
“Providing necessary services and the high quality of life that residents expect remains a priority while we continue building a Mississauga that meets our growing needs,” said acting mayor John Kovac. “While continuous improvement and innovation drive our efforts, we require assistance from other levels of government to enhance public transit, address the housing crisis, and build sustainable communities.
“As we look toward the year ahead, I’m calling on our federal and provincial partners to continue to work with us to address our shared priorities. We can make an impact on people’s lives through collaboration and our shared commitment to address the pressures facing our communities.”
Mississauga’s pre-budget submissions include recommendations focused on increasing housing affordability, alleviating financial pressures, investing in key rapid transit projects and mitigating climate change.
Recommendations include:
Compensating Mississauga for the impacts of housing legislation
fully compensate cities for the financial losses caused by Bill 23
increase funding for housing infrastructure needed to meet the province’s housing targets and measure municipalities on units approved, not housing starts
amend the Planning Act requirement regarding notices in print newspapers to reflect the realities of the decline of the print news industry in Ontario to reduce unnecessary costs on cities
implement new funding formula, recognizing that the property tax is insufficient to address the growing pressures faced by Mississauga
Upload to the province the costs of operating the Hazel McCallion Hurontario LRT, similar to the arrangement in Toronto with the Finch West and Eglinton Crosstown LRTs.
The city is also asking for additional funding for transit projects:
- expedite reintroduction of a fully funded downtown loop to connect downtown Mississauga to the Hazel McCallion LRT
- match the funding of the federal government ($500 million) and bring all-day two-way service to the Milton GO line as soon as possible
- fund the detailed design for the Pearson Airport connection to facilitate planning, design and construction efficiencies with the current Eglinton Crosstown West Extension LRT project
- fund the implementation of the Downtown Mobility Hub and Transitway Connection
- fund the Transit Project Assessment Process to plan for the next phase of the project westward
Climate change is another priority and Mississauga is asking the provincial government to fund construction of a zero-emission transit garage estimated at $500 million along with incentives and programs for adopting district energy and low-carbon technologies for buildings.
The City is submitting its recommendations as part of the 2024 federal and provincial pre-budget consultations:
