For Immediate Release
December 20th, 2016
Mayor Crombie Reflects on 2016, Looks Forward to the Promise of the New Year
“This month marks the second anniversary of when I was inaugurated to serve as Mayor of the great City of Mississauga. I remain humbled and honoured to have been entrusted by the people of our community to build on the work of Hazel McCallion.
“As I reflect on 2016, I am proud of what Council, staff and the community have all accomplished, working together, as we preside over this exciting and transformative urban renaissance that is flourishing throughout Mississauga.
“We remain committed to using proven best practices, implemented by other major cities and regional governments, as we work with Metrolinx to ensure the successful construction of the Hurontario Light Rail Transit (LRT) and our commitment to build regionally-integrated transit.
“For these reasons, Council and senior staff undertook important site reviews of the Minneapolis-St. Paul METRO and Waterloo Region transit systems, respectively. The transit systems were chosen for in-depth analysis because they offer important parallels for Mississauga’s own transit-building efforts.
“For the thirteenth straight year Mississauga retains its AAA Credit Rating. This gives local and international businesses the confidence to choose Mississauga to invest, expand and compete here in our city. I informed private and public-sector leaders about this accomplishment while undertaking foreign-direct investment and retention missions with Economic Development Office (EDO) staff.
“Our investment missions are paying dividends. This year, Brazilian-based Biolab announced that Mississauga will be home to its new research and development centre. This will be a state-of-the-art facility that will create high-paying and high-value jobs, many in research and development. This new Biolab investment will add to our tax base, providing important funding that will go toward the quality public services we all rely on like transit, affordable housing and public health.
“We made important inroads to help local youth secure employment through mentorship and networking opportunities, including the Mayor’s Inaugural Youth Speaker Series and the Mayor’s Youth Employment Expo. These will be annual events and I look forward to hosting them again in 2017.
“We further engaged youth by inviting them to participate in the Mississauga’s first-ever Code and The City Idea Jam, last March. During this day-long event, nearly 100 developers, designers, mappers and information analysts gathered to share, discuss, network and collaborate about making the most out of open data.
“Council and staff have also undertaken a series of comprehensive studies and community consultations to shape the future of Mississauga’s many different neighbourhoods. In particular, I want to recognize Councillor Jim Tovey for his tirelessly commitment to usher in exciting new ways for people to fully embrace and appreciate the untapped potential of our sprawling waterfront.
“2016 also marked an important turning point for our emerging downtown core, with the Rogers Real Estate Development Ltd announcement for a $1.5 billion planned development in the heart of Mississauga. The development is M City – a 10-tower, 15-acre, 4.3 million square foot community. It is to include over two-acres of public parkland and has been inspired by the City of Mississauga’s own Downtown21 Master Plan.
“As Mississauga continues to be a popular destination to live and work, Council supported a resolution brought forward by Councillor Parrish calling for a plan that will mandate a minimum number of affordable housing units in future buildings, with a focus on the LRT corridor. Heading into 2017, we simply cannot build a sense of community if people are being priced out and pushed out of Mississauga.
“Helping residents in need was the mission of the Mayor’s Citywide Food Drive #OneBagChallenge. Our community came together, and we raised $123,531 and 219,975 pounds of non-perishable foods, far exceeding our goals of collecting $100,000 and 200,000 pounds of food.
“I am equally proud of the work that was achieved during my time as a member of the Peel Police Services Board. We brought about important changes like the elimination of street checks (carding). My goal has always been to further elevate Peel Police’s reputation as a modern, effective and respected police force. I offer my best wishes to Councillor Sue McFadden as she prepares to serve on the Board over the next two years.
“As I look toward the promise of 2017, I know there’s more important work ahead of us to help Mississauga realize its potential as a world-class city to live, start a business, earn an education, and enjoy an unrivalled quality of life.
“We have only just begun.”
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