In Caledon, the Swan Lake saga is more soap opera than ballet.
To recap: In May, Caledon mayor Annette Groves put forward a controversial by-law change that would permit construction fill dumping into the town’s 44-acre Greenbelt lake. The proposal inspired a local uproar at a town meeting, with many residents criticizing the harm this poses for the town’s vital groundwater supply.
The background: The land’s former owner, Warren Paving & Materials Group Limited, had voluntarily given up their aggregate licence, which allowed them to extract sand and gravel from the pit. Now, the new owner, a “prominent developer,” Nick Cortellucci, is looking to use excess soil from their projects to backfill and grade the ex-gravel pit.
The plan would require the Town’s approval. Under Caledon’s Fill By-law, importing soil to a site like Shaw’s Creek Road typically isn’t permitted — but a motion headed to Council would give the Director of Engineering authority to enter into a grading agreement with the developer.
Behind the scenes, Groves’ motion, proposed in May, struck some as “a bit odd and at the last possible moment.” It was introduced absent any formal application from the developer.
Groves ran into a wall of resistance from the community. In an email, one local advocate called the decision “reckless.” “The fill operation that this permit will be issued for will add hundreds of dump trucks to Highway 10 and Charleston Sideroad each week, fill a groundwater connected lake with potentially contaminated construction fill, destroy an aquatic naturalized space and saddle the surrounding rural residents with unending noise,” wrote Keirstyn Parfitt in an email. “All with zero input or information shared with the public”
A community meeting — initially scheduled for late July — was rescheduled for Wednesday, with only 20 minutes dedicated to discuss each of the five proposed by-law changes, including the fill-dumping measure.
That meeting, too, was scrapped. The by-law open house was rescheduled for Sept. 29. This date, too, could be changed.
Another wrinkle: On Monday, the Governance Review Committee will be presented with a report by Kevin Klingenberg and Alexandra Sheppard to update the Town’s Public Notice Policy, including the removal of the open house requirement as part of forthcoming public notices. Instead, by-law texts must be posted online 20 days in advance.
The report noted that open houses are “a definition and process unique to the Town of Caledon,” a feature added when the public notice rules were formalized last year.
What’s next: One source familiar warned that Monday’s meeting could be pivotal in deciding the fate of Swan Lake and the looming construction-fill by-law — testing the bounds of Groves’ authority and dictating what forum residents can voice their concerns in.
— With files from Ahmad Elbayoumi
Mississauga’s General Committee met on Wednesday. Here are the highlights:
— Council heard from representatives of Sheridan College’s Hazel McCallion campus about its upcoming Fourplex Housing Exhibit, showcasing designs that seek to inspire ideas around solutions for the city’s housing shortage.
— Council accepted a proposal from Bosnian community advocates to formally recognize the Srebrenica Genocide, through future public statements and educational programming. Council voted unanimously to forward the proposal to staff for further review.
— Ron Duquette, Founder of the Legends Row on the Mississauga Walk of Fame, presented this year’s inductees: world-renowned violinist Yi-Jia Susanne Hou, Toronto Raptors “super-fan” and philanthropist Nav Bhatia, breast cancer survivor and advocate Annie Parker and city builder Frank Giannone.
— Council approved a proposal to pre-authorize around $10.3 million in funding for a new fire truck fleet.
Over in Brampton, Committee of Council met on Wednesday.
— Martin Bohl, Sector Manager for City and Life Science, announced the opening of Toronto Metropolitan University’s new medical school, among other Health Tech initiatives for the coming months.
— Sunlife Homes, represented by president Larry Leece, and Weston consultants Jenna Thibault and Sarah Burjaw, presented a proposal to build 78 new affordable housing units in Brampton.
— Councillor Dennis Keenan requested a deferral of his motion for Senior Groups’ access to recreational facilities to the next meeting.
— Council passed an advocacy motion on housing-building incentives with a 7 to 11 vote.
Meanwhile, coming up this weekend:
— Friday: Deputy Mayor and Councillor John Kovac will be attending the opening of Sheridan’s Fourplex Housing Exhibit.
— Friday and Saturday: The Egyptian Coptic Festival is back at Celebration Square.
— Saturday at 11 a.m.: Councillor Alvin Tedjo is hosting a Summer Fest at Thornlodge Park. Expect free food, ice cream, and a swim for your pup! (The forecast is clear for Tedjo’s event — temperatures around 20°C).
— Saturday: Protesters pushing for better road safety will gather in Caledon, Brampton, and Vaughan.
— Friday, Saturday, and Sunday: World of Jazz Festival is on at Gage Park. Jamaica Day is taking place at Brampton Sports Park.
— Sunday at 1 p.m.: Councillor Michael Palleschi and Councillor Navjit Kaur Brar are hosting a grill-and-greet at Creditview Sandalwood Park.
— Patrick Brown appeared at the CNE on Labour Day Monday with his family, followed by a Trinidad and Tobago Independence Day celebration, and a fundraising event to support Pakistani flood victims hosted by Senator Salma Ataullahjan and ICNA Relief Canada.
On the business end: Brown and councillors met with Brampton’s federal representatives on Tuesday for the city’s federal pre-budget briefing.
On Wednesday morning, he and Councillor Rowena Santos attended the opening of Toronto Metropolitan University’s new medical school campus in Brampton.
On Thursday, Brown met with Conservative leader Pierre Pollievre to discuss Brampton’s federal priorities, and then spoke at Unifor Local 1285’s event about protecting local manufacturing jobs.
— Premier Doug Ford announced two new construction contracts for Highway 413 — and faced fierce opposition from Caledon residents.
The proposed transit project, part of Bill 212, is poised to cut through 45 per cent of Caledon’s farmland. Critics say that the highway “goes against everything Caledon and the rural communities stand for,” encroaching on protected environmental land and landowners’ rights.
— Conservative leader Pierre Pollievre is calling on the federal government to end the Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) program, which he says has denied Canadians economic opportunities and “exploited” new immigrants — many of them arriving in the Peel.
— The Pointer reports on how Doug Ford’s new housing funds will still make the Peel Region foot the bill — and it still falls far short of what residents in these cities need. “Growth is no longer paying for growth,” said Councilor Natalie Hart, imploring the Ford government to fill the funding gap.
— GTA average home sale prices have dropped by 5.2 per cent from this time last year, according to the Toronto Regional Real Estate Board.
— In the Star, Collecdev Markee CEO Jennifer Keesmaat argues that public and private partnership, as seen with her company’s work with the City of Toronto, lays the path to solve the housing crisis.
— In the paper’s “Bridging the Divide” series, David Crombie and Matthew Cory debate the merits of protecting Greenbelt land as the Ford government rushes to fill a housing need.
— John W. Lane is joining the Town of Caledon as Director of Building Services and Chief Building Official. Lane, who’s also the incoming president of Ontario’s Building Officials Association, previously served in the same role in St. Catharines.
— The City of Mississauga is on the hunt for a new Director of Recreation and Culture.
Thank you for reading The Peel Report. Are you in favour of or against the Swan Lake plan? I want to hear from you and I’ll keep you anonymous. We’re back in your inbox on Monday.
Today’s newsletter was edited by Ahmad Elbayoumi. Have feedback? Send us an email.
In Caledon, the Swan Lake saga is more soap opera than ballet.
To recap: In May, Caledon mayor Annette Groves put forward a controversial by-law change that would permit construction fill dumping into the town’s 44-acre Greenbelt lake. The proposal inspired a local uproar at a town meeting, with many residents criticizing the harm this poses for the town’s vital groundwater supply.
The background: The land’s former owner, Warren Paving & Materials Group Limited, had voluntarily given up their aggregate licence, which allowed them to extract sand and gravel from the pit. Now, the new owner, a “prominent developer,” Nick Cortellucci, is looking to use excess soil from their projects to backfill and grade the ex-gravel pit.
The plan would require the Town’s approval. Under Caledon’s Fill By-law, importing soil to a site like Shaw’s Creek Road typically isn’t permitted — but a motion headed to Council would give the Director of Engineering authority to enter into a grading agreement with the developer.
Behind the scenes, Groves’ motion, proposed in May, struck some as “a bit odd and at the last possible moment.” It was introduced absent any formal application from the developer.
Groves ran into a wall of resistance from the community. In an email, one local advocate called the decision “reckless.” “The fill operation that this permit will be issued for will add hundreds of dump trucks to Highway 10 and Charleston Sideroad each week, fill a groundwater connected lake with potentially contaminated construction fill, destroy an aquatic naturalized space and saddle the surrounding rural residents with unending noise,” wrote Keirstyn Parfitt in an email. “All with zero input or information shared with the public”
A community meeting — initially scheduled for late July — was rescheduled for Wednesday, with only 20 minutes dedicated to discuss each of the five proposed by-law changes, including the fill-dumping measure.
That meeting, too, was scrapped. The by-law open house was rescheduled for Sept. 29. This date, too, could be changed.
Another wrinkle: On Monday, the Governance Review Committee will be presented with a report by Kevin Klingenberg and Alexandra Sheppard to update the Town’s Public Notice Policy, including the removal of the open house requirement as part of forthcoming public notices. Instead, by-law texts must be posted online 20 days in advance.
The report noted that open houses are “a definition and process unique to the Town of Caledon,” a feature added when the public notice rules were formalized last year.
What’s next: One source familiar warned that Monday’s meeting could be pivotal in deciding the fate of Swan Lake and the looming construction-fill by-law — testing the bounds of Groves’ authority and dictating what forum residents can voice their concerns in.
— With files from Ahmad Elbayoumi
Mississauga’s General Committee met on Wednesday. Here are the highlights:
— Council heard from representatives of Sheridan College’s Hazel McCallion campus about its upcoming Fourplex Housing Exhibit, showcasing designs that seek to inspire ideas around solutions for the city’s housing shortage.
— Council accepted a proposal from Bosnian community advocates to formally recognize the Srebrenica Genocide, through future public statements and educational programming. Council voted unanimously to forward the proposal to staff for further review.
— Ron Duquette, Founder of the Legends Row on the Mississauga Walk of Fame, presented this year’s inductees: world-renowned violinist Yi-Jia Susanne Hou, Toronto Raptors “super-fan” and philanthropist Nav Bhatia, breast cancer survivor and advocate Annie Parker and city builder Frank Giannone.
— Council approved a proposal to pre-authorize around $10.3 million in funding for a new fire truck fleet.
Over in Brampton, Committee of Council met on Wednesday.
— Martin Bohl, Sector Manager for City and Life Science, announced the opening of Toronto Metropolitan University’s new medical school, among other Health Tech initiatives for the coming months.
— Sunlife Homes, represented by president Larry Leece, and Weston consultants Jenna Thibault and Sarah Burjaw, presented a proposal to build 78 new affordable housing units in Brampton.
— Councillor Dennis Keenan requested a deferral of his motion for Senior Groups’ access to recreational facilities to the next meeting.
— Council passed an advocacy motion on housing-building incentives with a 7 to 11 vote.
Meanwhile, coming up this weekend:
— Friday: Deputy Mayor and Councillor John Kovac will be attending the opening of Sheridan’s Fourplex Housing Exhibit.
— Friday and Saturday: The Egyptian Coptic Festival is back at Celebration Square.
— Saturday at 11 a.m.: Councillor Alvin Tedjo is hosting a Summer Fest at Thornlodge Park. Expect free food, ice cream, and a swim for your pup! (The forecast is clear for Tedjo’s event — temperatures around 20°C).
— Saturday: Protesters pushing for better road safety will gather in Caledon, Brampton, and Vaughan.
— Friday, Saturday, and Sunday: World of Jazz Festival is on at Gage Park. Jamaica Day is taking place at Brampton Sports Park.
— Sunday at 1 p.m.: Councillor Michael Palleschi and Councillor Navjit Kaur Brar are hosting a grill-and-greet at Creditview Sandalwood Park.
— Patrick Brown appeared at the CNE on Labour Day Monday with his family, followed by a Trinidad and Tobago Independence Day celebration, and a fundraising event to support Pakistani flood victims hosted by Senator Salma Ataullahjan and ICNA Relief Canada.
On the business end: Brown and councillors met with Brampton’s federal representatives on Tuesday for the city’s federal pre-budget briefing.
On Wednesday morning, he and Councillor Rowena Santos attended the opening of Toronto Metropolitan University’s new medical school campus in Brampton.
On Thursday, Brown met with Conservative leader Pierre Pollievre to discuss Brampton’s federal priorities, and then spoke at Unifor Local 1285’s event about protecting local manufacturing jobs.
— Premier Doug Ford announced two new construction contracts for Highway 413 — and faced fierce opposition from Caledon residents.
The proposed transit project, part of Bill 212, is poised to cut through 45 per cent of Caledon’s farmland. Critics say that the highway “goes against everything Caledon and the rural communities stand for,” encroaching on protected environmental land and landowners’ rights.
— Conservative leader Pierre Pollievre is calling on the federal government to end the Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) program, which he says has denied Canadians economic opportunities and “exploited” new immigrants — many of them arriving in the Peel.
— The Pointer reports on how Doug Ford’s new housing funds will still make the Peel Region foot the bill — and it still falls far short of what residents in these cities need. “Growth is no longer paying for growth,” said Councilor Natalie Hart, imploring the Ford government to fill the funding gap.
— GTA average home sale prices have dropped by 5.2 per cent from this time last year, according to the Toronto Regional Real Estate Board.
— In the Star, Collecdev Markee CEO Jennifer Keesmaat argues that public and private partnership, as seen with her company’s work with the City of Toronto, lays the path to solve the housing crisis.
— In the paper’s “Bridging the Divide” series, David Crombie and Matthew Cory debate the merits of protecting Greenbelt land as the Ford government rushes to fill a housing need.
— John W. Lane is joining the Town of Caledon as Director of Building Services and Chief Building Official. Lane, who’s also the incoming president of Ontario’s Building Officials Association, previously served in the same role in St. Catharines.
— The City of Mississauga is on the hunt for a new Director of Recreation and Culture.
Thank you for reading The Peel Report. Are you in favour of or against the Swan Lake plan? I want to hear from you and I’ll keep you anonymous. We’re back in your inbox on Monday.
Today’s newsletter was edited by Ahmad Elbayoumi. Have feedback? Send us an email.
In Caledon, the Swan Lake saga is more soap opera than ballet.
To recap: In May, Caledon mayor Annette Groves put forward a controversial by-law change that would permit construction fill dumping into the town’s 44-acre Greenbelt lake. The proposal inspired a local uproar at a town meeting, with many residents criticizing the harm this poses for the town’s vital groundwater supply.
The background: The land’s former owner, Warren Paving & Materials Group Limited, had voluntarily given up their aggregate licence, which allowed them to extract sand and gravel from the pit. Now, the new owner, a “prominent developer,” Nick Cortellucci, is looking to use excess soil from their projects to backfill and grade the ex-gravel pit.
The plan would require the Town’s approval. Under Caledon’s Fill By-law, importing soil to a site like Shaw’s Creek Road typically isn’t permitted — but a motion headed to Council would give the Director of Engineering authority to enter into a grading agreement with the developer.
Behind the scenes, Groves’ motion, proposed in May, struck some as “a bit odd and at the last possible moment.” It was introduced absent any formal application from the developer.
Groves ran into a wall of resistance from the community. In an email, one local advocate called the decision “reckless.” “The fill operation that this permit will be issued for will add hundreds of dump trucks to Highway 10 and Charleston Sideroad each week, fill a groundwater connected lake with potentially contaminated construction fill, destroy an aquatic naturalized space and saddle the surrounding rural residents with unending noise,” wrote Keirstyn Parfitt in an email. “All with zero input or information shared with the public”
A community meeting — initially scheduled for late July — was rescheduled for Wednesday, with only 20 minutes dedicated to discuss each of the five proposed by-law changes, including the fill-dumping measure.
That meeting, too, was scrapped. The by-law open house was rescheduled for Sept. 29. This date, too, could be changed.
Another wrinkle: On Monday, the Governance Review Committee will be presented with a report by Kevin Klingenberg and Alexandra Sheppard to update the Town’s Public Notice Policy, including the removal of the open house requirement as part of forthcoming public notices. Instead, by-law texts must be posted online 20 days in advance.
The report noted that open houses are “a definition and process unique to the Town of Caledon,” a feature added when the public notice rules were formalized last year.
What’s next: One source familiar warned that Monday’s meeting could be pivotal in deciding the fate of Swan Lake and the looming construction-fill by-law — testing the bounds of Groves’ authority and dictating what forum residents can voice their concerns in.
— With files from Ahmad Elbayoumi
Mississauga’s General Committee met on Wednesday. Here are the highlights:
— Council heard from representatives of Sheridan College’s Hazel McCallion campus about its upcoming Fourplex Housing Exhibit, showcasing designs that seek to inspire ideas around solutions for the city’s housing shortage.
— Council accepted a proposal from Bosnian community advocates to formally recognize the Srebrenica Genocide, through future public statements and educational programming. Council voted unanimously to forward the proposal to staff for further review.
— Ron Duquette, Founder of the Legends Row on the Mississauga Walk of Fame, presented this year’s inductees: world-renowned violinist Yi-Jia Susanne Hou, Toronto Raptors “super-fan” and philanthropist Nav Bhatia, breast cancer survivor and advocate Annie Parker and city builder Frank Giannone.
— Council approved a proposal to pre-authorize around $10.3 million in funding for a new fire truck fleet.
Over in Brampton, Committee of Council met on Wednesday.
— Martin Bohl, Sector Manager for City and Life Science, announced the opening of Toronto Metropolitan University’s new medical school, among other Health Tech initiatives for the coming months.
— Sunlife Homes, represented by president Larry Leece, and Weston consultants Jenna Thibault and Sarah Burjaw, presented a proposal to build 78 new affordable housing units in Brampton.
— Councillor Dennis Keenan requested a deferral of his motion for Senior Groups’ access to recreational facilities to the next meeting.
— Council passed an advocacy motion on housing-building incentives with a 7 to 11 vote.
Meanwhile, coming up this weekend:
— Friday: Deputy Mayor and Councillor John Kovac will be attending the opening of Sheridan’s Fourplex Housing Exhibit.
— Friday and Saturday: The Egyptian Coptic Festival is back at Celebration Square.
— Saturday at 11 a.m.: Councillor Alvin Tedjo is hosting a Summer Fest at Thornlodge Park. Expect free food, ice cream, and a swim for your pup! (The forecast is clear for Tedjo’s event — temperatures around 20°C).
— Saturday: Protesters pushing for better road safety will gather in Caledon, Brampton, and Vaughan.
— Friday, Saturday, and Sunday: World of Jazz Festival is on at Gage Park. Jamaica Day is taking place at Brampton Sports Park.
— Sunday at 1 p.m.: Councillor Michael Palleschi and Councillor Navjit Kaur Brar are hosting a grill-and-greet at Creditview Sandalwood Park.
— Patrick Brown appeared at the CNE on Labour Day Monday with his family, followed by a Trinidad and Tobago Independence Day celebration, and a fundraising event to support Pakistani flood victims hosted by Senator Salma Ataullahjan and ICNA Relief Canada.
On the business end: Brown and councillors met with Brampton’s federal representatives on Tuesday for the city’s federal pre-budget briefing.
On Wednesday morning, he and Councillor Rowena Santos attended the opening of Toronto Metropolitan University’s new medical school campus in Brampton.
On Thursday, Brown met with Conservative leader Pierre Pollievre to discuss Brampton’s federal priorities, and then spoke at Unifor Local 1285’s event about protecting local manufacturing jobs.
— Premier Doug Ford announced two new construction contracts for Highway 413 — and faced fierce opposition from Caledon residents.
The proposed transit project, part of Bill 212, is poised to cut through 45 per cent of Caledon’s farmland. Critics say that the highway “goes against everything Caledon and the rural communities stand for,” encroaching on protected environmental land and landowners’ rights.
— Conservative leader Pierre Pollievre is calling on the federal government to end the Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) program, which he says has denied Canadians economic opportunities and “exploited” new immigrants — many of them arriving in the Peel.
— The Pointer reports on how Doug Ford’s new housing funds will still make the Peel Region foot the bill — and it still falls far short of what residents in these cities need. “Growth is no longer paying for growth,” said Councilor Natalie Hart, imploring the Ford government to fill the funding gap.
— GTA average home sale prices have dropped by 5.2 per cent from this time last year, according to the Toronto Regional Real Estate Board.
— In the Star, Collecdev Markee CEO Jennifer Keesmaat argues that public and private partnership, as seen with her company’s work with the City of Toronto, lays the path to solve the housing crisis.
— In the paper’s “Bridging the Divide” series, David Crombie and Matthew Cory debate the merits of protecting Greenbelt land as the Ford government rushes to fill a housing need.
— John W. Lane is joining the Town of Caledon as Director of Building Services and Chief Building Official. Lane, who’s also the incoming president of Ontario’s Building Officials Association, previously served in the same role in St. Catharines.
— The City of Mississauga is on the hunt for a new Director of Recreation and Culture.
Thank you for reading The Peel Report. Are you in favour of or against the Swan Lake plan? I want to hear from you and I’ll keep you anonymous. We’re back in your inbox on Monday.
Today’s newsletter was edited by Ahmad Elbayoumi. Have feedback? Send us an email.
In Caledon, the Swan Lake saga is more soap opera than ballet.
To recap: In May, Caledon mayor Annette Groves put forward a controversial by-law change that would permit construction fill dumping into the town’s 44-acre Greenbelt lake. The proposal inspired a local uproar at a town meeting, with many residents criticizing the harm this poses for the town’s vital groundwater supply.
The background: The land’s former owner, Warren Paving & Materials Group Limited, had voluntarily given up their aggregate licence, which allowed them to extract sand and gravel from the pit. Now, the new owner, a “prominent developer,” Nick Cortellucci, is looking to use excess soil from their projects to backfill and grade the ex-gravel pit.
The plan would require the Town’s approval. Under Caledon’s Fill By-law, importing soil to a site like Shaw’s Creek Road typically isn’t permitted — but a motion headed to Council would give the Director of Engineering authority to enter into a grading agreement with the developer.
Behind the scenes, Groves’ motion, proposed in May, struck some as “a bit odd and at the last possible moment.” It was introduced absent any formal application from the developer.
Groves ran into a wall of resistance from the community. In an email, one local advocate called the decision “reckless.” “The fill operation that this permit will be issued for will add hundreds of dump trucks to Highway 10 and Charleston Sideroad each week, fill a groundwater connected lake with potentially contaminated construction fill, destroy an aquatic naturalized space and saddle the surrounding rural residents with unending noise,” wrote Keirstyn Parfitt in an email. “All with zero input or information shared with the public”
A community meeting — initially scheduled for late July — was rescheduled for Wednesday, with only 20 minutes dedicated to discuss each of the five proposed by-law changes, including the fill-dumping measure.
That meeting, too, was scrapped. The by-law open house was rescheduled for Sept. 29. This date, too, could be changed.
Another wrinkle: On Monday, the Governance Review Committee will be presented with a report by Kevin Klingenberg and Alexandra Sheppard to update the Town’s Public Notice Policy, including the removal of the open house requirement as part of forthcoming public notices. Instead, by-law texts must be posted online 20 days in advance.
The report noted that open houses are “a definition and process unique to the Town of Caledon,” a feature added when the public notice rules were formalized last year.
What’s next: One source familiar warned that Monday’s meeting could be pivotal in deciding the fate of Swan Lake and the looming construction-fill by-law — testing the bounds of Groves’ authority and dictating what forum residents can voice their concerns in.
— With files from Ahmad Elbayoumi
Mississauga’s General Committee met on Wednesday. Here are the highlights:
— Council heard from representatives of Sheridan College’s Hazel McCallion campus about its upcoming Fourplex Housing Exhibit, showcasing designs that seek to inspire ideas around solutions for the city’s housing shortage.
— Council accepted a proposal from Bosnian community advocates to formally recognize the Srebrenica Genocide, through future public statements and educational programming. Council voted unanimously to forward the proposal to staff for further review.
— Ron Duquette, Founder of the Legends Row on the Mississauga Walk of Fame, presented this year’s inductees: world-renowned violinist Yi-Jia Susanne Hou, Toronto Raptors “super-fan” and philanthropist Nav Bhatia, breast cancer survivor and advocate Annie Parker and city builder Frank Giannone.
— Council approved a proposal to pre-authorize around $10.3 million in funding for a new fire truck fleet.
Over in Brampton, Committee of Council met on Wednesday.
— Martin Bohl, Sector Manager for City and Life Science, announced the opening of Toronto Metropolitan University’s new medical school, among other Health Tech initiatives for the coming months.
— Sunlife Homes, represented by president Larry Leece, and Weston consultants Jenna Thibault and Sarah Burjaw, presented a proposal to build 78 new affordable housing units in Brampton.
— Councillor Dennis Keenan requested a deferral of his motion for Senior Groups’ access to recreational facilities to the next meeting.
— Council passed an advocacy motion on housing-building incentives with a 7 to 11 vote.
Meanwhile, coming up this weekend:
— Friday: Deputy Mayor and Councillor John Kovac will be attending the opening of Sheridan’s Fourplex Housing Exhibit.
— Friday and Saturday: The Egyptian Coptic Festival is back at Celebration Square.
— Saturday at 11 a.m.: Councillor Alvin Tedjo is hosting a Summer Fest at Thornlodge Park. Expect free food, ice cream, and a swim for your pup! (The forecast is clear for Tedjo’s event — temperatures around 20°C).
— Saturday: Protesters pushing for better road safety will gather in Caledon, Brampton, and Vaughan.
— Friday, Saturday, and Sunday: World of Jazz Festival is on at Gage Park. Jamaica Day is taking place at Brampton Sports Park.
— Sunday at 1 p.m.: Councillor Michael Palleschi and Councillor Navjit Kaur Brar are hosting a grill-and-greet at Creditview Sandalwood Park.
— Patrick Brown appeared at the CNE on Labour Day Monday with his family, followed by a Trinidad and Tobago Independence Day celebration, and a fundraising event to support Pakistani flood victims hosted by Senator Salma Ataullahjan and ICNA Relief Canada.
On the business end: Brown and councillors met with Brampton’s federal representatives on Tuesday for the city’s federal pre-budget briefing.
On Wednesday morning, he and Councillor Rowena Santos attended the opening of Toronto Metropolitan University’s new medical school campus in Brampton.
On Thursday, Brown met with Conservative leader Pierre Pollievre to discuss Brampton’s federal priorities, and then spoke at Unifor Local 1285’s event about protecting local manufacturing jobs.
— Premier Doug Ford announced two new construction contracts for Highway 413 — and faced fierce opposition from Caledon residents.
The proposed transit project, part of Bill 212, is poised to cut through 45 per cent of Caledon’s farmland. Critics say that the highway “goes against everything Caledon and the rural communities stand for,” encroaching on protected environmental land and landowners’ rights.
— Conservative leader Pierre Pollievre is calling on the federal government to end the Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) program, which he says has denied Canadians economic opportunities and “exploited” new immigrants — many of them arriving in the Peel.
— The Pointer reports on how Doug Ford’s new housing funds will still make the Peel Region foot the bill — and it still falls far short of what residents in these cities need. “Growth is no longer paying for growth,” said Councilor Natalie Hart, imploring the Ford government to fill the funding gap.
— GTA average home sale prices have dropped by 5.2 per cent from this time last year, according to the Toronto Regional Real Estate Board.
— In the Star, Collecdev Markee CEO Jennifer Keesmaat argues that public and private partnership, as seen with her company’s work with the City of Toronto, lays the path to solve the housing crisis.
— In the paper’s “Bridging the Divide” series, David Crombie and Matthew Cory debate the merits of protecting Greenbelt land as the Ford government rushes to fill a housing need.
— John W. Lane is joining the Town of Caledon as Director of Building Services and Chief Building Official. Lane, who’s also the incoming president of Ontario’s Building Officials Association, previously served in the same role in St. Catharines.
— The City of Mississauga is on the hunt for a new Director of Recreation and Culture.
Thank you for reading The Peel Report. Are you in favour of or against the Swan Lake plan? I want to hear from you and I’ll keep you anonymous. We’re back in your inbox on Monday.
Today’s newsletter was edited by Ahmad Elbayoumi. Have feedback? Send us an email.
In Caledon, the Swan Lake saga is more soap opera than ballet.
To recap: In May, Caledon mayor Annette Groves put forward a controversial by-law change that would permit construction fill dumping into the town’s 44-acre Greenbelt lake. The proposal inspired a local uproar at a town meeting, with many residents criticizing the harm this poses for the town’s vital groundwater supply.
The background: The land’s former owner, Warren Paving & Materials Group Limited, had voluntarily given up their aggregate licence, which allowed them to extract sand and gravel from the pit. Now, the new owner, a “prominent developer,” Nick Cortellucci, is looking to use excess soil from their projects to backfill and grade the ex-gravel pit.
The plan would require the Town’s approval. Under Caledon’s Fill By-law, importing soil to a site like Shaw’s Creek Road typically isn’t permitted — but a motion headed to Council would give the Director of Engineering authority to enter into a grading agreement with the developer.
Behind the scenes, Groves’ motion, proposed in May, struck some as “a bit odd and at the last possible moment.” It was introduced absent any formal application from the developer.
Groves ran into a wall of resistance from the community. In an email, one local advocate called the decision “reckless.” “The fill operation that this permit will be issued for will add hundreds of dump trucks to Highway 10 and Charleston Sideroad each week, fill a groundwater connected lake with potentially contaminated construction fill, destroy an aquatic naturalized space and saddle the surrounding rural residents with unending noise,” wrote Keirstyn Parfitt in an email. “All with zero input or information shared with the public”
A community meeting — initially scheduled for late July — was rescheduled for Wednesday, with only 20 minutes dedicated to discuss each of the five proposed by-law changes, including the fill-dumping measure.
That meeting, too, was scrapped. The by-law open house was rescheduled for Sept. 29. This date, too, could be changed.
Another wrinkle: On Monday, the Governance Review Committee will be presented with a report by Kevin Klingenberg and Alexandra Sheppard to update the Town’s Public Notice Policy, including the removal of the open house requirement as part of forthcoming public notices. Instead, by-law texts must be posted online 20 days in advance.
The report noted that open houses are “a definition and process unique to the Town of Caledon,” a feature added when the public notice rules were formalized last year.
What’s next: One source familiar warned that Monday’s meeting could be pivotal in deciding the fate of Swan Lake and the looming construction-fill by-law — testing the bounds of Groves’ authority and dictating what forum residents can voice their concerns in.
— With files from Ahmad Elbayoumi
Mississauga’s General Committee met on Wednesday. Here are the highlights:
— Council heard from representatives of Sheridan College’s Hazel McCallion campus about its upcoming Fourplex Housing Exhibit, showcasing designs that seek to inspire ideas around solutions for the city’s housing shortage.
— Council accepted a proposal from Bosnian community advocates to formally recognize the Srebrenica Genocide, through future public statements and educational programming. Council voted unanimously to forward the proposal to staff for further review.
— Ron Duquette, Founder of the Legends Row on the Mississauga Walk of Fame, presented this year’s inductees: world-renowned violinist Yi-Jia Susanne Hou, Toronto Raptors “super-fan” and philanthropist Nav Bhatia, breast cancer survivor and advocate Annie Parker and city builder Frank Giannone.
— Council approved a proposal to pre-authorize around $10.3 million in funding for a new fire truck fleet.
Over in Brampton, Committee of Council met on Wednesday.
— Martin Bohl, Sector Manager for City and Life Science, announced the opening of Toronto Metropolitan University’s new medical school, among other Health Tech initiatives for the coming months.
— Sunlife Homes, represented by president Larry Leece, and Weston consultants Jenna Thibault and Sarah Burjaw, presented a proposal to build 78 new affordable housing units in Brampton.
— Councillor Dennis Keenan requested a deferral of his motion for Senior Groups’ access to recreational facilities to the next meeting.
— Council passed an advocacy motion on housing-building incentives with a 7 to 11 vote.
Meanwhile, coming up this weekend:
— Friday: Deputy Mayor and Councillor John Kovac will be attending the opening of Sheridan’s Fourplex Housing Exhibit.
— Friday and Saturday: The Egyptian Coptic Festival is back at Celebration Square.
— Saturday at 11 a.m.: Councillor Alvin Tedjo is hosting a Summer Fest at Thornlodge Park. Expect free food, ice cream, and a swim for your pup! (The forecast is clear for Tedjo’s event — temperatures around 20°C).
— Saturday: Protesters pushing for better road safety will gather in Caledon, Brampton, and Vaughan.
— Friday, Saturday, and Sunday: World of Jazz Festival is on at Gage Park. Jamaica Day is taking place at Brampton Sports Park.
— Sunday at 1 p.m.: Councillor Michael Palleschi and Councillor Navjit Kaur Brar are hosting a grill-and-greet at Creditview Sandalwood Park.
— Patrick Brown appeared at the CNE on Labour Day Monday with his family, followed by a Trinidad and Tobago Independence Day celebration, and a fundraising event to support Pakistani flood victims hosted by Senator Salma Ataullahjan and ICNA Relief Canada.
On the business end: Brown and councillors met with Brampton’s federal representatives on Tuesday for the city’s federal pre-budget briefing.
On Wednesday morning, he and Councillor Rowena Santos attended the opening of Toronto Metropolitan University’s new medical school campus in Brampton.
On Thursday, Brown met with Conservative leader Pierre Pollievre to discuss Brampton’s federal priorities, and then spoke at Unifor Local 1285’s event about protecting local manufacturing jobs.
— Premier Doug Ford announced two new construction contracts for Highway 413 — and faced fierce opposition from Caledon residents.
The proposed transit project, part of Bill 212, is poised to cut through 45 per cent of Caledon’s farmland. Critics say that the highway “goes against everything Caledon and the rural communities stand for,” encroaching on protected environmental land and landowners’ rights.
— Conservative leader Pierre Pollievre is calling on the federal government to end the Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) program, which he says has denied Canadians economic opportunities and “exploited” new immigrants — many of them arriving in the Peel.
— The Pointer reports on how Doug Ford’s new housing funds will still make the Peel Region foot the bill — and it still falls far short of what residents in these cities need. “Growth is no longer paying for growth,” said Councilor Natalie Hart, imploring the Ford government to fill the funding gap.
— GTA average home sale prices have dropped by 5.2 per cent from this time last year, according to the Toronto Regional Real Estate Board.
— In the Star, Collecdev Markee CEO Jennifer Keesmaat argues that public and private partnership, as seen with her company’s work with the City of Toronto, lays the path to solve the housing crisis.
— In the paper’s “Bridging the Divide” series, David Crombie and Matthew Cory debate the merits of protecting Greenbelt land as the Ford government rushes to fill a housing need.
— John W. Lane is joining the Town of Caledon as Director of Building Services and Chief Building Official. Lane, who’s also the incoming president of Ontario’s Building Officials Association, previously served in the same role in St. Catharines.
— The City of Mississauga is on the hunt for a new Director of Recreation and Culture.
Thank you for reading The Peel Report. Are you in favour of or against the Swan Lake plan? I want to hear from you and I’ll keep you anonymous. We’re back in your inbox on Monday.
Today’s newsletter was edited by Ahmad Elbayoumi. Have feedback? Send us an email.
In Caledon, the Swan Lake saga is more soap opera than ballet.
To recap: In May, Caledon mayor Annette Groves put forward a controversial by-law change that would permit construction fill dumping into the town’s 44-acre Greenbelt lake. The proposal inspired a local uproar at a town meeting, with many residents criticizing the harm this poses for the town’s vital groundwater supply.
The background: The land’s former owner, Warren Paving & Materials Group Limited, had voluntarily given up their aggregate licence, which allowed them to extract sand and gravel from the pit. Now, the new owner, a “prominent developer,” Nick Cortellucci, is looking to use excess soil from their projects to backfill and grade the ex-gravel pit.
The plan would require the Town’s approval. Under Caledon’s Fill By-law, importing soil to a site like Shaw’s Creek Road typically isn’t permitted — but a motion headed to Council would give the Director of Engineering authority to enter into a grading agreement with the developer.
Behind the scenes, Groves’ motion, proposed in May, struck some as “a bit odd and at the last possible moment.” It was introduced absent any formal application from the developer.
Groves ran into a wall of resistance from the community. In an email, one local advocate called the decision “reckless.” “The fill operation that this permit will be issued for will add hundreds of dump trucks to Highway 10 and Charleston Sideroad each week, fill a groundwater connected lake with potentially contaminated construction fill, destroy an aquatic naturalized space and saddle the surrounding rural residents with unending noise,” wrote Keirstyn Parfitt in an email. “All with zero input or information shared with the public”
A community meeting — initially scheduled for late July — was rescheduled for Wednesday, with only 20 minutes dedicated to discuss each of the five proposed by-law changes, including the fill-dumping measure.
That meeting, too, was scrapped. The by-law open house was rescheduled for Sept. 29. This date, too, could be changed.
Another wrinkle: On Monday, the Governance Review Committee will be presented with a report by Kevin Klingenberg and Alexandra Sheppard to update the Town’s Public Notice Policy, including the removal of the open house requirement as part of forthcoming public notices. Instead, by-law texts must be posted online 20 days in advance.
The report noted that open houses are “a definition and process unique to the Town of Caledon,” a feature added when the public notice rules were formalized last year.
What’s next: One source familiar warned that Monday’s meeting could be pivotal in deciding the fate of Swan Lake and the looming construction-fill by-law — testing the bounds of Groves’ authority and dictating what forum residents can voice their concerns in.
— With files from Ahmad Elbayoumi
Mississauga’s General Committee met on Wednesday. Here are the highlights:
— Council heard from representatives of Sheridan College’s Hazel McCallion campus about its upcoming Fourplex Housing Exhibit, showcasing designs that seek to inspire ideas around solutions for the city’s housing shortage.
— Council accepted a proposal from Bosnian community advocates to formally recognize the Srebrenica Genocide, through future public statements and educational programming. Council voted unanimously to forward the proposal to staff for further review.
— Ron Duquette, Founder of the Legends Row on the Mississauga Walk of Fame, presented this year’s inductees: world-renowned violinist Yi-Jia Susanne Hou, Toronto Raptors “super-fan” and philanthropist Nav Bhatia, breast cancer survivor and advocate Annie Parker and city builder Frank Giannone.
— Council approved a proposal to pre-authorize around $10.3 million in funding for a new fire truck fleet.
Over in Brampton, Committee of Council met on Wednesday.
— Martin Bohl, Sector Manager for City and Life Science, announced the opening of Toronto Metropolitan University’s new medical school, among other Health Tech initiatives for the coming months.
— Sunlife Homes, represented by president Larry Leece, and Weston consultants Jenna Thibault and Sarah Burjaw, presented a proposal to build 78 new affordable housing units in Brampton.
— Councillor Dennis Keenan requested a deferral of his motion for Senior Groups’ access to recreational facilities to the next meeting.
— Council passed an advocacy motion on housing-building incentives with a 7 to 11 vote.
Meanwhile, coming up this weekend:
— Friday: Deputy Mayor and Councillor John Kovac will be attending the opening of Sheridan’s Fourplex Housing Exhibit.
— Friday and Saturday: The Egyptian Coptic Festival is back at Celebration Square.
— Saturday at 11 a.m.: Councillor Alvin Tedjo is hosting a Summer Fest at Thornlodge Park. Expect free food, ice cream, and a swim for your pup! (The forecast is clear for Tedjo’s event — temperatures around 20°C).
— Saturday: Protesters pushing for better road safety will gather in Caledon, Brampton, and Vaughan.
— Friday, Saturday, and Sunday: World of Jazz Festival is on at Gage Park. Jamaica Day is taking place at Brampton Sports Park.
— Sunday at 1 p.m.: Councillor Michael Palleschi and Councillor Navjit Kaur Brar are hosting a grill-and-greet at Creditview Sandalwood Park.
— Patrick Brown appeared at the CNE on Labour Day Monday with his family, followed by a Trinidad and Tobago Independence Day celebration, and a fundraising event to support Pakistani flood victims hosted by Senator Salma Ataullahjan and ICNA Relief Canada.
On the business end: Brown and councillors met with Brampton’s federal representatives on Tuesday for the city’s federal pre-budget briefing.
On Wednesday morning, he and Councillor Rowena Santos attended the opening of Toronto Metropolitan University’s new medical school campus in Brampton.
On Thursday, Brown met with Conservative leader Pierre Pollievre to discuss Brampton’s federal priorities, and then spoke at Unifor Local 1285’s event about protecting local manufacturing jobs.
— Premier Doug Ford announced two new construction contracts for Highway 413 — and faced fierce opposition from Caledon residents.
The proposed transit project, part of Bill 212, is poised to cut through 45 per cent of Caledon’s farmland. Critics say that the highway “goes against everything Caledon and the rural communities stand for,” encroaching on protected environmental land and landowners’ rights.
— Conservative leader Pierre Pollievre is calling on the federal government to end the Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) program, which he says has denied Canadians economic opportunities and “exploited” new immigrants — many of them arriving in the Peel.
— The Pointer reports on how Doug Ford’s new housing funds will still make the Peel Region foot the bill — and it still falls far short of what residents in these cities need. “Growth is no longer paying for growth,” said Councilor Natalie Hart, imploring the Ford government to fill the funding gap.
— GTA average home sale prices have dropped by 5.2 per cent from this time last year, according to the Toronto Regional Real Estate Board.
— In the Star, Collecdev Markee CEO Jennifer Keesmaat argues that public and private partnership, as seen with her company’s work with the City of Toronto, lays the path to solve the housing crisis.
— In the paper’s “Bridging the Divide” series, David Crombie and Matthew Cory debate the merits of protecting Greenbelt land as the Ford government rushes to fill a housing need.
— John W. Lane is joining the Town of Caledon as Director of Building Services and Chief Building Official. Lane, who’s also the incoming president of Ontario’s Building Officials Association, previously served in the same role in St. Catharines.
— The City of Mississauga is on the hunt for a new Director of Recreation and Culture.
Thank you for reading The Peel Report. Are you in favour of or against the Swan Lake plan? I want to hear from you and I’ll keep you anonymous. We’re back in your inbox on Monday.
Today’s newsletter was edited by Ahmad Elbayoumi. Have feedback? Send us an email.
In Caledon, the Swan Lake saga is more soap opera than ballet.
To recap: In May, Caledon mayor Annette Groves put forward a controversial by-law change that would permit construction fill dumping into the town’s 44-acre Greenbelt lake. The proposal inspired a local uproar at a town meeting, with many residents criticizing the harm this poses for the town’s vital groundwater supply.
The background: The land’s former owner, Warren Paving & Materials Group Limited, had voluntarily given up their aggregate licence, which allowed them to extract sand and gravel from the pit. Now, the new owner, a “prominent developer,” Nick Cortellucci, is looking to use excess soil from their projects to backfill and grade the ex-gravel pit.
The plan would require the Town’s approval. Under Caledon’s Fill By-law, importing soil to a site like Shaw’s Creek Road typically isn’t permitted — but a motion headed to Council would give the Director of Engineering authority to enter into a grading agreement with the developer.
Behind the scenes, Groves’ motion, proposed in May, struck some as “a bit odd and at the last possible moment.” It was introduced absent any formal application from the developer.
Groves ran into a wall of resistance from the community. In an email, one local advocate called the decision “reckless.” “The fill operation that this permit will be issued for will add hundreds of dump trucks to Highway 10 and Charleston Sideroad each week, fill a groundwater connected lake with potentially contaminated construction fill, destroy an aquatic naturalized space and saddle the surrounding rural residents with unending noise,” wrote Keirstyn Parfitt in an email. “All with zero input or information shared with the public”
A community meeting — initially scheduled for late July — was rescheduled for Wednesday, with only 20 minutes dedicated to discuss each of the five proposed by-law changes, including the fill-dumping measure.
That meeting, too, was scrapped. The by-law open house was rescheduled for Sept. 29. This date, too, could be changed.
Another wrinkle: On Monday, the Governance Review Committee will be presented with a report by Kevin Klingenberg and Alexandra Sheppard to update the Town’s Public Notice Policy, including the removal of the open house requirement as part of forthcoming public notices. Instead, by-law texts must be posted online 20 days in advance.
The report noted that open houses are “a definition and process unique to the Town of Caledon,” a feature added when the public notice rules were formalized last year.
What’s next: One source familiar warned that Monday’s meeting could be pivotal in deciding the fate of Swan Lake and the looming construction-fill by-law — testing the bounds of Groves’ authority and dictating what forum residents can voice their concerns in.
— With files from Ahmad Elbayoumi
Mississauga’s General Committee met on Wednesday. Here are the highlights:
— Council heard from representatives of Sheridan College’s Hazel McCallion campus about its upcoming Fourplex Housing Exhibit, showcasing designs that seek to inspire ideas around solutions for the city’s housing shortage.
— Council accepted a proposal from Bosnian community advocates to formally recognize the Srebrenica Genocide, through future public statements and educational programming. Council voted unanimously to forward the proposal to staff for further review.
— Ron Duquette, Founder of the Legends Row on the Mississauga Walk of Fame, presented this year’s inductees: world-renowned violinist Yi-Jia Susanne Hou, Toronto Raptors “super-fan” and philanthropist Nav Bhatia, breast cancer survivor and advocate Annie Parker and city builder Frank Giannone.
— Council approved a proposal to pre-authorize around $10.3 million in funding for a new fire truck fleet.
Over in Brampton, Committee of Council met on Wednesday.
— Martin Bohl, Sector Manager for City and Life Science, announced the opening of Toronto Metropolitan University’s new medical school, among other Health Tech initiatives for the coming months.
— Sunlife Homes, represented by president Larry Leece, and Weston consultants Jenna Thibault and Sarah Burjaw, presented a proposal to build 78 new affordable housing units in Brampton.
— Councillor Dennis Keenan requested a deferral of his motion for Senior Groups’ access to recreational facilities to the next meeting.
— Council passed an advocacy motion on housing-building incentives with a 7 to 11 vote.
Meanwhile, coming up this weekend:
— Friday: Deputy Mayor and Councillor John Kovac will be attending the opening of Sheridan’s Fourplex Housing Exhibit.
— Friday and Saturday: The Egyptian Coptic Festival is back at Celebration Square.
— Saturday at 11 a.m.: Councillor Alvin Tedjo is hosting a Summer Fest at Thornlodge Park. Expect free food, ice cream, and a swim for your pup! (The forecast is clear for Tedjo’s event — temperatures around 20°C).
— Saturday: Protesters pushing for better road safety will gather in Caledon, Brampton, and Vaughan.
— Friday, Saturday, and Sunday: World of Jazz Festival is on at Gage Park. Jamaica Day is taking place at Brampton Sports Park.
— Sunday at 1 p.m.: Councillor Michael Palleschi and Councillor Navjit Kaur Brar are hosting a grill-and-greet at Creditview Sandalwood Park.
— Patrick Brown appeared at the CNE on Labour Day Monday with his family, followed by a Trinidad and Tobago Independence Day celebration, and a fundraising event to support Pakistani flood victims hosted by Senator Salma Ataullahjan and ICNA Relief Canada.
On the business end: Brown and councillors met with Brampton’s federal representatives on Tuesday for the city’s federal pre-budget briefing.
On Wednesday morning, he and Councillor Rowena Santos attended the opening of Toronto Metropolitan University’s new medical school campus in Brampton.
On Thursday, Brown met with Conservative leader Pierre Pollievre to discuss Brampton’s federal priorities, and then spoke at Unifor Local 1285’s event about protecting local manufacturing jobs.
— Premier Doug Ford announced two new construction contracts for Highway 413 — and faced fierce opposition from Caledon residents.
The proposed transit project, part of Bill 212, is poised to cut through 45 per cent of Caledon’s farmland. Critics say that the highway “goes against everything Caledon and the rural communities stand for,” encroaching on protected environmental land and landowners’ rights.
— Conservative leader Pierre Pollievre is calling on the federal government to end the Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) program, which he says has denied Canadians economic opportunities and “exploited” new immigrants — many of them arriving in the Peel.
— The Pointer reports on how Doug Ford’s new housing funds will still make the Peel Region foot the bill — and it still falls far short of what residents in these cities need. “Growth is no longer paying for growth,” said Councilor Natalie Hart, imploring the Ford government to fill the funding gap.
— GTA average home sale prices have dropped by 5.2 per cent from this time last year, according to the Toronto Regional Real Estate Board.
— In the Star, Collecdev Markee CEO Jennifer Keesmaat argues that public and private partnership, as seen with her company’s work with the City of Toronto, lays the path to solve the housing crisis.
— In the paper’s “Bridging the Divide” series, David Crombie and Matthew Cory debate the merits of protecting Greenbelt land as the Ford government rushes to fill a housing need.
— John W. Lane is joining the Town of Caledon as Director of Building Services and Chief Building Official. Lane, who’s also the incoming president of Ontario’s Building Officials Association, previously served in the same role in St. Catharines.
— The City of Mississauga is on the hunt for a new Director of Recreation and Culture.
Thank you for reading The Peel Report. Are you in favour of or against the Swan Lake plan? I want to hear from you and I’ll keep you anonymous. We’re back in your inbox on Monday.
Today’s newsletter was edited by Ahmad Elbayoumi. Have feedback? Send us an email.
In Caledon, the Swan Lake saga is more soap opera than ballet.
To recap: In May, Caledon mayor Annette Groves put forward a controversial by-law change that would permit construction fill dumping into the town’s 44-acre Greenbelt lake. The proposal inspired a local uproar at a town meeting, with many residents criticizing the harm this poses for the town’s vital groundwater supply.
The background: The land’s former owner, Warren Paving & Materials Group Limited, had voluntarily given up their aggregate licence, which allowed them to extract sand and gravel from the pit. Now, the new owner, a “prominent developer,” Nick Cortellucci, is looking to use excess soil from their projects to backfill and grade the ex-gravel pit.
The plan would require the Town’s approval. Under Caledon’s Fill By-law, importing soil to a site like Shaw’s Creek Road typically isn’t permitted — but a motion headed to Council would give the Director of Engineering authority to enter into a grading agreement with the developer.
Behind the scenes, Groves’ motion, proposed in May, struck some as “a bit odd and at the last possible moment.” It was introduced absent any formal application from the developer.
Groves ran into a wall of resistance from the community. In an email, one local advocate called the decision “reckless.” “The fill operation that this permit will be issued for will add hundreds of dump trucks to Highway 10 and Charleston Sideroad each week, fill a groundwater connected lake with potentially contaminated construction fill, destroy an aquatic naturalized space and saddle the surrounding rural residents with unending noise,” wrote Keirstyn Parfitt in an email. “All with zero input or information shared with the public”
A community meeting — initially scheduled for late July — was rescheduled for Wednesday, with only 20 minutes dedicated to discuss each of the five proposed by-law changes, including the fill-dumping measure.
That meeting, too, was scrapped. The by-law open house was rescheduled for Sept. 29. This date, too, could be changed.
Another wrinkle: On Monday, the Governance Review Committee will be presented with a report by Kevin Klingenberg and Alexandra Sheppard to update the Town’s Public Notice Policy, including the removal of the open house requirement as part of forthcoming public notices. Instead, by-law texts must be posted online 20 days in advance.
The report noted that open houses are “a definition and process unique to the Town of Caledon,” a feature added when the public notice rules were formalized last year.
What’s next: One source familiar warned that Monday’s meeting could be pivotal in deciding the fate of Swan Lake and the looming construction-fill by-law — testing the bounds of Groves’ authority and dictating what forum residents can voice their concerns in.
— With files from Ahmad Elbayoumi
Mississauga’s General Committee met on Wednesday. Here are the highlights:
— Council heard from representatives of Sheridan College’s Hazel McCallion campus about its upcoming Fourplex Housing Exhibit, showcasing designs that seek to inspire ideas around solutions for the city’s housing shortage.
— Council accepted a proposal from Bosnian community advocates to formally recognize the Srebrenica Genocide, through future public statements and educational programming. Council voted unanimously to forward the proposal to staff for further review.
— Ron Duquette, Founder of the Legends Row on the Mississauga Walk of Fame, presented this year’s inductees: world-renowned violinist Yi-Jia Susanne Hou, Toronto Raptors “super-fan” and philanthropist Nav Bhatia, breast cancer survivor and advocate Annie Parker and city builder Frank Giannone.
— Council approved a proposal to pre-authorize around $10.3 million in funding for a new fire truck fleet.
Over in Brampton, Committee of Council met on Wednesday.
— Martin Bohl, Sector Manager for City and Life Science, announced the opening of Toronto Metropolitan University’s new medical school, among other Health Tech initiatives for the coming months.
— Sunlife Homes, represented by president Larry Leece, and Weston consultants Jenna Thibault and Sarah Burjaw, presented a proposal to build 78 new affordable housing units in Brampton.
— Councillor Dennis Keenan requested a deferral of his motion for Senior Groups’ access to recreational facilities to the next meeting.
— Council passed an advocacy motion on housing-building incentives with a 7 to 11 vote.
Meanwhile, coming up this weekend:
— Friday: Deputy Mayor and Councillor John Kovac will be attending the opening of Sheridan’s Fourplex Housing Exhibit.
— Friday and Saturday: The Egyptian Coptic Festival is back at Celebration Square.
— Saturday at 11 a.m.: Councillor Alvin Tedjo is hosting a Summer Fest at Thornlodge Park. Expect free food, ice cream, and a swim for your pup! (The forecast is clear for Tedjo’s event — temperatures around 20°C).
— Saturday: Protesters pushing for better road safety will gather in Caledon, Brampton, and Vaughan.
— Friday, Saturday, and Sunday: World of Jazz Festival is on at Gage Park. Jamaica Day is taking place at Brampton Sports Park.
— Sunday at 1 p.m.: Councillor Michael Palleschi and Councillor Navjit Kaur Brar are hosting a grill-and-greet at Creditview Sandalwood Park.
— Patrick Brown appeared at the CNE on Labour Day Monday with his family, followed by a Trinidad and Tobago Independence Day celebration, and a fundraising event to support Pakistani flood victims hosted by Senator Salma Ataullahjan and ICNA Relief Canada.
On the business end: Brown and councillors met with Brampton’s federal representatives on Tuesday for the city’s federal pre-budget briefing.
On Wednesday morning, he and Councillor Rowena Santos attended the opening of Toronto Metropolitan University’s new medical school campus in Brampton.
On Thursday, Brown met with Conservative leader Pierre Pollievre to discuss Brampton’s federal priorities, and then spoke at Unifor Local 1285’s event about protecting local manufacturing jobs.
— Premier Doug Ford announced two new construction contracts for Highway 413 — and faced fierce opposition from Caledon residents.
The proposed transit project, part of Bill 212, is poised to cut through 45 per cent of Caledon’s farmland. Critics say that the highway “goes against everything Caledon and the rural communities stand for,” encroaching on protected environmental land and landowners’ rights.
— Conservative leader Pierre Pollievre is calling on the federal government to end the Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) program, which he says has denied Canadians economic opportunities and “exploited” new immigrants — many of them arriving in the Peel.
— The Pointer reports on how Doug Ford’s new housing funds will still make the Peel Region foot the bill — and it still falls far short of what residents in these cities need. “Growth is no longer paying for growth,” said Councilor Natalie Hart, imploring the Ford government to fill the funding gap.
— GTA average home sale prices have dropped by 5.2 per cent from this time last year, according to the Toronto Regional Real Estate Board.
— In the Star, Collecdev Markee CEO Jennifer Keesmaat argues that public and private partnership, as seen with her company’s work with the City of Toronto, lays the path to solve the housing crisis.
— In the paper’s “Bridging the Divide” series, David Crombie and Matthew Cory debate the merits of protecting Greenbelt land as the Ford government rushes to fill a housing need.
— John W. Lane is joining the Town of Caledon as Director of Building Services and Chief Building Official. Lane, who’s also the incoming president of Ontario’s Building Officials Association, previously served in the same role in St. Catharines.
— The City of Mississauga is on the hunt for a new Director of Recreation and Culture.
Thank you for reading The Peel Report. Are you in favour of or against the Swan Lake plan? I want to hear from you and I’ll keep you anonymous. We’re back in your inbox on Monday.
Today’s newsletter was edited by Ahmad Elbayoumi. Have feedback? Send us an email.
In Caledon, the Swan Lake saga is more soap opera than ballet.
To recap: In May, Caledon mayor Annette Groves put forward a controversial by-law change that would permit construction fill dumping into the town’s 44-acre Greenbelt lake. The proposal inspired a local uproar at a town meeting, with many residents criticizing the harm this poses for the town’s vital groundwater supply.
The background: The land’s former owner, Warren Paving & Materials Group Limited, had voluntarily given up their aggregate licence, which allowed them to extract sand and gravel from the pit. Now, the new owner, a “prominent developer,” Nick Cortellucci, is looking to use excess soil from their projects to backfill and grade the ex-gravel pit.
The plan would require the Town’s approval. Under Caledon’s Fill By-law, importing soil to a site like Shaw’s Creek Road typically isn’t permitted — but a motion headed to Council would give the Director of Engineering authority to enter into a grading agreement with the developer.
Behind the scenes, Groves’ motion, proposed in May, struck some as “a bit odd and at the last possible moment.” It was introduced absent any formal application from the developer.
Groves ran into a wall of resistance from the community. In an email, one local advocate called the decision “reckless.” “The fill operation that this permit will be issued for will add hundreds of dump trucks to Highway 10 and Charleston Sideroad each week, fill a groundwater connected lake with potentially contaminated construction fill, destroy an aquatic naturalized space and saddle the surrounding rural residents with unending noise,” wrote Keirstyn Parfitt in an email. “All with zero input or information shared with the public”
A community meeting — initially scheduled for late July — was rescheduled for Wednesday, with only 20 minutes dedicated to discuss each of the five proposed by-law changes, including the fill-dumping measure.
That meeting, too, was scrapped. The by-law open house was rescheduled for Sept. 29. This date, too, could be changed.
Another wrinkle: On Monday, the Governance Review Committee will be presented with a report by Kevin Klingenberg and Alexandra Sheppard to update the Town’s Public Notice Policy, including the removal of the open house requirement as part of forthcoming public notices. Instead, by-law texts must be posted online 20 days in advance.
The report noted that open houses are “a definition and process unique to the Town of Caledon,” a feature added when the public notice rules were formalized last year.
What’s next: One source familiar warned that Monday’s meeting could be pivotal in deciding the fate of Swan Lake and the looming construction-fill by-law — testing the bounds of Groves’ authority and dictating what forum residents can voice their concerns in.
— With files from Ahmad Elbayoumi
Mississauga’s General Committee met on Wednesday. Here are the highlights:
— Council heard from representatives of Sheridan College’s Hazel McCallion campus about its upcoming Fourplex Housing Exhibit, showcasing designs that seek to inspire ideas around solutions for the city’s housing shortage.
— Council accepted a proposal from Bosnian community advocates to formally recognize the Srebrenica Genocide, through future public statements and educational programming. Council voted unanimously to forward the proposal to staff for further review.
— Ron Duquette, Founder of the Legends Row on the Mississauga Walk of Fame, presented this year’s inductees: world-renowned violinist Yi-Jia Susanne Hou, Toronto Raptors “super-fan” and philanthropist Nav Bhatia, breast cancer survivor and advocate Annie Parker and city builder Frank Giannone.
— Council approved a proposal to pre-authorize around $10.3 million in funding for a new fire truck fleet.
Over in Brampton, Committee of Council met on Wednesday.
— Martin Bohl, Sector Manager for City and Life Science, announced the opening of Toronto Metropolitan University’s new medical school, among other Health Tech initiatives for the coming months.
— Sunlife Homes, represented by president Larry Leece, and Weston consultants Jenna Thibault and Sarah Burjaw, presented a proposal to build 78 new affordable housing units in Brampton.
— Councillor Dennis Keenan requested a deferral of his motion for Senior Groups’ access to recreational facilities to the next meeting.
— Council passed an advocacy motion on housing-building incentives with a 7 to 11 vote.
Meanwhile, coming up this weekend:
— Friday: Deputy Mayor and Councillor John Kovac will be attending the opening of Sheridan’s Fourplex Housing Exhibit.
— Friday and Saturday: The Egyptian Coptic Festival is back at Celebration Square.
— Saturday at 11 a.m.: Councillor Alvin Tedjo is hosting a Summer Fest at Thornlodge Park. Expect free food, ice cream, and a swim for your pup! (The forecast is clear for Tedjo’s event — temperatures around 20°C).
— Saturday: Protesters pushing for better road safety will gather in Caledon, Brampton, and Vaughan.
— Friday, Saturday, and Sunday: World of Jazz Festival is on at Gage Park. Jamaica Day is taking place at Brampton Sports Park.
— Sunday at 1 p.m.: Councillor Michael Palleschi and Councillor Navjit Kaur Brar are hosting a grill-and-greet at Creditview Sandalwood Park.
— Patrick Brown appeared at the CNE on Labour Day Monday with his family, followed by a Trinidad and Tobago Independence Day celebration, and a fundraising event to support Pakistani flood victims hosted by Senator Salma Ataullahjan and ICNA Relief Canada.
On the business end: Brown and councillors met with Brampton’s federal representatives on Tuesday for the city’s federal pre-budget briefing.
On Wednesday morning, he and Councillor Rowena Santos attended the opening of Toronto Metropolitan University’s new medical school campus in Brampton.
On Thursday, Brown met with Conservative leader Pierre Pollievre to discuss Brampton’s federal priorities, and then spoke at Unifor Local 1285’s event about protecting local manufacturing jobs.
— Premier Doug Ford announced two new construction contracts for Highway 413 — and faced fierce opposition from Caledon residents.
The proposed transit project, part of Bill 212, is poised to cut through 45 per cent of Caledon’s farmland. Critics say that the highway “goes against everything Caledon and the rural communities stand for,” encroaching on protected environmental land and landowners’ rights.
— Conservative leader Pierre Pollievre is calling on the federal government to end the Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) program, which he says has denied Canadians economic opportunities and “exploited” new immigrants — many of them arriving in the Peel.
— The Pointer reports on how Doug Ford’s new housing funds will still make the Peel Region foot the bill — and it still falls far short of what residents in these cities need. “Growth is no longer paying for growth,” said Councilor Natalie Hart, imploring the Ford government to fill the funding gap.
— GTA average home sale prices have dropped by 5.2 per cent from this time last year, according to the Toronto Regional Real Estate Board.
— In the Star, Collecdev Markee CEO Jennifer Keesmaat argues that public and private partnership, as seen with her company’s work with the City of Toronto, lays the path to solve the housing crisis.
— In the paper’s “Bridging the Divide” series, David Crombie and Matthew Cory debate the merits of protecting Greenbelt land as the Ford government rushes to fill a housing need.
— John W. Lane is joining the Town of Caledon as Director of Building Services and Chief Building Official. Lane, who’s also the incoming president of Ontario’s Building Officials Association, previously served in the same role in St. Catharines.
— The City of Mississauga is on the hunt for a new Director of Recreation and Culture.
Thank you for reading The Peel Report. Are you in favour of or against the Swan Lake plan? I want to hear from you and I’ll keep you anonymous. We’re back in your inbox on Monday.
Today’s newsletter was edited by Ahmad Elbayoumi. Have feedback? Send us an email.