Premier on ‘wrong side’ of speed camera issue; Mississauga fights to keep devices operating

Convinced Ontario Premier Doug Ford “is on the wrong side” of the debate over automated speed enforcement cameras, Mississauga plans to further pressure the province to allow the devices to remain in school zones.

Rather than pausing the City of Mississauga’s ASE camera program pending a final decision by the provincial government on banning the devices across Ontario, city council on Wednesday decided instead to proceed full steam ahead with efforts to keep the roadside anti-speeding tools in operation permanently in front of schools.

On the heels of a “strong letter” sent to Ford late last month imploring him to reconsider his decision to ban the devices he views as a “cash grab,” Mayor Carolyn Parrish suggested on Wednesday another letter from the city be sent to MPPs telling them how effective the speed camera program has been in Mississauga and pushing them to introduce an amendment to proposed legislation that would allow the cameras to remain in school zones.

Mississauga’s mayor, councillors and senior city staff say numbers produced by the enforcement program since it was launched in Mississauga in 2021 clearly show the speed cameras have been effective in reducing the speed of drivers in community safety zones near schools.

Mississauga Deputy Mayor and Ward 8 Coun. Matt Mahoney says Ontario Premier Doug Ford is “on the wrong side” of the speed camera issue.

Numerous other municipalities have also been vocal in their opposition to Ford’s plan to scrap ASE cameras everywhere in the province.

Mississauga Deputy Mayor and Ward 8 Coun. Matt Mahoney said Canada’s seventh-largest city and other Ontario municipalities are largely united in the fight to keep the ASE camera program in place — particularly as it relates to school zones.

“I don’t want to be the first municipality getting off this train,” Mahoney said Wednesday in response to a motion from Ward 11 Coun. Brad Butt suggesting Mississauga pause its speed camera program until the proposed bill to ban the devices goes through the legislative process at Queen’s Park.

Mahoney said the proposed provincial legislation has not yet been approved and in the meantime Mississauga must keep its cameras active and continue to push for the program to remain in place in school zones.

Premier Ford “is on the wrong side of this” and he should do a “pivot and a tweak” to allow the cameras in school zones, the deputy mayor added, further noting Ford’s own base “is against him on this issue.”

Mississauga, meanwhile, is a “shining star” in how it operates its ASE camera initiative, said Mahoney, and the Premier could effectively use that example “as an off-ramp” away from banning speed cameras altogether.

Ward 5 Coun. Natalie Hart agreed, saying “this provincial government has shown a willingness” to reverse course on previous issues if they’re hearing “loud and clear” opposition.

She added she doesn’t want to eliminate an effective speed enforcement tool “a minute before we have to.”

The proposed legislation to ban speed cameras across Ontario was introduced on Monday after Ford had earlier complained the devices are simply a “cash grab” and need to go.

In defending his motion to pause the ASE camera program in Mississauga until the proposed legislation has been dealt with, Butt said he’s convinced the province will not backtrack on efforts to ban the cameras province-wide.

“This program is gone,” he said. “It’s a done deal. The reality is this program is ending … and I don’t think we should spend one more penny” when the cameras will likely be banned in a month or so.

Butt suggested that as long as the cameras remain active, many or most offenders will fight their tickets in the coming weeks, using Ford’s position on the devices as defence in their cases.

Under the Ontario government’s proposed plan, a provincial fund will help municipalities implement alternative road safety measures such as speed bumps, roundabouts, raised crosswalks and curb extensions, as well as public education and improved signage, to slow down drivers in the absence of speed cameras.

If passed, the proposed legislation will ban the use of ASE cameras immediately.