Surprise press conference planned possibly about the exit of Mississauga from Peel
Published May 17, 2023 at 6:24 pm
As rumours swirl around Mississauga’s long-debated exit from Peel Region, Mayor Bonnie Crombie has announced a surprise press conference for tomorrow afternoon.
The announcement is vague, saying only the Crombie and Council will “provide an update provide an update on Mississauga” on May 18 at 3:30 p.m.
However, the announcement comes amid a period of raucous discussion about the city’s future as a part of Peel Region. Crombie has long pushed for the exit from Peel, saying “divorce proceedings are underway” back in March.
She has argued Mississauga’s more than 830,000 residents don’t need a two-tier municipality, no to be part of a Peel Region “mega-city” with partners Brampton and Caledon. She has stressed her expectation the move would save Mississauga’s taxpayers around $1 billion a year. The city is the seventh largest in Canada.
However, Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown was a little less optimistic about Mississauga’s expected savings. He said his city would be “outraged” in their counterpart bailed on the region “without paying their bill” for their shared assets, though he does support the split in principle.
Crombie has mentioned a desire for a fair divorce saying, “Let’s call it divorce proceedings; who owns what and who gets an equitable share of the proceeds.”
Videos
The separation received renewed attention last week after Ontario Premier Doug Ford came to Brampton for an announcement. He said he too supported the split, but echoed Brown’s concern about its fairness.
Days later, Ford swung by Mississauga for a visit and said, “I’ve always been for an independent Mississauga,” adding “You can’t have a city the size of Mississauga, close to 800,000 people and it’s continuing to grow, being tied into other jurisdictions.”
insauga's Editorial Standards and Policies advertising