Doug Ford Won't Let Mississauga Divorce Brampton & The Mayor Isn't Happy
The Ontario Government announced on October 25th, 2019, that it would be keeping the province regional government intact while providing funding to municipalities to govern their own affairs. The move has spurred mixed reactions from Mississauga and Brampton, with the former being disappointed by the decision and the later being relieved. Earlier this year, Mississauga was looking to separate from Brampton, as it didn't want to be part of the Region of Peel.
According to Insauga, the announcement comes after a year-long examination into the efficiency of regional government in Peel, Durham, York, Halton, Niagara, Waterloo, Muskoka, and Simcoe Country.
While Mississauga was hoping it would be able to convince Queen's Park from separating from Brampton, it seems that Ford had other ideas.
Bonnie Crombie, the mayor of Mississauga, expressed her disappointment following Ford’s decision to keep the Region of Peel.
"After a year of waiting for the results of the province's regional governance review, I'm extremely disappointed that the province has decided to maintain the status quo on regional governance," Crombie wrote on Twitter.
"While this is not the outcome Mississauga had hoped for, we accept the province's decision and will continue to work with our colleagues in Brampton and Caledon, and staff at the Region to ensure good government continues for the residents of Peel and Mississauga,” the statement added.
However, unlike Mississauga, the City of Brampton rejoiced in the new, praising the regional government system for working well with both cities.
"Brampton city council's resolution in May 2019 was clear that maintaining the current structure helps protect the best interest of Peel Region taxpayers. This decision was based on two independent financial reports, which showed the continuation of pooling resources through the Region protects the taxpayer, and we thank Premier Ford for putting the taxpayer first," Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown said in a statement.
Mississauga had previously tried to convince Queen's Park to allow it to separate from the region, the city fought so hard for it, that it even garnered the nickname "MissExit.”
Ford responded by announcing the regional governance review. Crombie argued on Friday that there are significant issues at the Region of Peel.
"Over the last year, study after study has shown that Mississauga is not getting a fair deal from the Region - the governance and financial model is broken," Crombie wrote.
However, it seems that Mississauga will have to learn to become friends with their Brampton neighbours, as they will be part of the Peel Region for the time being.
There are stories everywhere. If you spot a newsworthy event in your city, send us a message, photo, or video @NarcityCanada on Twitter and Instagram.