Transit fare for Seniors

You may have heard or read in the news that my Council colleagues and I have been debating the issue of reduced transit fares for seniors in Mississauga. In a nutshell, the recommendation would allow seniors to ride MiWay buses for $1 during off-peak hours. Staff estimate that the cost (or rather the lost revenue) of such a plan is between $1.0 and $1.4 million annually although some Councillors would argue that it is much lower.

(pic: www.mississauga.ca)

Opponents to the idea suggest that some seniors who can already afford the regular fare would unnecessarily benefit at the expense of other low income riders such as single moms or the under-employed who then might need to offset the loss through a future fare increase.

Those in favour suggest that this discount will target seniors who can’t afford to own their own vehicle or who are unable to drive and are otherwise housebound.  Reports indicate that loneliness or social isolation can lead to depression, and mental or physical illness. My Council colleagues putting forward the recommendation also say that the City of Brampton already implemented a $1.00 seniors fare in 2011 and it is working well so far.

The matter has been deferred until a report comes back from the Region of Peel regarding a pilot project on reduced fares for low income riders that is just about completed. I’m looking forward to reviewing this report as I believe it will provide valuable information into our discussion.

In the meantime, I would also like to hear from you. Please provide your comments below.

Home Sweet Home, Home Safe Home

Home is considered to be the sweetest and safest place for any one. Whether you come home from a late night party, a long day, or an overseas trip, there’s an instant feeling of calm and security the moment you enter your place. But what if this peace and security is being threatened by unwanted visitors – the persistent salespersons? 

Even though Safe City research has indicated that Mississauga continues to be one of the safest cities in Canada to live, residents of Churchill Meadows area have recently complained about dubious salespersons knocking doors at random hours of the day under the pretext of sales or services. These individuals are typically wearing uniform-like clothes and might carry fake ID cards representing some vague department rather than a company. 

The Ward 10 office has alerted police and they are patrolling the community more often in the day and evening, paying attention to any suspicious activity. Have you encountered anything similar?  Share with us your experience and how you handled the incident. 

Meanwhile, here are few tips on keeping your home and community safe:

#1: Have a Visitor-Response Plan

• Make sure all members living at home know what to do when the doorbell rings. 
• Let each other know when a visitor is expected. 
• Establish the ground rules for children to stay away from the door when the bell rings until they have your instructions. 
• Ensure that elderly people are aware of emergency protocols should they feel bullied by an unwanted visitor.
  

#2: Pre-Arrange Service/Sale Visits

Don’t let a salesperson into your home without a pre-arranged appointment. You have the right to refuse to let people into your dwelling. 

#3: Join the Neighbourhood Watch Program

Stats have shown that implementing Neighbourhood Watch can reduce crime by 26%. Is your neighbourhood or street enrolled in the program? If not, you can register to participate by filling an online form at http://safecitymississauga.on.ca/programs/neighbourhood-watch/

#4: Inform the Police

Remember that safety is a shared responsibility. By reporting suspicious activities in your neighbourhood to police, you are ensuring safety for yourself, your family and your community and you aid police in their monitoring and enforcement efforts. 

Let me know if this information helped you. 

Stay Warm, Stay Safe, Be Prepared, Learn First Aid

Unbelievable, but the extreme temperatures have broken more than four decades of records for frigid weather in GTA. Not only have we received lots of snow, but the Region has been under a cold alert for a total of 30 days already. Such weather conditions give rise to emergencies that can happen anywhere and at any time. These could be natural or medical emergencies. How can we be prepared? This blog speaks to first aid and other medical tactics that can be helpful in such extreme weather.

Whether one is waiting for public transit, shovelling snow, or working outdoors, hypothermia or frost bite is a very real threat. Hypothermia is a medical emergency that occurs when your body loses heat faster than it can produce heat, causing a dangerously low body temperature which can affect the heart, nervous system and other organs. It is primarily caused by exposure to cold weather.  I’m sharing a few tips on how to stay safe this winter.

1.       Keep track of weather conditions through updates from radio, television and internet. Remember to dress adequately, and use the right transportation for the weather.

2.       Keep a 3D Survival Kit at home and in your vehicle. Do you know what goes inside this kit? Everything that will help you survive for a few days should you be stranded in the cold or stuck at home. You can learn more about the 3D Survival Kit  at http://www.sja.ca/English/Community-Services/Pages/Emergency%20Response/Survival-3D.aspx

3.       A first aid kit is important to have whether you are at home, work or on the road. There are different kinds of kits to suit your needs and you can check with your local Mississauga branch of St. John Ambulance to learn more. First aid kits are also available at pharmacies or departmental stores.

4.       Next, I would highly recommend getting First Aid and CPR training.  You never know when you might need to save a loved one’s life. Let’s not forget that when the weather is bad, even the ambulances can take a bit longer than usual to respond. Knowing first aid and CPR can make a huge difference during a medical emergency. If you are an employer, it’s a good idea to ensure that you have a first-aid trained worker available at work at all times when work is in progress.

February is heart month. What could be better than learning the skills to save a heart! Learn CPR. Learn first aid. You can take a course from a variety of organizations like St. John Ambulance,  Red Cross Society, Heart and Stroke Foundation, Life Saving Society, to name a few. They even offer courses for children. Do you have more tips on medical emergencies or a life-saving story to share? Please comment below.

And the next time you are thinking about what to do on a cold winter day in Mississauga, go ahead and book yourself for a First Aid course!

Our Flag Turns 50 This Year

 

“The flag is the symbol of the nation's unity, for it, beyond any doubt, represents all the citizens of Canada without distinction of race, language, belief or opinion.”

                                                    - Maurice Bourget (1965)

 

Each year as we approach the National Flag of Canada Day, I’m reminded of these words by Maurice Bourget, the Speaker of the Senate at the official inaugural ceremony of the Canadian Flag in 1965. I truly believe that our national flag reminds us of our nation’s unity, and our commitment as Canadian citizens to our great country's well-being.

The National Flag of Canada was approved by Parliament in 1964 and proclaimed by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II to take effect on February 15, 1965. It is a red flag, twice as long as it is wide, containing in its centre a white square bearing a red maple leaf. Red and white are Canada's official colours and, with the maple leaf, are the symbolic elements found in the Canadian flag.

Do you know the story behind our national flag?

The maple leaf had long been an important part of the Aboriginal lifestyle because of the maple sap they used to gather every spring. Sometime around 1860, the maple leaf was adopted as the national emblem. Later, in 1921, the colours, red and white were approved as Canada's official colours in the proclamation of the royal arms of Canada by King George V. In 1964, Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson strongly advocated the need to have a distinctive national flag as a symbol of unified Canada. Soon after, a committee was formed and the search for the Canadian flag initiated.

Every year, we celebrate the National Flag of Canada Day with great enthusiasm. This year marks 50 years since the flag was first hoisted at the Parliament Hill. MP Brad Butt will be hosting a special ceremony on Sunday, February 15, 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm at Streetsville Village Square to celebrate this 50th anniversary. I hope you can attend.

Have a wonderful family day weekend... and Happy Valentine's Day too! 

Ninth Line Corridor - A Gateway Into Mississauga!

In one of my previous posts, I mentioned about new projects in Ward 10 in 2015. One of those long-awaited ones is the development project of the Ninth Line Corridor.

Since Mississauga annexed this strip of land from the Town of Milton in 2010—and even before, I have been working closely with our community and city officials discussing the needs of our residents, the expansion of our city vs. the lacking infrastructure, the best uses for these new lands, the process for zoning and amendments to the City’s Official Plan, and so forth. We held meetings, commissioned surveys and organized public forums and, most recently, started with the visioning workshops last spring.

I couldn’t have been happier when the project review study finally got started. Yes, the region is investing in this area, in its future and in our future! One of the reasons I’m very excited about this project is because of its strategic positioning. The Ninth Line Corridor Development Project presents us with a very wonderful opportunity of building a gateway into Mississauga from the west. It means so much for our ward residents in the context of increased open spaces, active and passive recreational amenities, jobs, some housing and… well… you fill in the blank! I’ve heard from residents who want bike paths, walking trails, off-leash dog parks, community gardens and picnic areas. Finally there’s a possibility to accommodate all these and much more including places of religious assembly. We have a chance to build something bold and beautiful on this edge of the city!

You will have ample opportunity to contribute your thoughts and ideas to the development process of these 865 acres of land, bordered by Ninth Line, Hwy 401 and Hwy 407 and at the Hwy 407/Ninth Line crossover in the southern point. It is important to have your voices heard to make it a success. Another public engagement session is planned for later this spring, following the review of the transitway alignment by the Province of Ontario.

In the meantime, I want to hear from you now. Tweet/DM me, post on my FB page, email me or leave your comments here. Let’s get involved. Let’s keep the conversation going.

Are you ready for the Bi-weekly Waste Collection Program?

As residents of Ward 10, we don’t always agree on everything, but I believe we all want a safe and enjoyable future for ourselves, our children and the generations to come.  One area where we are conscious of conserving the environment and ensuring long-term sustainability is to do with how we handle our waste. In the not-too-distant past, we have taken steps as individuals and as a community to manage our consumption and waste-collection. Peel pioneered in this direction in 1994 by rolling out a bi-weekly organics recycling program in Caledon. This was followed by the weekly organic recycling pilot project launched in 2002 to 1700 households in parts of Brampton, Mississauga and Caledon. Now it is time to get ready for the new bi-weekly garbage collection program to be launched in 2016 for more than 333,000 households in the Region of Peel.

One of the keys goals for moving to this new program is to divert a lot more of our waste from the garbage dump to recyclables. Many of us are still not using the green bins for our organics (compost). It is time that we learn about the waste we create, how it is collected and managed by the municipality and transformed into renewable energy; and how this waste impacts our immediate environment – our soil, groundwater, and other natural resources. And, of course, we know that waste collection has fiscal implications too. How much we collect and how we process eventually impacts the Region’s finances. The bi-weekly cart-based waste collection will help waste diversion, which in turn will reduce waste production and the expense incurred to manage it.

The new program will start in January 2016. In preparation, residents will choose the cart sizes appropriate for their needs. You can do this online at www.PeelRegion.ca/carts. If you want to physically see the carts prior to making your selection, visit an open house organized in your area – March 5 at Erin Meadows Community Centre or March 10 at Lisgar Middle School. These carts won’t cost you anything as long as you make your selection before March 31, 2015. There are many online resources available to find more information. Read more at the Region’s web page dedicated to this program. http://prd.app1.peelregion.ca/cart-confirmation/?utm_source=massmedia&utm_medium=direct&utm_campaign=biweekly

 You can also visit http://www.mississaugaward10.ca/ to find out more about the Open House in your area. Please don’t hesitate to call us, email us or even post your questions and comments right here.