Ontario Ban on Door-to-Door Sales in Effect as of March 1st As of today, March 1, 2018, Ontario will ban unsolicited, door-to-door sales of certain household appliances to better protect consumers from aggressive and misleading contracting at home. This was an initiative that I first championed in 2015 here in the City of Mississauga, that soon saw other municipalities follow suit. I am pleased that the provincial government has now enacted a province-wide ban so that that homeowners know their rights when it comes to door-to-door sales. For more information, please visit here.

Launch of the 2018 Small Project Matching Grants Programs The City is pleased to launch the City of Mississauga’s 2018 Small Project Matching Grants Program . The program is exclusively open to Affiliated and Recognized Community Groups who are in good standing with the City’s Community Group Support Program (Policy 08-01-01). The Small Project Matching Grants Program provides funds for projects that strengthen neighbourhoods, increase resident engagement and enhance opportunities for Mississauga residents to participate in events and activities at the neighbourhood level. The program originated in 2017 and we had great response. The first deadline to apply is March 31, 2018 at 4:30 pm. Applicants can request between $250 - $2,500 for a new initiative that will be implemented and completed in 2018. Applicants are required to match funds requested from the City with the equivalent value of volunteer time ($14/per hour – minimum wage) and/or other in-kind donations or funds. Affiliated and Recognized Community Groups can also sponsor a project for a group that is not registered under the Community Group Support Program.   For more information about this grant opportunity, including the program guidelines, how to apply and examples of previously funded projects visit our website mississauga.ca/portal/residents/community-groups-grants-funding or contact grants.coordinator@mississauga.ca .

Innovative Dog Waste Containers in Mississauga Parks The City of Mississauga is launching a one-year pilot program that will convert dog waste into renewable energy and fertilizer. Fifteen in-ground dog waste containers will be installed across eight City parks including the Animal Services facility this spring. These fully in-ground concrete containers can hold dog waste for up to six weeks. The waste will then be emptied by a vacuum truck and taken to an organic waste plant where it will be safely converted into energy and fertilizer. For more information, visit here .

No Loss of Life is Acceptable - Vision Zero Road Safety Approach Approved by Council Council passed a resolution in February to adopt Vision Zero , a framework which focuses on the prevention of fatalities and injuries due to motor vehicle collisions. Support for the program was initially brought forward by the recently reinstated Road Safety Committee which approved adopting the framework to make Mississauga roads safer to drive, walk and cycle on. I am privileged to sit on this committee.

Many Canadian municipalities have adopted Vision Zero including, Toronto, Hamilton, Edmonton and most recently, the Region of Peel in December 2017. By adopting Vision Zero , staff will start to look at major arterial roadways.These potential changes may not be popular with people that want to zip through a community without any consideration for pedestrians or cyclists.   Road safety is a primary concern. In addition to our recently developed Road Safety Program , we will begin developing a work plan that will lay out how we will achieve Vision Zero through education, enforcement and engineering and what resources will be required to do so.

Waste 101  Q's & As Q: Is there any easy way to figure out whether or not an item is recyclable? A: Yes! Use our handy Where Does It Go tool at peelregion.ca/waste  Still not sure? Phone us at 905-791-9499. Q: When will yard waste collection begin in 2018?

A: Yard waste collection starts again during the week of Monday, March 12. Visit peelregion.ca/waste and use When Does It Go to check your waste collection calendar. Remember that yard waste must be at the curb by 7 a.m. on your collection day, and it should be placed in acceptable containers (labelled ‘yard waste’) and/or bags.   Q:  How do I properly dispose of plastic shopping bags? A: When it comes to recycling, shopping bags are tricky. Here’s what to do: throw your recyclables into your cart LOOSE. Don’t tie them in plastic shopping bags. If you have lots of plastic shopping bags to dispose of, gather them up in one plastic shopping bag, tie that bag and put it in your recycling cart. A bag of bags is permitted.   Q: The waste sorter tool says that my item is considered Household Hazardous Waste. Is there somewhere in Peel Region I can go to safely dispose of it? A: Yes! You can take your hazardous waste to one of the six Community Recycling Centres in Peel Region. Go to peelregion.ca/waste/community-recycling-centres to find the Centre closest to you. In Ward 2, the nearest centre is the Battleford Community Recycling Centre .

March Break Camps The City of Mississauga operates over 1400 Summer Camps, 60 March Break Camps and Winter Camps, too. Experience over 38 state of the art facilities to choose from throughout Mississauga's Community Centres, Arenas, Pools, Museums, Heritage Buildings and specialty sporting locations. We offer the widest variety of camps available, focused around the themes of Creative, Learning, Sports, Swimming and Skating. Plan ahead and register for weeks of camp with us when school's out over the Winter holidays, March break and Summer. It's a wonderful opportunity for kids to stay local, meet new friends, try new things and have fun all day, doing activities they love! Find out more about our camps in the tabs above . For more information, visit here .

Free Seminar at Lorne Park Library Join Birnie Home Safe for an important electrical safety discussion. Our homes are getting older so what does this mean for the electrical? Find out how to detect hidden electrical hazards and how to protect your home from an electrical hazard fire. The Mississauga Fire Department will also take the stage, as a guest speaker, to talk about fire safety. For more information, visit here.

Upcoming Community Events and Meetings Development Application at 2270 Speakman Drive Community Meeting: March 7th, 6:30 pm - 8 pm, Olive Grove School - 2300 Speakman Drive - Gym Youth Volunteer Fair presented by the Clarkson Community Centre and Library: March 6th, 3 pm- 5 pm, Lobby of Clarkson Community Centre and Library, for more information, please visit here. Maple Magic: March 10th - 18th, Bradley Museum, daily activities run daily from 12 pm - 4 pm, for more information, please visit here. March Break Camps at the Living Arts Centre: March 12th -16th, for more information, please visit here. Bell Mobility Replacement Tower Community Meeting: April 4th, 7 pm - 8:30 pm, Lorne Park Secondary School in the Lecture Hall. Please Note: The applicant is proposing to move the tower from the north-east side of the railroad tracks across the street to the plaza located at 1150 Lorne Park Road.