Ward 9 Update November 2018

November 5, 2018

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Dear Neighbour:

I want to start by thanking all of you for your amazing support in my re-election. I am so happy to be back for another term doing what I love so much - serving the residents of Ward 9. This is my 9th term serving Ward 9 and I am proud of how much we have accomplished working together for our communities of Meadowvale and Central Erin Mills.

Although we had a lower than expected turnout, I am very pleased with the mandate you have again given me and the trust you have placed in me is so much appreciated. Thank you to all my helpers as and to the many residents who took election signs showing your support. I am glad many were able to join me at the Election Night Victory party including my youngest fans from the LeBlanc family.

Now that the elections are over, I am resuming my usual e-newsletters. This one is a bit late so you will see two in November as I catch up.

I am very excited that the Johnny Bower Rink 1 dedication went so well. Many thanks to city staff, especially Communications and Arena staff and the Meadowvale Minor Hockey Association for partnering with me in this special event.

Our first Council meeting will be held on November 28 and the new Council inaugural is on December 3 for the city and December 6 for the region. Then we get to work on budget and planning our priorities for the next four years.

I want to wish everyone celebrating Diwali this week a happy celebration.

Please join me at the Streetsville Cenotaph on November 11 at 11 am to pay tribute to those who fought so we could live in peace. We need to always remember them and their sacrifices.

In the event that you are unable to view this e-newsletter please note that there is always a link on the front page of my website .

As always, my staff and I are here to help you with any City or Regional issues. Just send me an email to pat.saito@mississauga.ca or call 905-896-5900 and check the Ward 9 website at ward9.ca for ongoing updates.

Pat

Upcoming Projects and Activities

This is a brief update on some of the projects I am continuing to work on. Please email me if you have any questions.

Citizen Committees

We value and depend on citizens to become involved in the city. One of the main ways you can do this is to sit on one of the citizen committees. It is such an honour for me to serve on many of these with dedicated and engaged citizens. We depend on their feedback and input on many issues.

The Clerk’s Office will be accepting applications for appointments to committees of Council beginning on Tuesday, November 29, 2018 – Friday, January 4th, 2019. Please visit this webpage for information: http://www.mississauga.ca/portal/cityhall/citizenappointments

In addition, the Clerk’s Office will be hosting an open house in the Great Hall on November 29th between 6-8pm to provide information to the public about the committees and application process.I am meeting with staff to review plans to redesign Glen Erin Drive between Britannia and Aquitaine to add fully protected bike lanes, parking and make the street safer for pedestrians. I will be holding a public session in 2019 to discuss and get input.

Nardini's Spa in Meadowvale Town Centre is celebrating 40 years in Meadowvale on November 8.

I am meeting with MCC and city Culture staff to plan some activities on the front portion of the Meadowvale Community Centre. I want to energize this area and input and ideas are welcome.

We continue to work on Future Directions..the 5 year plan for recreation services. I will keep pushing for a senior's social facility in the northwest as I have been doing for some time. It did make it into the last planning time frame but we need to work harder to make it happen. I hope to partner with health providers on this and have had several meetings.

I will be at the Mississauga Board of Trade Business Awards dinner this month. I am cheering on our local successful business MindShare that is up for an award.

Our first City Council meeting is on November 28 and I have a list of requests for upcoming reports. These include issues related to off leash parks, road safety, hard surface summer maintenance, cannabis bylaws to name just a few. After the Inaugural on December 3, we will be starting into budget and appointing Councillors to various committees. I will once again be asking to serve on the Road Safety, Tourism Board, Accessibility and Economic Development Committees.

I will also be scheduling meetings with our planners to discuss new and upcoming applications for development. Then I will schedule public sessions in the new year.

Johnny Bower Rink Dedication

Thank you to all who joined me, the Bower family and Meadowvale Minor Hockey Association on October 28 to dedicate Rink 1 at Meadowvale 4 Rinks in honour of Johnny Bower.

A legend in Maple Leafs hockey, Johnny was also a Mississauga resident, a humanitarian, loving husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather. He mentored so many young skaters and hockey plays mainly right here in Ward 9 at Four Rinks. I am proud to have known him as a friend.

It was an honour to partner with the Meadowvale Minor Hockey Association to name Rink 1 "Johnny Bower Rink 1" and to have his family there to join with our community in this recognition.

Meadowvale Character Area Study Session 2

Thank you to the residents who spent their Saturday helping us plan the future of Meadowvale

Session 2 was held on November 3 and consisted of a bus and walking tour in the morning followed by a discussion session in the afternoon.

There were so many great ideas generated and I look forward to the report coming in the new year. This was the second session. Session 1 was attended by over 120 people with 33 taking part on Saturday. There will be more opportunity for further input.

T his process will help us determine what policy changes we need to make so we can respond fully to future applications for infill development which will have increased densities. It is important to set these policies and having citizen input is paramount to success.

Nicola Hall wins award

Meadowvale resident Nicky Hall was awarded the Natural Heritage Award on October 25 at The Credits. Nicky was nominated by fellow naturalist Patrick Kelly and I also provided information supporting her nomination.

Nicky is the driving force behind the Lake Wabukayne Stewardship group The Friends of Wabukayne. She works tirelessly to support projects and initiatives to protect the lake, including the wildlife and plants. She is so deserving of this award and I am very proud to know and work with her.

Visit Lake Wabukayne to see some of Nicky's projects such as the butterfly garden, bee motel and more.

City Staffer Retires

It was an honour to attend the retirement gathering for one of our long time Clerks office staffers. Mumtaz Alikhan served the city well for over 25 years. I worked with her during her entire time here. I hope she enjoys her retirement - she earned it.

Our Councils depend a lot on our Clerk's office staff. They coordinate meetings and all of our committees as well as running elections. Many work behind the scenes providing the essential support we need to do our jobs efficiently.

Angel Hugs Keeps on Giving

For more than 20 years the members of the local Angel Hugs group has been knitting and crocheting items for those in need - either because of economic or other circumstances such as illness or just having a baby. Each piece is crafted with love and caring and has a hug built right into it. These wonderful residents are the true meaning of giving. It was an honour to drop into their Open House on November 4th to thank them for all they do.

A Taste of Eden supports local Foodbank

On October 19, I joined several of my colleagues at a Taste of Eden. Supporting our citizens who need to use food banks is very important. This is the major fundraiser for Eden Food for Change and I am proud to be a long time supporter.

Maplewood School's Harvest Tea

This year's Maplewood School's Harvest Tea on October 19 introduced new principal Jill Pattison. Previous Principal Neil Garroway dropped by as well. Neil is now Principal at Shelter Bay so he is still in our community. It is a lovely way to start the day handing out coffee, tea and hot chocolate to parents and students before school starts. Trustee Nokha Dakroub and I had a nice time welcoming Jill to our community.

Councillor Pat Saito | City of Mississauga | 905-896-5900 | pat.saito@mississauga.ca | ward9.ca