March E Newsletter

Message From Your MPP

Dear Neighbors,

As the weather begins to warm up, we can feel the energy in the air and kid’s excitement in schools. I’m sure all the parents are equally excited for the relaxed and enjoyable March- Break.

The month of March also marks a remarkable opportunity to celebrate International Women’s Day, learning, acknowledging, and honoring the contributions and accomplishments of women in our province, our community, and our family. Our government is committed to building a world where women have access to the tools and opportunities required to unleash their full potential. A big shout out to Achēv Mississauga, and the other partner organizations across the province for providing much-needed resources through the Women’s Futures program.

Celebrating our beautiful diversity, I want to wish everyone Happy Bangladeshi, Hellenic, Persian, and Irish Heritage Month. The cultural inclusiveness of the province is our biggest strength, making Ontario the best place to live, work, and raise a family.

As part of our government’s efforts to connect communities, we are investing over $3.5 billion towards building and repairing provincial highways and bridges; while expanding the Hazel McCallion Line Light Rail Transit network that will connect Mississauga and Brampton like never before. Just in case you missed it, as of February 26, 2024, our government has implemented the new One Fare Program, eliminating double fares while transferring between MiWay, TTC, GO, and other transit agencies, saving daily commuters an average of $1,600 per year.

I want to thank everyone for attending this year’s Family Paint Night to create colorful memories over the canvas, making a loud and clear statement, “Mississauga-Malton got talent” Keep up the good work!

As always, my office is here to serve. Your input is invaluable, and together we can continue to make our community an even better place where lives thrive.

Sincerely,

MPP Deepak Anand

Remarkable Citizen Awards 2024

There are three types of people in this world. Those who make things happen, those who watch things happen, and those who wonder what happened.”

Mississauga-Malton is privileged to have dedicated volunteers and local heroes that makes our community a better place to live, work, and thrive. In recognition of these phenomenal contributors, MPP Anand created the “Remarkable Citizen” Awards in 2019.

If you know someone who is making a difference in the community or if your life has been touched by a volunteer, help us recognize them by nominating that selfless individual for this year.

Nominate Someone Here!

Family Paint Night 2024

Family Day is an opportunity to come together to celebrate the bonds that unite us,” said MPP Deepak Anand in his opening remark of the 6th Annual Family Day Paint Night, organized to bring families and friends together for an evening of artistic expression and community bonding over canvases with paints and brushes at Iceland Arena in Mississauga.

The air was filled with warmth and laughter from attendees of all ages, everyone immersed themselves in the joy of painting, creating vibrant masterpieces, and discovering the creative hidden talents of their loved ones. “I’ve been attending MPP Deepak Anand’s Family Paint Night every year, and every time, it’s a delightful experience. It’s a fantastic opportunity to connect with neighbors and unleash our creativity. I’m already looking forward to next year’s gathering,” said a resident.

The standout feature of the event was the enthusiasm of the children who showcased boundless creativity, painting their stories onto canvases and nurturing a spirit of togetherness. Moreover, attendees savored delectable snacks to complement the artistic atmosphere. It was a perfect time to explore the imagination and expressive abilities while creating memories that will last forever.

As the afternoon drew on, the celebration was graced with dignitaries including a former Senator Hon. Dr Asha Seth, Min. Stephen Lecce and MPP Sheref Sabawy, Councillors Dipika Damerla and Stephen Dasko, all of whom congratulated the residents of Mississauga-Malton for their talents and inspiring passion. A big shoutout to Fareeha Ahmed, a local art teacher for helping on the floor by showing aspiring painters new techniques to express themselves.

MPP Deepak Anand extended his heartfelt gratitude to all community members, volunteers, and office staff for their support and participation in turning this year’s Family Paint Night into a resounding success.

Investments In Ontario

$1.6 Billion is being invested to design and build two new buildings for the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) in Toronto.

This is the final phase of CAMH’s redevelopment plan to provide top-class mental health services and programming, and will come with an increased number of beds

$794 Million is being invested to build a new 15 storey tower expansion at Toronto Western Hospital.

This new tower will add 82 patient and critical care beds, 20 state-of-the-art operating rooms and new single-patient infection control rooms that will help serve more than 450,000 people.

$110 Million is being invested to connect over 300,000 people across the province to primary healthcare teams.

Interprofessional primary care teams connect people to a range of health professionals that works together under one roof, including doctors, nurse practitioners, registered and practical nurses, physiotherapists, social workers, dietitians, among others.

$13 Million in combined funding is being invested to boost efficiency in Ontario’s meat processing sector.

This funding will help 151 local meat processors and abattoirs upgrade their meat handling and processing equipment, technologies, and practices to improve production capacity and enhance competitiveness

$5.6 Million is being invested to expand pediatric services to provide children in Peel and Halton regions the care they need.

This funding will be used to expand access to children’s mental health services, children’s rehabilitation services, support transitions from in-home to hospital care and expand emergency department pediatric wings.

Updates From Queen’s Park

Black History Month

February was Black History Month! Throughout the month, Ontarians took time to connect, learn, and commemorate the incredible contributions of Black Ontarians towards Ontario’s success and prosperity. I would like to thank and recognize everyone at the Malton Black Development Association for all they do for the residents of our community.

Updating Ontario’s Curriculums

Black history is Canada’s history. That’s why our government is introducing new curriculum updates for students in Grades 7, 8, and 10 focusing on the exceptional stories, contributions, and patriotic services of the many Black Canadians who played vital roles in building Canada.

Click Here for Details

Investing In Black Youth Programming

Our government is investing an additional $16.5 million in Ontario’s Black Youth Action Plan. This funding will help support more than 20 community-based and culturally focused organizations across the province, that have a proven track record of empowering the success of youth and families.

This funding comes from the Economic Empowerment stream, designed to help Black youth and young professionals develop skills to help launch their careers in high-demand sectors such as the skilled trades, information technology, automotive, health, film and the arts.

Since 2020 over 5,000 Black youth and young professionals helped through the Economic Empowerment partners across the province including Accelerate Auto, a not-for-profit that has helped create a more diverse workforce in Ontario’s automotive sector by advancing career and networking opportunities for Black youth and young professionals.

Click Here for Details

Connecting Ontario

Expanding Transit in Mississauga and Brampton

Our government is committed to connecting Peel Region through reliable and affordable public transit.

In February, Premiere Ford confirmed plans to further expand the new Hazel McCallion Light Rail Transit from South Mississauga to Downtown Brampton.

This includes a four-kilometer extension from the Brampton Gateway Terminal as well as a two-kilometer extension loop around Mississauga City Centre to connect to the Square One Terminal.

Click Here for Details

Saving Ontarians Money on Transit

Ontario is connecting cities! As of February 26, transit riders are now able to transfer between major networks across the GTA for a single fair.

This includes @MiWayHelps @TTChelps @GOtransit @BramptonTransit & more saving daily commuters an avg. $1600/year!

How it works:

PRESTO automatically calculates a 100% discount and applies it to a PRESTO card, credit or debit card, or PRESTO in Google Wallet, when transit riders tap on and off with the same card.
Transfers are valid for two hours for trips started on local transit and within three hours of the start of a GO Transit trip.
Payment method used to tap and pay a fare is a customer’s proof of payment. Riders approached for fare inspection will need to tap the card, phone or watch used on the inspection device.
For trips connecting between TTC and GO Transit, the TTC component of the trip will become free, regardless of travel direction (cost of TTC trip is discounted from overall trip cost).
For trips connecting between TTC and local transit systems, the second portion of the trip will become free (first payment will enable a two-hour free transfer across all systems).

Click Here for Details

Keeping Our Roads Affordable

Making Driving More Affordable

Our government is saving drivers time and money with new legislation that will if passed:

•⁠ ⁠Automate the license renewal process

•⁠ ⁠Freeze license and photo card fees

•⁠ ⁠Ban future tolls on all provincial highways

Click Here for Details

Renew Your License Plate

Remember to renew your vehicle registration this year! Our govt has made life more affordable for Ontario’s over eight million vehicle owners by removing renewal fees, but to keep our roads safe, license plates must still be renewed online or at your local Service Ontario.

Click Here to Renew License Plates Online

You can also do many other Service Ontario processes online including:

Renew a driver’s license

Renew a health card

Renew an Ontario Photo Card

Stabilizing Post-Secondary Education

Ontario’s students are our province’s future!

Our government is committed to ensuring they have the tools and opportunities required to pursue meaningful and affordable post secondary education.

That’s why our government has introduced over $1.3 billion in new investments to support Ontario’s post-secondary institutions.

$903 Million to support sustainability and top up schools in financial need
$167.4 Million to support capital repairs
$65.4 Million to support research and innovation projects
$23 Million to enhance mental health supports
$15 Million for the new Efficiency & Accountability Fund ensuring standards are met
$10 Million to support small, northern and rural colleges

These investments come a long side multiple new changes to ensure Ontario students are receiving quality educational supports through the Strengthening Accountability and Student Supports Act, 2024, which will:

Strengthen Student Supports by requiring colleges and universities to have updated policies regarding combatting racism and supporting mental health and wellness.
Increase Integrity of Career Colleges by working with colleges and universities across the province to establish new standards for board members regarding financial literacy and risk management competency as well as improving oversight and enforcement efforts to ensure compliance in a timely measure.
Helping Students Find Jobs and Start Careers by allowing colleges to offer applied master’s degrees in areas of study that will help students graduate with the skills, expertise and credentials required for modern, in-demand careers such as advanced manufacturing, artificial intelligence and animation. This is accompanied by the launching of a new career portal that will help students and new comers better understand Ontario’s labour markets and career pathways.

Click Here for Details