September E-News letter
Message From Your MPP
Dear Friends and Neighbours,
With the changing leaves and crisp air, as the new school year approaches, I am thrilled to extend my warmest wishes to all students, parents, teachers, and education staff across our vibrant community.
For those who are pursuing post-secondary education, this week marks the final days before students engage in new academic pursuits. As a father of a university-going daughter, I truly understand the bittersweet emotion, knowing the depth of pride and joy it brings to see her embrace a more self-reliant life.
I wish all students the best of success for a brighter future!
September also marks the celebration of Labour Day! Perfect time to honour the dedicated individuals empowering our nation. Their resilience and innovation drives progress. As your representative, I’m committed to working together to help support our residents with the training needed to have a career you’ll never trade. Our government is pleased to announce the 4th round of the Skills Development Fund (SDF) with an additional infusion of $160 million. This will prioritize innovative training programs to help individuals secure meaningful employment.
My team and I are here for you – to listen, to advocate, and to champion the causes that matter most to the community. Please reach out to my office at (905)696-0367 for your ideas, concerns, and aspirations.
I want to extend a warm invitation to you for a delightful celebration for Thanksgiving at Illumi in Mississauga on October 1st. Looking forward to an evening of good food, great conversations, and the spirit of thankfulness.
Warm regards,
MPP Deepak Anand for Mississauga – Malton
Deepak Anand
Community Office Updates
Join me Saturday, October 1, 2023, starting at 5:30 pm for a dazzling celebration of Thanksgiving. This year we will be gathering as a community to reflect on all we have to be thankful for and celebrate the holiday spirit together at Illumi, Mississauga’s “dazzling world of lights” located at 7174 Derry Crest Drive.
We will have food, activities, and access to 13 magical universes created with over 20 Million brilliant lights.
Free and Open to All!
This fall, Level Up! is back and bigger than ever with more events in more locations across the province from September to November. This Ontario-wide, multi-day career fair brings together the best in skilled trades professionals from industry organizations, post-secondary institutions, businesses, associations and more!
Level Up! gives students ages 12-18 hands-on demonstrations and discussions with industry experts to find out what it’s really like working in one of Ontario’s more than 140 different skilled trades.
Attendance is free and no registration is required!
Looking to make a difference and see democracy in action?
Volunteer at my constituency office and complete your 40 hours while witnessing firsthand how decisions are made!
Sign up below, or call our office for details at 905-696-0367.
Investments In Ontario
Updates from Queen’s Park
More Manufacturing Jobs in Ontario!
The Ontario Government has been working hard to provide more well-paying jobs. Within the last month, the number of jobs in the manufacturing sector has increased by 7,800. This makes a total of over 820,000 manufacturing employment opportunities in Ontario, a record number that has not been seen since December 2008.
This has been done through two different investments: Ontario’s Memorandum of Understanding with Michigan and the Regional Development Program.
Ontario’s Memorandum of Understanding with Michigan will provide the following opportunities:
· Increase trade
· Attract investments
· Encourage job creation associated with electric vehicles
Over $25 billion has already been invested in automotive and EV battery-related investments which will rapidly increase employment opportunities.
$140 million has been invested through the Regional Development Program. This is meant to support local manufacturers so they can expand and increase their competitiveness.
First Quarter Finances Are In!
As our province grows, so does the need for critical infrastructure and skilled workers. Our government is committed to supporting people and businesses today while laying a strong fiscal foundation for future generations.
In August our government released Ontario’s first quarter financials for 2023-24, providing the first update on Ontario’s economic and fiscal outlook since the 2023 Budget for the 2023-24 fiscal year.
Our plan is working, as Ontario’s economy has been resilient through heightened economic and geopolitical uncertainties.
The next economic and fiscal update as part of the 2023 Ontario Economic Outlook and Fiscal Review is planned for release by November 15, 2023.
Preparing Students for Success
Our government is providing new student support and updating curriculums for the 2023-24 school year. We are refocusing our priorities on ensuring students have the fundamental skills needed to succeed while improving school board accountability and transparency.
We are investing almost $700 million more in the province’s educational base funding and $109 million in a new strategy to build literacy rates. We will also be hiring 2,000 more educators throughout the province.
Provincial Student Achievement Priorities
Beginning this September, all publicly funded school boards will be required to adopt provincial student achievement priorities and metrics to:
- Help students improve EQAO scores in reading, writing, and math.
- Prepare students for future success to raise graduation rates, encourage more students to participate in job skills programs, and take senior math and science courses.
- Improve student engagement and awareness of mental health supports.
Math Action Achievement Plan
To further support students facing challenges with math, Ontario is investing over $71 million to launch the Math Action Achievement Plan
- More than 300 math coaches will provide direct support in classrooms.
- New Math Action Teams will work directly with school boards to identify and recommend targeted strategies to improve student achievement.
- One lead per school board will be responsible for curriculum implementation and standardized training and lead board-wide actions to meet targets.
Revamped Curriculum Supports
For the 2023-24 school year, Ontario is introducing revamped curriculum supports to ensure student success including:
- Language Curriculum
- Educator Resources
- Reading Screener and Supports
- Grade 10 Digital Technology Course
- Financial Literacy Modules
- Mental Health Modules
Building Faster Fund
We are working with municipalities to tackle Ontario’s housing crisis. Last month Premier Ford announced the new $1.2 billion Building Faster Fund, that will reward municipalities for meeting the housing targets.
Since 2022, 50 municipalities across Ontario have been assigned housing targets that will represent 88 percent of the province’s 1.5 million home goal.
Awarded funding can be used for housing-enabling infrastructure and other related costs that help support building and growing communities. A portion of the overall funding will also be given to smaller municipalities and rural/northern communities to help develop local solutions to local problems.
Investing in Stronger Public Health
As part of Your Health: A Plan for Connected and Convenient Care, we are increasing provincial funding for public health agencies to build a robust public health sector that has the support and resources needed to connect people to faster, more convenient care in their communities.
Starting January 1, 2024, the province will be restoring $47 million in annual base funding for public health units across the province,
in addition to a one percent increase in annual funding per hospital to help them prepare and plan better moving forward.
To ensure people can get emergency care when they need it, we are increasing land ambulance funding to municipalities across the province by an average of six percent, bringing this year’s total investment to over $811 million. This is supported by an additional $51 million being invested in the Dedicated Offload Nurses Program to provide approximately 800,000 hours of dedicated support receiving patients from ambulances.
Skills Development Fund – Round 4
was proud to join Minister McNaughton last month in announcing that our government is investing an additional $160 million in Round 4 of the Skills Development Fund to help tackle Ontario’s labour shortage by providing free training to at least 100,000 people across the province.
The Skills Development Fund (SDF) offers funding to local community organizations for innovative projects that address challenges to hiring, training, or retaining workers, to drive Ontario’s economic growth.
Through its first three rounds of funding, the SDF has supported 596 projects in helping over half a million people take the next steps in their careers.
Funding can support projects that:
- Help people overcome barriers to finding employment.
- Address the labour shortage and stimulate growth in key sectors of our economy.
- Increase Ontario’s long-term economic advantage by creating a sustainable and resilient workforce.
This round of funding will prioritize programs that propose innovative training solutions to help people on social assistance and with prior criminal records find meaningful employment in critical industries like healthcare, auto-manufacturing, information technology, hospitality and the skilled trades.
Applications for project funding are open until November 17, 2023.
Organizations can find details on eligibility and how to apply by clicking here.
Anti-Hate Security & Prevention Grant Last Day to Apply: September 12
Applications are still open for the Anti-Hate Security and Prevention Grant (AHSP) announced in May.
The AHSP Grant provides $25.5 million over 2 years to combat hate in Ontario by building stronger, safer, and more inclusive communities.
This will help ensure faith-based organizations (such as churches, mosques, temples, or synagogues) and cultural organizations (such as those that serve Black, Indigenous, Asian, or 2SLGBTQIA+ communities) have safe and secure community spaces to practice their faith or express their cultures and beliefs.
These organizations can receive a one-time grant of $5,000, $7,500, or $10,000 (based on their 2022 revenues) to enhance or implement measures that protect and secure their facilities from:
- Hate-motivated incidents
- Graffiti
- Vandalism
- Other damages
Recipients can use the funding to enhance or implement protection measures, such as:
- completing security assessments
- making building upgrades
- enhancing locks
- training staff
- introducing cybersecurity measures
- hiring professional security
- installing cameras
- making repairs
Ontario Providing Free Training for Construction Workers
Women currently make up less than 5% of the workers in Ontario’s construction industry, which offers many well-paying and in-demand jobs.
This is why we are investing $3.6 million, across three different projects, to help support 2,200 females and young people explore employment opportunities in construction, by providing individuals with online training tools and exclusive opportunities.
The first project that The Provincial Building and Construction Trades Council of Ontario is investing in is meant to help 700 women in the industry gain:
· Leadership
· Communications
· Health
· Safety training
· Networking opportunities
The second project will make online resources accessible to 1,500 people to aid in growing the skills needed in the construction industry and will connect individuals with local employers.
The third project, Tomorrow’s Trades program, will provide young people, specifically grade 12 students, with the opportunity to learn about the industry by having access to high-profile construction projects, while learning from local employers.
Dine Ontario – October 1-8
As Ontario gears up for the 25th Ontario Agriculture Week from October 1-8, 2023. Our government is thrilled to announce the launch of the new Dine Ontario initiative, promoting local restaurants that support Ontario-made food and beverages.
Let’s savour the flavours of our local food in local restaurants, support farmers & boost our culinary senses!
To mark the 25th Ontario Agriculture Week we are celebrating local businesses, by selling locally-produced food and drinks with the new Dine Ontario initiative.
- Stay tuned for details coming soon on participating restaurants near you.
- Register your restaurant today to:
- Connect Ontario farmers and distributors with more restaurants
- Help restaurants attract even more customers
- Encourage customers to choose local when they dine out
Goreway Drive Improvement Project
This is a joint project between the City of Mississauga, the City of Brampton and CN Rail focused on improving Goreway Drive by creating a grade separation over the CN tracks. Goreway Drive crosses CN rail 300 meters north of Brandon Gate Drive and supports about 50 freight trains a day.
3 tracks are running that allow freight trains into and out of CN Rail’s Brampton Intermodal Terminal north of the project area. Goreway Drive is currently a major collector roadway in Mississauga and a 4-lane arterial roadway in Brampton providing north-south connectivity for all sorts of vehicles between the cities.
Road closures
Goreway Drive between Brandon Gate Drive and Kenview Boulevard will be closed from summer 2023 to fall 2024 to construct the overpass throughout the construction period.
Out and About
With CMF at Canadian Blood Services
Celebrating Egyptian Heritage Month
Kalayaan Cultural Community Centre
FOGA Canada
Peel Children’s Aid Society
GT 20 Cricket Tournament
Youth Employment Services
Embrave Steps to End Domestic Violence
Freedom 23 New Horizon Media Arts Inc
Illume 2023 Ismaili Community
Italfest
MNS Backpack Giveaway