It’s not a split-up of Peel, but new plan still helps Mississauga: city

It’s not the full-fledged political independence they’d been seeking for some three decades — and had briefly been granted by the Ontario government — but Mississauga officials say a new plan that sees them assume responsibility for several key services will help them better serve the city’s growing population.

The provincial government announced last Thursday some key regional public works services long delivered by Peel Region will, as of July 1, 2026, fall under the jurisdiction of the City of Mississauga.

Similarly, regional services will also be transferred to Brampton and Caledon, Peel’s other member municipalities, by July 2026 as well.

The significant changes, intended to provide the three municipalities with greater independence, come courtesy of the Peel Transition Implementation Act, which is expected to soon be approved.

Come summer 2026, Mississauga will assume responsibility for:

• solid waste collection, including responsibility for the two Community Recycling Centres in Mississauga (Battleford and Fewster CRCs)
• regional roads and associated stormwater infrastructure (roads in Mississauga impacted include Airport Road, Derry Road, Britannia Road, Dixie Road, Cawthra Road, Finch Avenue, Mavis Road, Winston Churchill Boulevard, The Queensway and Erin Mills Parkway)

The revamped plan comes as the Ontario government seeks to streamline municipal operations and improve service delivery, and build more housing, city officials said in a news release.

“These changes are significant for Mississauga, enabling us to better serve our growing population through increased control over essential services,” said city manager Geoff Wright. “Our commitment is to maintain high-quality services for both residents and businesses. Our objective is to limit any disruptions in these services as we transition responsibilities from the region to the city.”

Mayor Carolyn Parrish added Canada’s seventh-largest city is ready to take on the new responsibilities.

“The transfer of these essential services to the municipal level is a significant step forward for Mississauga, allowing us to oversee our own budgets and our own services,” she said. “As a city, we can now manage these services alongside other areas of our business streamlining operations.

“While I welcome these new services,” she continued, “there is still a lot of discussion to take place, working through the operational and budgetary aspects that come with adding these new services.”

City officials note Mississauga currently maintains some 5,700 kilometres of roads, that number to grow come 2026.

“With the transition of regional roads, the city will now maintain all roads within its boundaries. This change will create clarity for residents and streamline the maintenance of these roadways, saving taxpayers money,” the city said.

Additionally, officials pointed out, “with oversight of land-use planning, Mississauga will now make its own decisions about how land is used. This means Ontario’s third-largest municipality can better plan for its growth and development to fit local needs.”

That change took effect this past July.

Other services such as policing, public health and paramedics will remain with Peel Region.

The new plan, while well-received by Mississauga, can be described as a consolation prize, of sorts, for Peel’s biggest sibling.

After three decades of pushing for a complete political split of Peel’s three member municipalities, Mississauga officials seemed to have gotten their wish for independence when Ontario Premier Doug Ford told them so in mid-2023.

However, in an unexpected turn of events one year ago last week, Ford and the province backtracked on their promise. Had that plan stood, Peel would have split up on Jan. 1, 2025.