Record-setting 39 construction cranes doing work on Mississauga skyline

Mississauga is breaking its own records on a regular basis these days when it comes to building things.

Not only did the City of Mississauga issue a record-breaking 6,400-plus building permits in 2022, but there are currently 39 huge construction cranes in the air across the city doing work on the Mississauga skyline, City officials noted today (March 23) on social media.

That tops the previous mark of 36 active cranes doing work last November.

As far as the building permits are concerned, the 2022 number easily bested the 5,500 permits issued in 2021.

Still, that new high number for Mississauga might not be good enough when faced with expectations laid out in controversial Bill 23, the Ontario government’s More Homes Built Faster Act.

A report from Mississauga planning and building commissioner Andrew Whittemore presented to councillors last November indicates Mississauga would have to double that figure in years to come to meet requirements under the new legislation.

We’re getting more housing built – and breaking records doing it:

🏗 Highest number of construction cranes: 39 in our skies

🏦 Most building permits issued in 2022: 6,400+ units

We’re not done yet!
Read our Action Plan for New Housing: https://t.co/Mt0QH5IlD4 pic.twitter.com/v1oS5JoNqe

— City of Mississauga (@citymississauga) March 23, 2023

Bill 23, which has drawn fierce opposition from Mississauga and other municipalities for some of its proposals, calls for 1.5 million new homes to be built in Ontario by 2032.

Of that total, Mississauga must pledge to build 120,000 new homes in the next decade, or 12,000 units a year.

“Staff question whether the development industry even has the capacity to construct that amount of units given persistent labour and material challenges,” Whittemore wrote in his report.

“In 2021, Mississauga issued building permits for 5,500 new units. So far, 2022 is a record year, but the City has still only issued building permits for 6,100 new units (as of November 2022). In other words, if
Mississauga is to meet this provincial target, it must double its current levels of development.”

Building permit numbers in Mississauga last year and in 2021 show that people and businesses are building new structures and renovating/expanding existing ones at a record pace as the city recovers from the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In particular, City figures show, the number of new housing units under construction across the city is the highest it’s been in 30 years.