Peel Region divorce: Sources say Doug Ford will split up Mississauga and Brampton within three years

Thestar.com
May 18, 2023

The cities of Mississauga and Brampton will go their separate ways after Premier Doug Ford dissolves Peel Region within three years, the Star has learned.

Ford’s cabinet approved the move on Wednesday afternoon and Municipal Affairs Minister Steve Clark will table legislation at Queen’s Park on Thursday.

Progressive Conservative officials, speaking confidentially in order to discuss internal deliberations, said Peel’s regional government will cease to exist before the 2026 provincial and municipal elections.

It’s expected negotiations will take the next two or three years to untangle the shared costs among the municipalities, such as policing, garbage collection and water treatment.

The premier signalled in a news conference on Monday that the move -- which will also affect the town of Caledon but would not impact Peel’s school boards -- was imminent.

“I’ve always been for an independent Mississauga. You can’t have a city the size of Mississauga -- close to 800,000 people and it’s continuing to grow -- being tied into other jurisdictions,” said Ford.

Caledon’s future remains unclear. Some have advocated for urbanized parts of Caledon to be amalgamated with Brampton, with the rural areas incorporated into Orangeville.

The move is a huge win for Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie, who won 77.1 per cent of the popular vote last October by campaigning for independence from Peel.

Crombie, who is viewed as a potential Ontario Liberal leadership candidate, has said it costs taxpayers in Mississauga $84 million annually to subsidize services in Brampton and Caledon.

She has pointed out her residents foot the bill for 60 per cent of Peel’s costs, but only have half the say at the region.

Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown has warned his city could lose $1 billion worth of shared existing infrastructure -- in two water treatment facilities and the Peel Regional Police headquarters -- that is located in Mississauga.

“Premier Ford has said Brampton won’t get shafted but Mayor Crombie is singing a very different tune. This needs to be addressed. Otherwise it is theft,” Brown said earlier this week.

“Over decades, hard-working Brampton residents have paid this enormous cost. It would have to be repaid if Peel Region dissolves and we have to rebuild in Brampton,” he said.

Ford, whose Progressive Conservatives represent all the ridings in Peel, emphasized last Thursday that Brampton is “not going to be shafted by Mississauga or anyone else” when regional government is eliminated.

“Brampton and Mississauga are large cities that can stand alone, but I’ll guarantee you that Brampton will always be taken care of and they’ll be made whole -- and so will Mississauga and Caledon as well,” he said.

Caledon Mayor Annette Groves has said she prefers the status quo for her city.

A 2019 Deloitte report for Peel predicted there would be “an increase in tax-supported costs … of 21 per cent” in the first decade of dissolution.

Groves, Crombie, Brown and Peel Region chair Nando Iannicca are expected to be on hand when Clark’s legislation is tabled.

Thursday’s bill, aimed at reducing duplication of services, will only target Peel’s regional governance.

The Tories are still pondering the future of the regions of York, Durham, Halton, Niagara and Waterloo.

Ford will not be at Queen’s Park for the legislation as he is attending the Ottawa funeral of Ontario Provincial Police Sgt. Eric Mueller, who was killed in the line of duty in Bourget last week.