Regional Municipality of Peel, Ontario
Encyclopedia
The Regional Municipality of Peel (also known as Peel Region) is a regional municipality
in Southern Ontario
, Canada. It consists of three municipalities to the west and northwest of Toronto
: the cities of Brampton
and Mississauga, and the town of Caledon
. The entire region is part of the Greater Toronto Area
and the inner ring of Golden Horseshoe
. The regional seat is in Brampton. With a population of 1,159,405 (2006 census
), Peel Region is the second-largest municipality in Ontario after Toronto. Owing to immigration and its transportation infrastructure (with seven 400-series highways
serving the region, and Toronto Pearson International Airport
located completly within its boundaries), Peel Region is a rapidly-growing area with a young population and an increasing profile.
Mississauga occupies the southernmost portion of the region, and is, with 668,549 residents, the largest in population (the sixth largest in Canada). It reaches from Lake Ontario
north to near Highway 407. In the centre is Brampton, a smaller city of 433,806 (ranked 11th by population). Finally, by far the largest in area and the most sparsely populated part of the region is Caledon, which is home to only 57,050 residents.
The Region of Peel was created by the government of Bill Davis
in 1974 from the former County of Peel
, and was legislated to provide community services to the (then) rapidly urbanizing area of south Peel County (now Mississauga and Brampton). The region is responsible for the services and infrastructure related to water delivery and wastewater treatment, waste collection and disposal, regional roads, public health, long-term care centres, Peel Regional Police
, Peel Regional Paramedic Services
, planning, public housing, paratransit, judicial and social services. Other municipal functions are provided by the three local-tier municipalities. These responsibilities have changed over time, as functions have been uploaded and downloaded to and from the provincial and regional levels, as directed by the Province of Ontario.
Peel County (and therefore, Peel Region) may be named after Sir Robert Peel
, the nineteenth-century Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
. An alternative theory holds that it was named after John Peel
the folk hero from Cumberland
, where many of Peel's first settlers originated from and where the original Brampton
is located.
Mississauga currently comprises about 62 per cent of the region's population and says it contributes 66 per cent of the taxes, but had been assigned 10 of the 21 council seats (or 48 per cent) distributed among the municipalities, with Brampton receiving six and Caledon five. In June 2005, the provincial government passed legislation that will revise the composition of the council. Beginning in the 2006 municipal elections, one additional seat will be assigned to Brampton and two additional seats will be assigned to Mississauga, giving Mississauga 12 of the 24 seats assigned to municipalities. These numbers do not include the regional chair, who is appointed by council members.
These changes are the result of a provincially appointed impartial arbitrator who noted:
Mississauga council, led by mayor Hazel McCallion
, has argued that Peel Region is an unnecessary layer of government which costs Mississauga residents millions of dollars a year to support services in Brampton and Caledon. Mississauga council unanimously passed a motion asking the Province of Ontario
to separate Mississauga from Peel Region and become a single-tier municipality, arguing, among other things, the need to keep property tax dollars within the city of Mississauga for the good of the future of the City.
Opponents of Mississauga's position, including Brampton mayor Susan Fennell
, have argued that from the 1970s through the 1990s, Mississauga was the chief beneficiary of Peel's infrastructure construction projects — funded by taxpayers in all three municipalities — and it is now Brampton's turn to benefit, as it is growing faster than Mississauga, which is mostly built-out. As well, they have argued that common infrastructure, such as waste and water services, would be more efficiently managed at a regional level.
Peel Regional Paramedic Services
Formerly administered by the province, now in the hands of the region.
Child Care
Day care centres are operated for residents in Peel:
Long Term Care
Facilities are for seniors and others with long term health needs:
Social Housing
Peel is the largest landlord in the Region. Its non-profit housing company, Peel Living, is one of the largest in Canada.
Public Works
Peel manages the regions public works needs including:
TransHelp
The Region of Peel's unique transportation service for people with disabilities, Transhelp
was formerly run for Mississauga Transit
and Brampton Transit
but is now operated solely by the Region.
border or pass through Peel Region, giving it one of the most extensive suburb
an freeway networks in Ontario
and Canada
. These freeways are among the busiest and most modern of Ontario, mostly constructed since the 1970s, and have contributed significantly to the rapid growth of the Region. One of the welcome signs of Brampton has the slogan "All roads lead to Brampton" and shows six 400-series numbers (401, 403, 407, 409, 410, 427).
, 2006)
Regional municipality
A regional municipality is a type of Canadian municipal government similar to and at the same municipal government level as a county, although the specific structure and servicing responsibilities may vary from place to place...
in Southern Ontario
Southern Ontario
Southern Ontario is a region of the province of Ontario, Canada that lies south of the French River and Algonquin Park. Depending on the inclusion of the Parry Sound and Muskoka districts, its surface area would cover between 14 to 15% of the province. It is the southernmost region of...
, Canada. It consists of three municipalities to the west and northwest of Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
: the cities of Brampton
Brampton
Brampton is the third-largest city in the Greater Toronto Area of Ontario, Canada.Brampton may also refer to:- Canada :* Brampton, a city in Ontario** Brampton GO Station, a station in the GO Transit network located in the city- United Kingdom :...
and Mississauga, and the town of Caledon
Caledon, Ontario
Caledon is a town in the Regional Municipality of Peel in the Greater Toronto Area of Ontario, Canada. In terms of land use, Caledon is somewhat urban, though it is primarily rural in nature...
. The entire region is part of the Greater Toronto Area
Greater Toronto Area
The Greater Toronto Area is the largest metropolitan area in Canada, with a 2006 census population of 5.5 million. The Greater Toronto Area is usually defined as the central city of Toronto, along with four regional municipalities surrounding it: Durham, Halton, Peel, and York...
and the inner ring of Golden Horseshoe
Golden Horseshoe
The Golden Horseshoe is a densely populated and industrialized region centred around the Greater Toronto Area at the western end of Lake Ontario in Southern Ontario, Canada, with outer boundaries stretching south to Lake Erie and north to Georgian Bay. Most of it is also part of the Quebec City...
. The regional seat is in Brampton. With a population of 1,159,405 (2006 census
Canada 2006 Census
The Canada 2006 Census was a detailed enumeration of the Canadian population. Census day was May 16, 2006. The next census following will be the 2011 Census. Canada's total population enumerated by the 2006 census was 31,612,897...
), Peel Region is the second-largest municipality in Ontario after Toronto. Owing to immigration and its transportation infrastructure (with seven 400-series highways
400-series highways (Ontario)
The 400-series highways are a network of controlled-access highways throughout the southern portion of the Canadian province of Ontario, forming a special subset of the provincial highway system. They are analogous to the Interstate Highway System in the United States or the British Motorway...
serving the region, and Toronto Pearson International Airport
Toronto Pearson International Airport
Toronto Pearson International Airport is an international airport serving Toronto, Ontario, Canada; its metropolitan area; and the Golden Horseshoe, an urban agglomeration that is home to 8.1 million people – approximately 25% of Canada's population...
located completly within its boundaries), Peel Region is a rapidly-growing area with a young population and an increasing profile.
Mississauga occupies the southernmost portion of the region, and is, with 668,549 residents, the largest in population (the sixth largest in Canada). It reaches from Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south by the American state of New York. Ontario, Canada's most populous province, was named for the lake. In the Wyandot language, ontarío means...
north to near Highway 407. In the centre is Brampton, a smaller city of 433,806 (ranked 11th by population). Finally, by far the largest in area and the most sparsely populated part of the region is Caledon, which is home to only 57,050 residents.
The Region of Peel was created by the government of Bill Davis
Bill Davis
William Grenville "Bill" Davis, was the 18th Premier of Ontario, Canada, from 1971 to 1985. Davis was first elected as the MPP for Peel in the 1959 provincial election where he was a backbencher in Leslie Frost's government. Under John Robarts, he was a cabinet minister overseeing the education...
in 1974 from the former County of Peel
Peel County, Ontario
Peel County is a historic county in the Canadian province of Ontario. It was created in 1851 from a portion of York County. In 1973, Peel County became the Regional Municipality of Peel, as a result of the Ontario provincial government's regionalization of the rapidly developing counties...
, and was legislated to provide community services to the (then) rapidly urbanizing area of south Peel County (now Mississauga and Brampton). The region is responsible for the services and infrastructure related to water delivery and wastewater treatment, waste collection and disposal, regional roads, public health, long-term care centres, Peel Regional Police
Peel Regional Police
Peel Regional Police provides police services for Peel Region in Ontario, Canada. It is the second largest municipal police service in Ontario after the Toronto Police Service and third largest municipal force in Canada with 1,900 uniformed members and close to 800 support staff.Peel Region...
, Peel Regional Paramedic Services
Peel Regional Paramedic Services
Peel Region Paramedics Services provides ambulatory and paramedic care for the municipalities within Peel Region, in Ontario, Canada. Paramedics operations are based in Mississauga....
, planning, public housing, paratransit, judicial and social services. Other municipal functions are provided by the three local-tier municipalities. These responsibilities have changed over time, as functions have been uploaded and downloaded to and from the provincial and regional levels, as directed by the Province of Ontario.
Peel County (and therefore, Peel Region) may be named after Sir Robert Peel
Robert Peel
Sir Robert Peel, 2nd Baronet was a British Conservative statesman who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 10 December 1834 to 8 April 1835, and again from 30 August 1841 to 29 June 1846...
, the nineteenth-century Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
. An alternative theory holds that it was named after John Peel
John Peel (farmer)
John Peel was a British huntsman who is the subject of the nineteenth century song D'ye ken John Peel - "ken" being a dialectical form of "know" used in Scotland and the north of England.-Peel's life:...
the folk hero from Cumberland
Cumberland
Cumberland is a historic county of North West England, on the border with Scotland, from the 12th century until 1974. It formed an administrative county from 1889 to 1974 and now forms part of Cumbria....
, where many of Peel's first settlers originated from and where the original Brampton
Brampton, Carlisle, Cumbria
Brampton is a small market town and civil parish within the City of Carlisle district of Cumbria, England about 9 miles east of Carlisle and 2 miles south of Hadrian's Wall. It is situated off the A69 road which bypasses it...
is located.
Senior administrators
- Emil Kolb, Regional Chair
- David Szwarc, Chief Administrative Officer
- Norma Trim, Chief Financial Officer and Commissioner of Corporate Services
- Janet Menard, Commissioner of Human Services
- Janette Smith, Commissioner of Health Services
- Kent Gillespie, Commissioner of Employee and Business Services
- Dan Labrecque, Commissioner of Public Works
Notable government decisions
- In 2005, Peel Region approved without tender a $557 million waste management contract commitment lasting 20 years that can potentially allow it to dump garbage in Ontario landfill sites if Michigan bans Canadian trash.
- In 2004, Peel Region began a more than $600 million waterworks expansion by conducting invited public tenders, one of Canada's largest in water and wastewater infrastructureOntario Clean Water AgencyThe Ontario Clean Water Agency is a Crown agency of the Province of Ontario that provides operation, maintenance and management services for more than 450 water and wastewater treatment facilities in the province.-History:...
.
The Region's future
Seats on Peel Regional council are not assigned to member municipalities according to population or tax contributions, and this has produced considerable controversy within the region. http://www.ontla.on.ca/hansard/committee_debates/38_parl/Session1/finance/F049.htmMississauga currently comprises about 62 per cent of the region's population and says it contributes 66 per cent of the taxes, but had been assigned 10 of the 21 council seats (or 48 per cent) distributed among the municipalities, with Brampton receiving six and Caledon five. In June 2005, the provincial government passed legislation that will revise the composition of the council. Beginning in the 2006 municipal elections, one additional seat will be assigned to Brampton and two additional seats will be assigned to Mississauga, giving Mississauga 12 of the 24 seats assigned to municipalities. These numbers do not include the regional chair, who is appointed by council members.
These changes are the result of a provincially appointed impartial arbitrator who noted:
Mississauga council, led by mayor Hazel McCallion
Hazel McCallion
Hazel McCallion, née Joueneaux, CM is the mayor of Mississauga, Ontario. McCallion has been Mississauga's mayor for years, holding office since 1978...
, has argued that Peel Region is an unnecessary layer of government which costs Mississauga residents millions of dollars a year to support services in Brampton and Caledon. Mississauga council unanimously passed a motion asking the Province of Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
to separate Mississauga from Peel Region and become a single-tier municipality, arguing, among other things, the need to keep property tax dollars within the city of Mississauga for the good of the future of the City.
Opponents of Mississauga's position, including Brampton mayor Susan Fennell
Susan Fennell
Susan Fennell is the mayor of Brampton, Ontario, Canada. She was also the Founder and Commissioner of the National Women's Hockey League.-Background:...
, have argued that from the 1970s through the 1990s, Mississauga was the chief beneficiary of Peel's infrastructure construction projects — funded by taxpayers in all three municipalities — and it is now Brampton's turn to benefit, as it is growing faster than Mississauga, which is mostly built-out. As well, they have argued that common infrastructure, such as waste and water services, would be more efficiently managed at a regional level.
Law enforcement
- Peel Regional PolicePeel Regional PolicePeel Regional Police provides police services for Peel Region in Ontario, Canada. It is the second largest municipal police service in Ontario after the Toronto Police Service and third largest municipal force in Canada with 1,900 uniformed members and close to 800 support staff.Peel Region...
(PRP) provides police coverage for the majority of the region. - Ontario Provincial PoliceOntario Provincial PoliceThe Ontario Provincial Police is the Provincial Police service for the province of Ontario, Canada.-Overview:The OPP is the the largest deployed police force in Ontario, and the second largest in Canada. The service is responsible for providing policing services throughout the province in areas...
(OPP) mainly provides highway coverage and fulfills a contract to police the town of Caledon.
Other services
Emergency medical services provided by Peel to the region's municipalities:Peel Regional Paramedic Services
Peel Regional Paramedic Services
Peel Region Paramedics Services provides ambulatory and paramedic care for the municipalities within Peel Region, in Ontario, Canada. Paramedics operations are based in Mississauga....
Formerly administered by the province, now in the hands of the region.
Child Care
Day care centres are operated for residents in Peel:
- Brampton West Child Care Centre
- Howden Child Care Centre
- Greenbriar Child Care Centre
- Chinguacousy Child Care Centre
- Collegeside Child Care Centre
- Streetsville Child Care Centre
- Malton Child Care Centre
- Ernest Majury Child Care Centre
- The Valleys Child Care Centre
- Cooksville Child Care Centre
- Ridgeway Child Care Centre
- PLASP Daycare Centre
Long Term Care
Facilities are for seniors and others with long term health needs:
- The Davis Centre
- Malton Village
- Peel Manor
- Sheridan Villa
- Tall Pines
Social Housing
Peel is the largest landlord in the Region. Its non-profit housing company, Peel Living, is one of the largest in Canada.
Public Works
Peel manages the regions public works needs including:
- garbage and recycling programs
- water works
- road maintenance — non provincial roads
TransHelp
The Region of Peel's unique transportation service for people with disabilities, Transhelp
Transhelp
Transhelp is a separate accessible transit system operated by and serving all of Peel Region.Transhelp is used by person who have mobility problems, are physically unable to climb or descend stairs, or cannot walk a distance of 175 metres....
was formerly run for Mississauga Transit
Mississauga Transit
MiWay , is a public transport agency serving Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. The city's Transportation and Works department is in charge of its operation....
and Brampton Transit
Brampton Transit
Brampton Transit is public transport bus operator for the City of Brampton in the Regional Municipality of Peel, and within the Greater Toronto Area in Ontario, Canada. Brampton Transit began operations in 1974....
but is now operated solely by the Region.
Highways
Seven 400-Series Highways400-series highways (Ontario)
The 400-series highways are a network of controlled-access highways throughout the southern portion of the Canadian province of Ontario, forming a special subset of the provincial highway system. They are analogous to the Interstate Highway System in the United States or the British Motorway...
border or pass through Peel Region, giving it one of the most extensive suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
an freeway networks in Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. These freeways are among the busiest and most modern of Ontario, mostly constructed since the 1970s, and have contributed significantly to the rapid growth of the Region. One of the welcome signs of Brampton has the slogan "All roads lead to Brampton" and shows six 400-series numbers (401, 403, 407, 409, 410, 427).
400-series freeways
- Highway 401
- Highway 403
- Highway 407 (ETR)
- Highway 409
- Highway 410
- Highway 427
- Queen Elizabeth WayQueen Elizabeth WayThe Queen Elizabeth Way, commonly abbreviated as the QEW, is a 400-Series highway in the Canadian province of Ontario. The freeway links Buffalo, New York and the Niagara Peninsula with Toronto. It begins at the Peace Bridge in Fort Erie and travels around the western shore of Lake Ontario, ending...
(QEW)
Other highways
- Highway 7Highway 7 (Ontario)King's Highway 7, commonly referred to as Highway 7 and historically as the Northern Highway, is a provincially maintained highway in the Canadian province of Ontario...
- Hurontario StreetHurontario StreetHurontario Street is a roadway running in Ontario, Canada between Lake Ontario at Mississauga and Lake Huron's Georgian Bay at Collingwood.Within the cities of Mississauga and Brampton, it is a major urban thoroughfare. Between Caledon and Orangeville, it is part of busy Highway 10, which leaves...
(Highway 10Highway 10 (Ontario)King's Highway 10, commonly referred to as Highway 10 and historically as the Toronto–Sydenham Road, is a provincially maintained highway in the Canadian province of Ontario...
) - Dundas StreetDundas Street (Toronto)Dundas Street, also known as Highway 5 west of Toronto, is a major arterial road connecting the centre of that city with its western suburbs and southwestern Ontario beyond...
(Highway 5Highway 5 (Ontario)King's Highway 5, also known as Highway 5 and historically as the Dundas Highway, is a provincially maintained highway in the Canadian province of Ontario. The east–west highway travels a distance of between Highway 8 at Peter's Corners, north of Hamilton and Highway 6 at Clappison's Corners...
)
Demographics
(Statistics CanadaStatistics Canada
Statistics Canada is the Canadian federal government agency commissioned with producing statistics to help better understand Canada, its population, resources, economy, society, and culture. Its headquarters is in Ottawa....
, 2006)
- Population in 2006: 1,159,405
- Population in 2001: 988,948
- 1996 to 2001 population change: 17.2%
- Land area (square km): 1,241.99
- Percentage of Provincial Population: 9.53%
Surrounding census divisions
- Dufferin CountyDufferin County, OntarioDufferin County is a county and census division of the Canadian province of Ontario. The county seat is Orangeville, and the current Warden is Deputy Mayor Warren Maycock of the Town of Orangeville, Ontario. The Current Chief Administrative Officer is Linda J. Dean...
- Halton RegionRegional Municipality of Halton, OntarioThe Regional Municipality of Halton, or Halton Region, is a regional municipality of Ontario, Canada located in Southern Ontario in the southwest part of the Greater Toronto Area and until 1973 was known as Halton County...
- Simcoe CountySimcoe County, OntarioSimcoe County is located in central portion of Southern Ontario. The County is situated just north of the Greater Toronto Area stretching from the shores of Lake Simcoe in the east to Georgian Bay in the west...
- TorontoTorontoToronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
- Wellington CountyWellington County, OntarioWellington County is a county located in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. The county seat is Guelph, a city which is politically independent, but Guelph's status as the seat means it houses the county's administrative offices...
- York RegionRegional Municipality of York, OntarioThe Regional Municipality of York, also called York Region, is a regional municipality in Southern Ontario, Canada, between Lake Simcoe and Toronto. It replaced the former York County in 1971, and is part of the Greater Toronto Area and the inner ring of the Golden Horseshoe...