Mississauga residents have been complaining lately to at least two city councillors that a number of parks seem to be a bit messy and not properly maintained.<\/p>\n
Erindale Park, the largest in the city, has been left a mess recently after weekend use by members of the community, Ward 6 Coun. Joe Horneck told his colleagues and City of Mississauga senior staff on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
The councillor said feedback from the public has focused on \u201ca couple of things at Erindale Park, in particular, where people left it in a very bad state\u201d following weekend use, leaving city parks staff faced with a major \u2014 and potentially costly \u2014 cleanup on Monday mornings.<\/p>\n
Horneck said Wednesday at city council residents who\u2019ve reached out to him about the messes want to know what\u2019s being done about it. Specifically, they\u2019ve asked if additional cleanup costs incurred by the city are being put back on those who rent the park areas and leave the untidy conditions.<\/p>\n
Raj Sheth, Mississauga\u2019s commissioner of community services, said the city does \u201cgo back to those permit holders\u201d and charge them any costs associated with cleanup.<\/p>\n
Responding to the councillor\u2019s question as to whether such incidents have become a common occurrence, Sheth added, \u201cI don\u2019t think it\u2019s a regular thing, but it has been happening more and more recently.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ward 11 Coun. Brad Butt, whose area includes Streetsville and other parts of northwest Mississauga, said he, too, has heard from residents about messy parks.<\/p>\n
He noted residents asked him if the city has reduced service levels the past couple of years when it comes to properly maintaining and keeping parks clean.<\/p>\n
Sheth said no such reductions in service have taken place.<\/p>\n
\u201cParks are going to be busy, extremely busy, but we do continue to clean the parks, cut the grass on a regular schedule\u201d and keep an eye on the green spaces, in general, he added.<\/p>\n
Wednesday\u2019s discussion about the state of parks came a month or so after city officials again raised the matter of illegal dumping of household garbage and other items<\/a> in parks and creeks.<\/p>\n The city said at the time it continues to be a messy and expensive problem in Mississauga, and officials reminded residents and businesses that offenders can be fined between $500 and $100,000.<\/p>\n City officials addressed the matter again in June, noting the municipality had received 195 complaints to that point in 2026 related to the illegal dumping of items that include car tires, paint cans, used furniture, construction waste, yard waste, propane tanks, household garbage and more.<\/p>\n The city received more than 580 similar reports in 2025 and well in excess of 2,000 complaints over the past few years.<\/p>\n \u201cIllegal dumping happens when people leave unwanted items in public places instead of getting rid of it properly. This includes items discarded at parks, trails and green spaces,\u201d officials said in June.<\/p>\n In late 2024, the city was faced with a messy littering issue at Paul Coffey Park<\/a>, located at Derry Road East and Goreway Drive in Malton.<\/p>\n The park was\u00a0being left a mess by some picnickers, raising concern among city councillors and the mayor at the time that the untidy behaviour was causing a public health issue.<\/p>\n