{"id":943067,"date":"2026-10-23T07:34:10","date_gmt":"2026-10-23T07:34:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/943067\/"},"modified":"2026-10-23T07:34:10","modified_gmt":"2026-10-23T07:34:10","slug":"data-centres-floods-affordable-housing-what-mississaugas-next-mayor-must-confront-in-a-climate-crisis-spare-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/943067\/","title":{"rendered":"Data centres, floods, affordable housing: What Mississauga\u2019s next mayor must confront in a climate crisis | Spare News"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>In a tight race to lead one of Canada\u2019s fastest-growing big cities, incumbent Carolyn Parrish is facing two of her council colleagues and her predecessor Bonnie Crombie, as affordability and crime have dominated the mayoral campaign.<\/p>\n<p>On October 5, they were asked during a debate to identify the single biggest issue facing residents in the 2026 municipal election.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLeadership,\u201d Alvin Tedjo answered.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTrust,\u201d Dipika Damerla said, pointing to the declining \u201cquality of life\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAffordability,\u201d Crombie said.<\/p>\n<p>Parrish, who was absent, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=3Lv0J04Tm9w\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">chose to participate in only three mayoral debates<\/a> while continuing to attend local community events and respond to residents on <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/carolynhparrish\" rel=\"nofollow\">social media<\/a>\u2014similar to her approach in the previous municipal election. In a <a href=\"https:\/\/press.liaisonstrategies.ca\/mississauga-crombie-30-parrish-29-tedjo-surges-to-26-october-5\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">poll<\/a> taken the same day, residents picked affordability, housing and taxes as their top three election issues. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ipsos.com\/en-ca\/housing-affordability-remains-key-issue-municipal-voters-ahead-election\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Another survey<\/a> found housing affordability is a central issue for voters across the GTA\u201469 percent say it would influence their vote and 82 percent believe municipalities are not doing enough to address the crisis.<\/p>\n<p>But where does the problem stem from?\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>While broad economic and political storms have coalesced to create the ongoing affordability crisis, another storm, quite literally, has intensified those pressures, but it has been conspicuously absent from the local debates.<\/p>\n<p>Climate change impacts almost every aspect of municipal government and the residents who rely on City Hall for flood and storm management, reducing local emissions from bus fleets and municipal buildings, safeguarding watersheds, managing land use in sustainable ways and ensuring public spaces provide natural outlets that help the physical and mental health of residents.<\/p>\n<p>Despite all the direct connections between local government and its environmental gatekeeper role, voters often look past these critical functions.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe disconnect was always surprising,\u201d Harvard University assistant professor of economics Adrien Bilal said.<\/p>\n<p>In 2024 \u2014 the warmest year on record (1.46\u20131.49\u00b0 Celsius) \u2014, <a href=\"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/story\/2024\/08\/revising-the-cost-of-climate-change\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Bilal teamed up with Northwestern University economist Diego R. K\u00e4nzig to rethink conventional estimates of climate change\u2019s economic toll<\/a>; the two found a direct correlation between the two and projected every additional 1\u00b0Celsius (C) rise in global temperatures could reduce global gross domestic product by 12 percent, six times the losses estimated by previous research.<\/p>\n<p>That same year, Mississauga recorded the highest greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of any Peel municipality, releasing 6.7 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO\u2082eq) \u2014 substantially more than Brampton\u2019s 4 million tonnes and Caledon\u2019s 671,151 tonnes.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thepointer.com\/article\/2025-07-20\/a-year-after-two-once-in-a-century-storms-where-does-mississauga-stand-today\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Mississauga was also battered by two once-in-a-century storms that summer<\/a>, which left residents stranded with flooded basements, damaged vehicles and costly repairs, with <a href=\"https:\/\/thepointer.com\/article\/2026-02-08\/flooded-wallets-how-climate-change-is-driving-up-insurance-costs-shrinking-coverage\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">many left to shoulder expenses not covered by insurance and, eventually, a high insurance premium<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>In 2021, American economist Sean Becketti theorized the climate crisis as the domino that disrupted property values, mortgage defaults, insurance costs and the stability of the housing finance industry: Physical risks, including flooding and extreme weather, were not being adequately reflected in market valuations, raising red flags about whether lenders, insurers and governments are prepared for climate change\u2019s financial consequences.<\/p>\n<p>The aftermath of the 2024 flooding illustrated the theory in practice: even while carrying the immense emotional and financial toll, residents continued delegating at City Hall, pushing for stormwater upgrades and better flood mitigation, prompting intense, prolonged discussions among council members.<\/p>\n<p>Since 2016, Mississauga has poured over $200 million into stormwater infrastructure with plans to invest $365 million by 2034; however, an additional $30 million per year from 2025 to 2124 is required to fully fund the City\u2019s stormwater program and maintain aging stormwater pipes, according to a <a href=\"https:\/\/thepointer.com\/article\/2024-09-30\/mississauga-council-passes-sweeping-suite-of-policies-to-protect-residents-and-combat-future-flood-risks\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">2020 staff analysis<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>During budget deliberations in November 2024, City staff warned the City\u2019s stormwater reserves could be depleted by 2026 without additional revenue and suggested raising the stormwater charge in future years.<\/p>\n<p>Before passing a <a href=\"https:\/\/thepointer.com\/article\/2024-09-30\/mississauga-council-passes-sweeping-suite-of-policies-to-protect-residents-and-combat-future-flood-risks\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">sweeping suite of policies (including expediting major stormwater initiatives like the Dixie-Dundas Flood Mitigation Project) to protect residents and combat future flood risks<\/a> in September 2024, <a href=\"https:\/\/thepointer.com\/article\/2024-12-01\/parrish-slams-queen-s-park-ottawa-for-leaving-mississauga-dry-on-flood-relief-funding\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Mayor Parrish complained about being \u201cleft to dry\u201d by Queen\u2019s Park and Ottawa<\/a> to shoulder the cost of the storm.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re starting to be tired of being the poor cousins,\u201d she told The Pointer previously.<\/p>\n<p>In April 2025, 128 municipal leaders, including Tedjo, issued an <a href=\"https:\/\/elbowsupforclimate.ca\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">open letter<\/a> to federal party leaders urging climate-focused action to strengthen Canada\u2019s resilience in the face of natural disasters.<\/p>\n<p>If elected mayor, he intends to continue pressing provincial and federal governments for infrastructure funding while prioritizing floodplain protection, stormwater management and upgrades to prevent flooding.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOther municipalities, including Brampton, have successfully secured significant funding for infrastructure improvements, and Mississauga must actively pursue these same opportunities,\u201d he told The Pointer.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thepointer.com\/article\/2026-09-26\/not-a-reason-to-give-up-canada-warms-twice-as-fast-as-world-to-breach-1-5-degrees-limit\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">A recent United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report stresses that in a warming world set to cross the 1.5\u00b0C threshold within the next few years, 70 percent of climate solutions depend on local and subnational action; inculcating mitigation and adaptation measures in local policies will be key to navigating climate-fueled disasters.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n<p>The report asks municipal governments to revise zoning laws, building codes and infrastructure to withstand rising climate risks; invest in nature-based solutions like urban trees and green spaces to reduce local temperatures; strengthen heat-warning systems and cooling infrastructure; and cut emissions through better waste management, clean energy and electrified transportation.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMississauga should continue seeking its fair share of provincial and federal funding, but that cannot become an excuse to delay decisions within our own control,\u201d Crombie said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe City controls its budget, municipal buildings, local roads, stormwater investments, purchasing decisions and much of the planning that shapes how our community grows.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>She supports integrating climate resilience into routine asset management and budget decisions, starting with prioritizing flood protection in the capital budget, improving transit service, making municipal buildings more energy-efficient and using land-use planning to create communities \u201cwhere people have practical alternatives to driving\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>Tedjo agrees Mississauga can take meaningful action on climate resilience and sustainability \u201cwithout waiting for other levels of government\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFor too long, progress on our climate commitments has been slow. I am committed to meeting Mississauga\u2019s existing climate targets and ensuring the City takes meaningful action to achieve them,\u201d he told The Pointer.<\/p>\n<p>The City of <a href=\"https:\/\/thepointer.com\/article\/2023-06-29\/mississauga-retires-living-green-master-plan-but-commits-to-more-detailed-climate-action\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Mississauga declared a climate emergency in June 2019<\/a> after a group of middle school students from Camilla Road Senior Public School made a deputation to council; it also led to the adoption of the Climate Change Action Plan (CCAP) that included a 40 percent reduction in GHG emissions from 1990 levels.<\/p>\n<p>In June, Mississauga\u2019s Climate Policy Supervisor, Carrah Bullock, reported that 95 percent of the 89 actions outlined in Mississauga\u2019s 2019 CCAP have either been completed or are underway: 13 actions have been completed, 46 have been completed but remain ongoing through continuous improvement efforts and 26 are currently underway.<\/p>\n<p>However, Mississauga resident and Youth Climate Corps\u2019 Executive Director, Bushra Asghar, who has watched water creep across her parents\u2019 basement floors almost every rainy season, feels the climate plan is \u201cperformative\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey\u2019re meeting 95 percent of their calls to action while failing to meet all their emissions. It\u2019s a bit greenwashy,\u201d she told The Pointer.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat they\u2019re doing is creating tasks that they can checkmark. But what are the actual reductions in emissions in real time? At this pace, how many years behind are you on the pathway to meeting your own targets?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>While Crombie takes pride in Mississauga declaring a climate emergency during her tenure as mayor, she firmly believes \u201ca declaration and a plan must be followed by implementation\u201d \u2014 which she intends to do by translating climate targets into actionable decisions on transit, buildings, land use and the City\u2019s own operations, if elected again.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn my first budget year, I would bring forward an implementation schedule identifying the actions, costs and expected emissions reductions needed to advance that target, with annual public reporting on progress,\u201d she told The Pointer<\/p>\n<p>\u201cResidents should be able to see what has been funded, what has been completed and where we are falling behind.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>An \u201cimportant part of that work\u201d is her transportation plan that aims to make transit a \u201cpractical choice\u201d by improving MiWay bus services, getting the Hazel McCallion Line open and advancing a connected regional network\u2014while tackling the second-highest source of GHG emissions in the municipality.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Previously, she spearheaded the City\u2019s departure from purchasing conventional diesel buses in 2019 and steadily replacing them with hybrid-electric and zero-emission alternatives.<\/p>\n<p>In September 2024, Mississauga became the first Ontario municipality to pilot 10 hydrogen fuel cell electric buses, expected to be on the road next year, as part of its public transit fleet.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf we\u2019re going to be smart about climate change, we need to start looking into alternatives to diesel for our growing transit fleet and start investing in cleaner fuels and technologies,\u201d Parrish said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c[It] will advance our understanding of hydrogen fuel and what it means for sustainable transportation options in the future. We\u2019re committed to looking for innovative and low-emission solutions to reach our goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions in Mississauga by 40 percent by 2030.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The total cost of the $25.4 million project is being shared between the City ($14.4 million) and Ottawa ($11 million).<\/p>\n<p>That decision doesn\u2019t sit right with Damerla, who estimates the higher cost of hydrogen fuel could add $3 million annually over the buses\u2019 20-year lifespan, amounting to $60 million in additional costs.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe problem with those buses is that it\u2019s untested technology, and we actually don\u2019t know whether they reduce greenhouse gases,\u201d she said during The Pointer\u2019s latest \u2018Ballot Vox\u2019 episode.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy are we doing a pilot on the backs of the City of Mississauga property taxpayers?&#8230;let the federal government fund it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>A proponent of a value-for-money audit, her campaign has largely focused on scrutinizing each spending item at City Hall to <a href=\"https:\/\/thepointer.com\/article\/2026-02-04\/mississauga-s-slim-election-year-budget-passes-with-delayed-investments-concern-that-the-almost-5-overall-tax-hike-is-being-misrepresented\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">reduce the ballooned property tax<\/a> (4.39 percent for this year).<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEvery week, we say yes to some new spending. No one\u2019s saying how does this all add up, and then we do all of these things that sound very high-minded\u2026we\u2019re gonna do a free app for everybody or we\u2019re gonna save the environment,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>Tedjo contends one of Mississauga\u2019s biggest challenges is communities built \u201caround car dependency rather than investing in more sustainable transportation options and walkable neighbourhoods that can help reduce our carbon footprint\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>That reliance can be reduced by \u201ctransitioning our public transit fleet and municipal vehicles to electric alternatives, expanding access to EV charging infrastructure and encouraging greater adoption of electric vehicles\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>In 2024, Mississauga emerged as a leader in EV adoption in the Peel region with <a href=\"https:\/\/carbon.taf.ca\/2024\/regions\/peel\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">a 30 percent growth in registrations<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Parrish has been outspoken about her support for EVs as well\u2014greenlighting the expansion of the city\u2019s EV charging network with more than 170 connections in place; the decision was supported by Tedjo and Damerla both during the council vote.<\/p>\n<p>Despite their differing perspectives on community mobility, Crombie, Damerla and Tedjo all believe flood protection must be a priority and Lisgar is among the \u201crepeatedly affected neighbourhoods\u201d that require urgent attention due to their vulnerability to repeated flooding.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOur work has been too slow,\u201d Damerla observed.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe money is already earmarked. Let\u2019s just get it going. So my first commitment would be to speed up the Lisgar pumping station.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Crombie promises to give precedence to \u201cclear public accounting of the pumping-station, drainage and downspout work already undertaken or planned, what remains outstanding and whether it is delivering the protection residents need\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOur capital planning must reflect increasingly severe rainfall,\u201d she said, calling for greater investment in stormwater capacity, upgrades to existing infrastructure and nature-based solutions such as permeable surfaces, rain gardens and natural areas to reduce runoff.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>A <a href=\"https:\/\/fao-on.org\/en\/report\/2023-ar\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">2022 report from the Financial Accountability Office of Ontario<\/a> endorsed higher-capacity systems and green infrastructure solutions like rain gardens, bioswales, and permeable surfaces as necessary since climate-induced rainfall could cost municipalities an additional $700 million annually just to maintain existing stormwater systems. Without immediate upgrades, overall infrastructure costs could rise by 27 percent.<\/p>\n<p>Damerla believes incentives can play a crucial role in encouraging residents to reduce concrete surfaces on their properties and adopt measures such as \u201crain gardens\u201d to help absorb stormwater and reduce flood risks.<\/p>\n<p>As Ontario moves forward with the amalgamation of its 36 conservation authorities into nine regional bodies, Crombie deems it imperative that those sitting on council must strive to \u201cpreserve local expertise, flood forecasting and watershed management, with uninterrupted flood protection throughout the transition\u201d. <a href=\"https:\/\/thepointer.com\/article\/2025-11-10\/death-knell-for-watersheds-ford-set-to-shrink-conservation-authorities-plunge-ontario-into-chaos\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Experts have called the provincial takeover a \u201cdeath knell for watersheds\u201d<\/a> as a result of reduced democratic representation in managing natural resources and an expected spike in local costs.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLarger organizations must remain responsive to local conditions. Strong, properly resourced conservation authorities working across watersheds are essential partners in protecting Mississauga,\u201d she noted.<\/p>\n<p>Damerla advocated for the City to take a balanced approach to development in its pursuit of meeting the provincial housing target for Mississauga to construct 120,000 new units by 2031.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOverdevelopment also results in flooding,\u201d Damerla added.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe have to address the housing shortage but we have to be smart about it, and we cannot be approving things that result in flooding.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>In 2024, Mississauga council voted unanimously in favour of green development standards (GDS) after the guidelines were first set in 2012 under Hazel McCallion\u2019s leadership. The new updates established a three-tiered sustainability framework for new residential and non-residential site plan applications to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve energy efficiency.<\/p>\n<p>However, <a href=\"https:\/\/thepointer.com\/article\/2025-05-15\/environmental-standards-gutted-as-housing-starts-stall-critics-warn-ford-s-new-housing-bill-opens-door-to-greenbelt-development\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">the Doug Ford government steamrolled those efforts after the passage of Bill 17, Protect Ontario by Building Faster and Smarter Act, in 2025, stripping Ontario municipalities of their ability to set independent GDS<\/a>. In April this year, the province doubled down on those rollbacks through Bill 98, dubbed the Building Homes and Improving Transportation Infrastructure Act, enforcing tighter restrictions on municipal green rules, EV parking mandates, bird-friendly glass requirements and green roof bylaws under the guise of spurring housing development and lowering construction costs.<\/p>\n<p>According to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ontario.ca\/page\/tracking-housing-supply-progress\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">province\u2019s housing tracker<\/a>, those drastic legislative changes have done little to put more \u201cshovels in the ground\u201d; In 2024, Mississauga was behind its target with 3,496 homes completed against an annual target of 10,000\u2014meeting just 34.96 percent of its goal.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMaybe it\u2019s a bit cheaper, but longer term, I think we pay more,\u201d Damerla said.<\/p>\n<p>Instead, she would support expanding passive housing, also known as <a href=\"https:\/\/thepointer.com\/article\/2026-05-08\/former-environment-minister-calls-on-ford-to-dig-into-green-jobs-as-ontario-records-largest-unemployment-increase-in-canada\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Passivhaus, a science-based, German building performance standard designed to use 90 percent less energy for heating and cooling<\/a>, as Mississauga continues to build more homes.<\/p>\n<p>Buildings are the primary source of emissions in the city, and Crombie argues the needle can be moved by improving \u201cthe energy efficiency of municipal buildings and incorporating climate considerations into infrastructure and purchasing decisions\u201d.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thepointer.com\/article\/2023-10-20\/crombie-uses-strong-mayor-powers-to-override-council-decision-that-rejected-four-plexes-in-mississauga\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">In 2023, Crombie also utilized her strong mayor powers to bypass a deadlocked city council vote to legalize \u201cmissing middle\u201d or four-plexes citywide\u2014a motion initially brought forward by Tedjo.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>For Tedjo, building a \u201cmore resilient Mississauga\u201d means bringing in funding: \u201cAs we plan for more housing and population growth, we must ensure our water and stormwater infrastructure can support that growth without putting existing neighbourhoods at greater risk.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As the Vice Chair of the Credit Valley Conservation (CVC) Board of Directors, he also wants to expand urban \u201ctree canopy by 30 percent over the next 10 years while creating more accessible green spaces, particularly in the central and northern parts of the city\u201d \u2014 building on a sustainability plan he introduced in 2024.<\/p>\n<p>For Lisgar residents, if the torrential downpours of 2024 weren\u2019t enough, the following year brought another source of anxiety: a proposal for a large-scale data centre that could be among the largest data centres in the Greater Toronto Area.<\/p>\n<p>In August 2025, Vaughan-based building consultants, Mainline Planning Services, submitted a Planning Justification Report to the City of Mississauga, on behalf of U.S.-based real estate firm Prologis, seeking approval for a Zoning By-law Amendment and Site Plan Approval to facilitate a proposed two-storey data centre of approximately 220,015 square feet at the northwest corner of Tenth Line West and Argentia Road.<\/p>\n<p>Seven months later, at a <a href=\"https:\/\/pub-mississauga.escribemeetings.com\/Meeting.aspx?Id=92745413-5f7f-4d71-8d38-b1240a77bed7&amp;Agenda=PostMinutes&amp;lang=English&amp;Item=11%09=attachments\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Planning and Development Committee<\/a> meeting, City Planner Connor DiPietro explained that the applicant was seeking to change the property\u2019s zoning from D8 development exception to E2 employment exception zones to accommodate the industrial buildings and data centre.<\/p>\n<p>Since Mississauga\u2019s Official Plan did not include a specific land-use designation for data centres, the proposed facility was classified as a warehousing use.<\/p>\n<p>City staff recommended referring the applications back for further work, identifying outstanding issues ranging from natural hazards and building setbacks to entrance design, stormwater diversion, sanitary servicing, water demand, cooling systems, parking and zoning compliance.<\/p>\n<p>Zoning applications were then unanimously referred back to staff for further refinement and resubmission.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhoever turns down Prologis; haven\u2019t seen anybody yet,\u201d Carolyn Parrish said after the vote.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>As word spread of the proposal, residents expressed fear and a long list of questions about its potential effects on electricity demand, water consumption, noise, the environment and public health. On June 25, the City held a town hall at Erin Meadows Community Centre, drawing a packed room of residents from Wards 9 and 10 who wanted answers about the proposed development but many left without the clarity they had sought from the City and Prologis.<\/p>\n<p>Amid extensive public outcry, on September 16, Mississauga council voted unanimously in favour of an interim control bylaw (ICBL), assuring residents they were heard \u201cloud and clear\u201d \u2014 imposing a one-year pause on new data centre developments as staff simultaneously studied the emerging sector and its impacts in its entirety.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Mayor Parrish chose to abstain from the ICBL vote, citing <a href=\"https:\/\/pub-niagararegion.escribemeetings.com\/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=3975\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Robert\u2019s Rules of Order and Bourinot\u2019s Rules,<\/a> which required her, as chair of the council meeting, to refrain from voting unless her vote was needed to break or create a tie.<\/p>\n<p>During the POLICORNER debate, mayoral hopefuls were asked whether Mississauga should permanently restrict new large-scale data centres: Tedjo and Crombie said yes, while Damerla said no.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI&#8217;ve been very, very clear that the moratorium is an opportunity to get the guardrails in place, and the biggest guardrails are electricity prices don\u2019t go up, and we have all the evidence we need to make sure that noise is not a problem, and there\u2019s no environmental or health impacts,\u201d Damerla explained.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo if we are able to put all those guardrails in place, then I am open to considering data centres. But if those issues are not addressed, then it\u2019s a hard no.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Pointer asked the mayoral candidates how they would regulate data centre development once the ICBL ends.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf those safeguards have not been established [after the one-year pause], I will push to introduce strict energy consumption limits to prevent excessive strain on our utilities,\u201d Tedjo said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI will oppose any data centre development that increases utility costs for residents. Mississauga families should not be forced to pay higher bills to accommodate large-scale developments.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Crombie would take the route of seeking \u201cindependent expert advice to inform the rules brought forward to Council before the moratorium expires\u201d along with clear rules covering electricity and water use, emissions, cooling, noise and neighbourhood impacts.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat assessment must include the cumulative effects of multiple facilities, rather than considering each application in isolation,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe need to ask whether a proposed data centre represents the highest and best use of the land, what permanent jobs and economic benefits it would bring and whether those benefits justify its demands on electricity, water and infrastructure.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She aims to ensure development-related costs aren\u2019t passed on to taxpayers and residents have a meaningful say in data centre decisions with clear information about the \u201ctrade-offs\u201d on hand. \u201cCanadian data sovereignty and security must be part of that discussion as well,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n<p>Parallel to the data centre debate, the next individual who will be adorning the chain of office, representing Mississauga, might have to deal with the Ford government\u2019s water and wastewater privatization plans\u2014with <a href=\"https:\/\/thepointer.com\/article\/2026-04-03\/doug-ford-targets-peel-to-test-his-water-privatization-plan\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Peel handpicked as the pilot testing ground<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>In November 2025, Bill 60, the Fighting Delays, Building Faster Act, was passed, giving the PCs sweeping authority over how water infrastructure is managed in Ontario.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The Act conferred on the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing the power to designate, by regulation, a corporation that is incorporated under the Business Corporations Act as a water and wastewater public corporation to provide water and sewage services on behalf of particular lower-tier municipalities. The corporations would have the \u201cpower to collect and impose fees or charges\u201d from users, giving them control over water rates.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>It allows the province to regulate the \u201cissuance of shares of a corporation\u201d and \u201cthe composition of the board of directors\u201d, raising apprehensions about who owns and controls these entities.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>If required, corporations must submit a \u201crate plan that establishes the rates\u201d charged to users that the Minister can approve, reject or require changes to.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOur government is piloting a new publicly owned water and wastewater delivery model in Peel Region to save homebuyers money,\u201d Daniel Strauss, a spokesperson for housing minister Rob Flack, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thestar.com\/politics\/provincial\/ford-government-denies-marit-stiles-claims-of-water-privatization-in-omnibus-bill\/article_4399ddff-836d-4d26-9f71-2ec6274c3079.html\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">told The Star<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPublicly owned municipal service corporations will be wholly owned by municipalities, not private entities. Our legislation gives municipalities more tools to respond to growth pressures \u2014 all while maintaining strong local oversight.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>But legal experts note the government\u2019s claims that the model guarantees public ownership do not hold up under scrutiny.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere\u2019s nothing in the legislation itself that requires the shares of these corporations to be owned by the municipality that creates it, or own public sector entity,\u201d Goldblatt Partners lawyer and Partner Simon Archer, who was engaged by the Canadian Union of Public Employees Ontario (CUPE) to analyze the legislation, said during a press conference.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe word public in the name of these corporations does not have any real legal effect.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Crombie said \u201cessential\u201d water and wastewater services must remain publicly owned and \u201caccountable to the communities they serve\u201d.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBefore supporting a new delivery model, I would want a public comparison of its costs, financing arrangements and implications for household bills against the existing system,\u201d she added.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI would advocate for open rate-setting, independent audits and clear reporting on operating costs, debt and infrastructure investment\u2026Keeping bills affordable also requires responsible long-term planning. We cannot allow maintenance to be deferred until it becomes an expensive emergency, nor should residents face unnecessary costs arising from restructuring.<\/p>\n<p>Any necessary rate increases should be publicly justified and accompanied by targeted assistance for residents who need it.<\/p>\n<p>Both Damerla and Tedjo also \u201cfirmly oppose\u201d privatization; while Damerla is open to working with the province to prevent water and wastewater services from falling into private hands, Tedjo urged Queen\u2019s Park to adequately fund municipal water infrastructure, \u201cwithout placing additional financial burdens on residents\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>Email: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pentictonherald.ca\/spare_news\/mailto:anushka.yadav@thepointer.com\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">anushka.yadav@thepointer.com<\/a><\/p>\n<p>At a time when vital public information is needed by everyone, The Pointer has taken down our paywall on all stories to ensure every resident of Brampton, Mississauga and Niagara has access to the facts. For those who are able, we encourage you to consider a subscription. This will help us report on important public interest issues the community needs to know about now more than ever. You can register for a 30-day free trial <a href=\"https:\/\/thepointer.com\/register\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">HERE<\/a>. Thereafter, The Pointer will charge $10 a month and you can cancel any time right on the website. Thank you<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"In a tight race to lead one of Canada\u2019s fastest-growing big cities, incumbent Carolyn Parrish is facing two&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":943068,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[194297],"tags":[27174,77579,3409,49,48,151472,8497,2848,6093,272112,1050,18568,3622,20473,2546,3315,55405,35994,32146,322831],"class_list":["post-943067","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-mississauga","tag-affordable-housing","tag-bonnie-crombie","tag-budget","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-carolyn-parrish","tag-city","tag-climate","tag-climate-change","tag-climate-resilience","tag-community","tag-election","tag-flood","tag-greenhouse-gas-emissions","tag-infrastructure","tag-mayor","tag-mississauga","tag-natural-environment","tag-spare-news","tag-stormwater"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/943067","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=943067"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/943067\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/943068"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=943067"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=943067"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=943067"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}