The City is right on track in its quest to make Mississauga a vibrant, healthy and sustainable city for the 21st century. At a presentation at Council today, the City of Mississauga shared its 2011 achievements with residents and stakeholders, as outlined in two annual reports.

The Progress Report focuses on the actions which are transforming the City and achieving the vision set out in its Strategic Plan. The annual Highlights Report demonstrates how the City is delivering on its Business Plan Priorities.

"2011 was an outstanding year for Mississauga. We have already seen enormous progress since the Strategic Plan was approved three years ago," said Janice Baker, City Manager and CAO. "As we set our sights on specific areas of strategic change, we continue to develop into a dynamic, innovative and globally recognized city."

Gary Kent, director of City Strategy and Innovation, explained how the Strategic Plan is moving from vision to action through more than 80 long-term actions under the five Pillars of Strategic Change: Move, Belong, Connect, Prosper and Green. "The Progress Report includes both concrete actions that are underway and the comprehensive plans that guide continued work and necessary decision-making," said Kent. "The new Strategic Plan website features 20 examples of how the Strategic Plan continued to unfold in 2011."

In addition to the 2011 Progress Report, Council also received the 2011 Highlights report, which outlines key accomplishments advancing the City's 2011-2014 Business Plan Priorities.

Some of the City's 2011 achievements include:

• completion of 153 infrastructure projects, including Mississauga Celebration Square, eight pools and four libraries, through the Infrastructure Stimulus Fund and Recreational Infrastructure Canada programs;
• attendance of 416,000 to Mississauga Celebration Square's first summer season;
• a 5.9 per cent increase in MiWay ridership;
• a fully accessible bus fleet with 80 per cent of all MiWay routes designated as fully accessible;
• one of three official International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Awards "Buzz" event locations;
• an 8.1 per cent reduction in electricity demand during Earth Hour; and
• awarded one of Canada's Top Employers for Young people and for New Canadians.

The Highlights Report is posted on the City of Mississauga website and the full Progress Report is available on the City's new Our Future Mississauga website.

"We are particularly proud of our successes because they are a result of collaboration with the community, stakeholders and partners," said Baker. "The positive change resulting from the Strategic Plan can be seen all around us, as Mississauga continues to attract people, employment and opportunities."

As Canada's sixth largest city, Mississauga is home to 738,000 residents and 55,000 businesses, including 63 Fortune 500 companies with Canadian head offices or major divisional head offices. A diverse, progressive and award-winning municipality located on the shores of Lake Ontario in the heart of the Greater Toronto Area, Mississauga is "Leading Today for Tomorrow" by focussing on delivering services, implementing its Strategic Plan, delivering value for money and maintaining infrastructure.

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