Council Supports Ice Storm Recovery Plan

At a Special Council Meeting today, Mississauga Council supported the ice storm recovery debris management plan, outlined in a corporate report titled Ice Storm, December 2013 – Preliminary Report.

According to the report, city-wide debris cleanup on a priority and geographic basis is still underway.  The City will be responsible for debris removal on roads, sidewalks, boulevards, parks, trails and other City properties.

“The recovery from the December 22 ice storm will take time and we ask residents for their patience as we manage the cleanup efforts,” said Mayor Hazel McCallion.  “The City is focusing cleanup efforts on public property; we need property owners to help by taking care of the trees on their property. It has been a great partnership and we commend the public for doing their part so far.”

“Recovery efforts were made possible by the tireless efforts of City of Mississauga and Region of Peel staff, contractors, Enersource and other partners, who worked to ensure the safety and security of our community,” said Janice Baker, City Manager and CAO.  “We had a co-ordinated response, timely communications and connected with our community in a responsible manner.”

Tree Debris
In order to assist residents with the removal of excess wood and brush debris, the Region of Peel will begin collecting small bundles of wood and brush from the curb beginning January 13 on regularly scheduled collection days. Bundles of wood and brush must not exceed 1.2 m (4ft.) and 76 cm (30 in.) in diameter and weigh no more than 20 kg (44 lbs.) to ensure collector safety.

Residents also have the option to take debris to Regional Community Recycling Centres at no cost.  For more information on yard waste, please visit the Region of Peel’s website.

Please note fallen trees and branches in the Asian Long-horned Beetle (ALHB) quarantine area of Malton must remain on site. Residents and tree contractors can drop off storm damage tree debris from this regulated area at: 2699 Drew Road (north of Derry Road East and east of Torbram Road) Monday to Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (until further notice). As well, residents can bundle wood and brush for yard waste collection by the Region.  This material will be disposed in a process that prevents spread of ALHB.

Council passed a resolution requesting the provincial and federal governments to develop new programs for future disaster mitigation that would include urban flooding, winter storms, erosion control and other severe storm events, reflecting the reality of climate change and include funding of rehabilitation of municipal infrastructure to mitigate future environmental and storm event impacts.

“The mayors of the GTA need to work together and co-ordinate our response and ensure consistent messaging during these extreme weather events,” added Mayor McCallion.

Council also requested the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing to declare the City of Mississauga a “disaster area” for the purposes of the Ontario Disaster Relief Assistance Program in a second resolution.

Background
Mississauga and the Greater Toronto Area were subject to an extreme weather event, on December 22, an ice storm.  Forestry crews were deployed to respond.  Senior staff met daily to assess and provide resources, to ensure roads and sidewalks were clear from hazards and public were safe.

Trees were damaged throughout the City, the most significant devastation occurred in areas of Meadowvale, Malton and Erin Mills.  Prior to the ice storm, the City had approximately 2.1 million trees, (50 per cent private, 50 per cent public).  The storm significantly impacted a yet to be determined percentage of the existing canopy cover.

As Canada’s sixth largest city, Mississauga is home to 741,000 residents and more than 54,000 businesses, including more than 60 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 focusing on delivering services, implementing its Strategic Plan, delivering value for money and maintaining infrastructure.