THE REGIONAL MUNICIPALITY OF PEEL

GOVERNMENT RELATIONS COMMITTEE (GRC) AGENDA GRC - 1/2016 DATE: March 3, 2016 TIME: 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM LOCATION: Regional Council Chamber - 5th Floor 10 Peel Centre Drive, Suite A

Brampton MEMBERS: B. Crombie; F. Dale; G. Gibson; J. Innis; L. Jeffrey; M. Medeiros;

G. Miles; K. Ras; A. Thompson; J. Tovey Chaired by Councillor J. Tovey or Vice-Chair Councillor J. Innis 1.

DECLARATIONS OF CONFLICTS OF INTEREST

2.

APPROVAL OF AGENDA

3.

DELEGATIONS

3.1.

Omar Alghabra, Member of Parliament, Mississauga Centre, Discussing Issues Related to the Federal Government and Local Constituents in the Riding of Mississauga Centre

4.

REPORTS

4.1.

2016 Government Relations Opportunities and Priorities

4.2. 2016 Rural Ontario Municipal Association/Ontario Good Roads Association (ROMA/OGRA) Annual Conference Update (Oral)

Discussion led by Jim Tovey, Chair, Government Relations Committee

5.

FEDERAL AND PROVINCIAL UPDATE (Oral)

Discussion led by Lowell Rubin-Vaughan, Advisor, External Relations, Corporate Services

GRC – 1/2016 -2- March 3, 2016

6. COMMUNICATIONS

6.1.

Region of Peel's 2016 Federal Pre-Budget Submission (Receipt recommended)

6.2.

Region of Peel's 2016 Provincial Pre-Budget Submission (Receipt recommended)

6.3. Spring 2016 MP/MPP Advocacy Update (Receipt recommended)

7.

IN CAMERA MATTERS

8.

OTHER BUSINESS

9.

NEXT MEETING June 2, 2016, 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Council Chamber, 5th Floor Regional Administrative Headquarters 10 Peel Centre Drive, Suite A Brampton, Ontario

10.

ADJOURNMENT

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REPORT Meeting Date: 2016-03-03

Government Relations Committee

DATE: February 22, 2016

REPORT TITLE: 2016 GOVERNMENT RELATIONS OPPORTUNITIES AND PRIORITIES

FROM: David Szwarc, Chief Administrative Officer

RECOMMENDATION That the government relations opportunities and prioritization process identified in the report of the Chief Administrative Officer, titled “2016 Government Relations Opportunities and Priorities”, be approved. REPORT HIGHLIGHTS

• The Government Relations Committee’s (GRC) mandate includes developing, coordinating and monitoring intergovernmental relations and advocacy strategies.

• The report provides an outline of the current prioritized Regional Council endorsed advocacy positions.

• 2015 GRC advocacy initiatives supported the advancement of prioritized Council endorsed positions with the federal and provincial governments.

• A renewed prioritization of Council endorsed advocacy positions is proposed to strategically align with the new term of council priorities.

• The report outlines the 2016 advocacy and communication opportunities for consideration.

DISCUSSION 1. Background

The mandate of the Government Relations Committee (GRC) includes developing, coordinating and monitoring intergovernmental relations and advocacy strategies for Regional Council’s endorsement. Through the 2010-2014 Term of Council Priority (ToCP) process, the Region of Peel established a process to continually monitor and track progress relating to all 119 Regional Council endorsed advocacy positions within 64 general advocacy themes. A prioritization process was conducted in 2013 identifying 19 prioritized Council endorsed advocacy positions, across 12 general advocacy themes. Through ongoing monitoring of provincial and federal activity, 6 of the prioritized advocacy positions were identified as achieving progress. For example, the province streamlined the ministerial consent process for social housing providers who want to leverage existing social housing to create additional affordable housing. Another example is the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care moving

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2016 GOVERNMENT RELATIONS OPPORTUNITIES AND PRIORITIES

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forward with setting performance targets to reduce paramedic offload delays in hospitals. A full summary of prioritized Council endorsed advocacy positions is included in Appendix I. In 2015, the GRC engaged in a number of government relations activities, outlined below, to further advance the Council endorsed advocacy positions, as well as establishing and strengthening relationships with government officials at all levels. Other endorsed advocacy positions were advanced when opportunities arose. As highlighted in Section 2, a renewed prioritization process is being proposed to strategically align Council advocacy positions with the new Strategic Plan and Term of Council Priorities. a) Participation in Municipal Associations

Provincial

A delegation of GRC members participated at the Association of Municipalities of Ontario’s (AMO) Annual Conference (August 2015) meeting with a number of Ministers, Parliamentary Assistants and senior government officials from:

1. Ministry of Citizenship & Immigration 2. Ministry of Community & Social Services 3. Ministry of Health & Long-Term Care 4. Ministry of Municipal Affairs & Housing 5. Ministry of the Environment & Climate Change 6. Ministry of Transportation

Additional meetings were also arranged at the AMO Conference with the Leaders and caucus members of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario and Ontario New Democratic Party, to discuss the prioritized issues affecting Peel. The Region also provided a summary of all prioritized advocacy positions to Regional Councillors participating in the Rural Ontario Municipal Association/Ontario Good Roads Association Annual Conference (February 2015). National In June 2015, members of GRC and Regional Councillors attended the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) Annual Conference. The Conference promoted active involvement of municipalities in the federal election by raising important issues with local candidates.

b) 2015 Federal Election Strategy The Federal Election Strategy focused on prioritized Council endorsed advocacy positions on key national issues impacting the Region of Peel, which included affordable housing, immigration, water & wastewater capacity, transportation & infrastructure, and goods movement. In addition to the briefing note distributed to all candidates and community stakeholders, the campaign leveraged social media to highlight the issues throughout the election.

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2016 GOVERNMENT RELATIONS OPPORTUNITIES AND PRIORITIES

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In November 2015, Prime Minister Trudeau released Ministerial mandate letters to the public. The letters represent priority areas for the Government of Canada. Staff has reviewed the mandate letters and a number of Region of Peel priority areas highlighted during the election campaign, such as infrastructure and affordable housing investments, are featured prominently in the Government’s future agenda.

c) Pre-Budget Submissions

During the winter of 2015, the Region took advantage of both the federal and provincial pre-budget consultation periods by highlighting, through written submissions, a number of financially-focused Council endorsed advocacy positions. The Region of Peel 2015 pre-budget submissions, as well as previous submissions, can be found on the Region’s Advocating for Peel web page, http://www.peelregion.ca/council/advocacy/work.

d) Ongoing Communications with Locally Elected Officials

In September 2015, MPP Harinder Malhi (Brampton-Springdale), delegated to the GRC. Committee members and MPP Malhi discussed a variety of opportunities for collaboration on issues affecting her ridings and Peel Region as a whole, including investments in areas such as health care, transit, affordable housing and youth programs. In addition, an MP/MPP Advocacy Update (Fall) was circulated to inform stakeholders on the advocacy issues and work the GRC and Regional Council was engaged with. Past issues are also available on the Region’s Advocating for Peel web page.

2. Renewed Prioritization Process for Council Endorsed Advocacy Positions

The primary objective for the Region’s advocacy approach for the current term of Council is to establish alignment between the new Strategic Plan and Term of Council Priorities (ToCPs). First adopted in 2013, a prioritization process was established to demonstrate the importance of strategically prioritizing Council advocacy positions with the ToCPs, and enable the Region to be more targeted and effective in relation to provincial and federal advocacy. Through the GRC, staff recommends the following renewed prioritization process:

i. Examine Strategic Plan and ToCPs from an external relations perspective • Determine what is needed from the provincial and federal government for the

Region to advance their strategic priorities.

ii. Review existing Council endorsed advocacy positions for relevance and alignment to ToCPs. • The review process will include the ability to amend, add, remove advocacy

positions

iii. Examine alignment of Strategic Plan and ToCPs with federal/provincial government priorities. • Review key government documents such as budgets and Minister mandate

letters

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2016 GOVERNMENT RELATIONS OPPORTUNITIES AND PRIORITIES

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The information obtained through the above process will allow staff to report back to GRC and Regional Council with specific and strategic advocacy strategies for each priority area. These advocacy strategies will focus on:

i. Promoting an increased engagement between Regional Council, Regional Committees, Senior Leadership and key external decision-makers and influencers.

ii. Providing enhanced tracking and information sharing. iii. Providing greater alignment between Regional priorities and those of other

orders of government, including area municipalities.

Staff is targeting the June GRC meeting to present the results of the advocacy renewal process. Timing will be dependent upon the progress of the overall strategic planning work with Regional Council.

3. 2016 Recommended Government Relations Opportunities The following government relations opportunities for 2016 have been identified to leverage the work conducted by Regional departments supporting the GRC and Regional Council. Additional advocacy opportunities may be brought forward with the provincial and federal governments as deemed necessary. a) Association Opportunities

As part of its membership in sector associations at the provincial and national levels, annual conferences and Board meetings provide the Region of Peel opportunities to meet and network with Ministers, Parliamentary Secretaries/Assistants as well as senior government officials. There are two main opportunities in 2016 and one in 2017 noted below:

i. Federation of Canadian Municipalities Annual Conference, June 3 – 5, 2016, Winnipeg.

ii. Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) Annual Conference, August 14 – 17, 2016, Windsor.

iii. Rural Ontario Municipal Association / Ontario Good Roads Association (ROMA/OGRA) Combined Conference, February 19 – 22, 2017, Toronto. (To be Confirmed)

In addition to annual conferences, staff will continue to provide ongoing support to the

Regional Chair, Mayors and Regional Councillors who participate as either Board or Committee members in municipal associations, by providing Regional Council’s endorsed advocacy positions, messaging on key issues, and seeking meetings with Ministers and/or government officials. When requested, the following Regional Councillors are provided support:

i. Mayor Allan Thompson, Board of Directors, AMO ii. Regional Councillor Chris Fonseca, Board of Directors, FCM iii. Mayor Bonnie Crombie, Member, Big City Mayors’ Caucus iv. Mayor Linda Jeffrey, Member, Big City Mayors’ Caucus

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2016 GOVERNMENT RELATIONS OPPORTUNITIES AND PRIORITIES

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v. Regional Chair Frank Dale, Mayors and Regional Chairs of Ontario (MARCO), and the Greater Toronto Area and Hamilton Mayors and Chairs group.

In addition, and whenever possible, staff will leverage association opportunities that

arise when Mayors, Regional Councillors and the Regional Chair meet with MPs, MPPs or other senior government officials.

b) Strategic and Targeted Meetings with Ministers

The development of focused advocacy strategies supporting the new Term of Council Priorities will enable the Region to take a more strategic approach to advocating with elected and non-elected officials at the federal and provincial levels. Throughout 2016, staff will focus greater attention to securing opportunities to meet with the government officials to discuss identified advocacy opportunities. Where appropriate, staff will engage members of the GRC and Regional Council to attend meetings with the support of senior Regional staff.

c) 2017 Federal and Provincial Budget Cycles As part of their yearly budget cycle, both the federal and provincial governments will be seeking input into their 2017 budgets in late 2016 to early 2017. The budget process will provide the Region an opportunity to highlight key prioritized Council endorsed advocacy positions at the federal and provincial levels.

4. 2016 Recommended Government Relations Communications Opportunities

In addition to the opportunities outlined above, the following four approaches are recommended to engage and update our locally elected officials on Peel’s advocacy initiatives and priorities.

a) MP/MPP Advocacy Update

Developed three to four times a year (winter, spring, summer, fall), the Advocacy Update will continue to focus on public policy advocacy initiatives our elected and senior officials should be aware of. These updates will be brought forward to members of GRC before distribution.

b) MPs/MPPs Participation at GRC Meetings

It is recommended that this initiative be continued in 2016 to enable all local MPs/MPPs the opportunity to participate at a meeting of GRC to discuss:

• Issues affecting their constituency • Assistance the Region of Peel can provide to them • Policy issues/areas for collaboration

It is important to note that availability of elected officials is subject to when the legislature is sitting in relation to GRC’s pre-arranged meeting dates. Staff will continue to coordinate schedules as best as possible.

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2016 GOVERNMENT RELATIONS OPPORTUNITIES AND PRIORITIES

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c) Advocating for Peel Website

In 2009, GRC launched Advocating for Peel, an advocacy website designed to highlight initiatives undertaken by the Region of Peel with the federal and provincial governments. It is recommended that staff continue to update this site and to educate the public on the important issues presently worked on by Regional Council.

d) Social Media

Staff will continue to leverage existing social media tools available at the Region to communicate Peel’s advocacy initiatives with the community.

CONCLUSION

The opportunities and strategies addressed in this report build upon the success the Region, GRC and Regional Council have had in raising issues with the federal and provincial governments as well as building important relationships will all elected officials. Additional advocacy opportunities will be communicated through GRC as appropriate.

David Szwarc Chief Administrative Officer APPENDICES 1. Appendix I - 2010 - 2014 Prioritized Council Endorsed Advocacy Positions For further information regarding this report, please contact David Arbuckle, Manager, Strategic Public Policy and External Relations, at extension 4777 or via email at david.arbuckle@peelregion.ca. Authored By: Lowell Rubin-Vaughan, Corporate Strategy Office, Corporate Services

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Appendix IPrioritized Council Endorsed Advocacy Positions

General Advocacy Theme # Specific Advocacy Positions Positive

Progress

Appeals of Official Plans Conforming to Provincial

Policies1

Make amendments to the Planning Act to further strengthen municipal decision making and limit appeals to the OMB, especially where municipal official plans are deemed by the Provincial Government to be in conformity with provincial requirements.

Y

Centralized Ambulance Communications &

Dispatch Centre2

Work with the Region of Peel and its GTA municipal partners to implement a more centralized ambulance dispatch system to improve the safety, effectiveness, and efficiency of ambulance services in the GTA.

Y

Climate Change 3Peel Climate Change Strategy encourages the Province of Ontario to financially support the Expert Panel's report, Climate Ready: Ontario's Adaptation Strategy and Action Plan, on climate change adaptation.

4Aggressive widening plan for the 400 series highway network (Minister of Transportation be requested to consider a full 12-lane core-distributor system on Highway 401 from the Credit River to Trafalgar Road)

5Develop a long-term strategy to improve the movement of goods throughout the GTHA

6Encourage the federal government to lead a national housing strategy including an immediate infusion of federal money into high-growth areas of the country that are in the most need of affordable housing.

7Encourage the federal government to reinvest current mortgage payments to CMHC and CMHC surpluses back into housing.

8Streamline the ministerial consent process for social housing providers wishing to leverage their existing social housing to create additional affordable housing

Y

9Continue support for Local Immigration Partnerships and the implementation of local immigration plans to ensure integrated community planning and delivery of services.

Y

10Provide adequate immigration settlement funding levels to meet current and future needs, including sustainable funding for the creation and enhancement of municipal immigration websites.

11Aggressively move forward with setting performance targets specifically for reducing paramedic offload delays and provide sustainable long-term funding to programs designed to decrease offload delay.

Y

12

Continue with the dedicated offload nursing program by expanding the scope of the current agreements to include 100% funding by the Ministry for all staff hours and equipment required to address offload delays, and inclusion of all acuity levels.

Goods Movement

Housing

Immigration

Paramedic Off Load Delay

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Appendix IPrioritized Council Endorsed Advocacy Positions

General Advocacy Theme # Specific Advocacy Positions Positive

Progress

13

Implement changes to the Ontario Works service delivery model to one that provides more integrated health, recreation, and employment supports for single-support families, similar to Peel's Families First program.

Y

14Work with the Region of Peel and community stakeholders to find both short and long-term solutions to address the issues related to poverty. (E.g. expand the Summer Jobs Challenge initiative).

Service Integration & Regulatory Reform 15 Involve municipal partners in the inter-ministerial “benefits transformation”

work.Transportation Infrastructure 16

MTO to advance planning for transportation needs beyond 2031, including consideration of the Niagara to GTA corridor

Waste Management 17The Ministry of the Environment implement full Extended Producer Responsibility policies for packaging and printed paper for Ontario's Blue Box Program

18 Create a specific infrastructure fund that targets small urban communities with a need to improve their water treatment facilities.

19Federal and provincial governments to take a leading role in increasing the level of coordination and funding of water, wastewater and waste infrastructure initiatives.

Water, Wastewater & Waste Infrastructure

Poverty

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1

Government Relations Committee

Federal & Provincial Update

March 3, 2016 Lowell Rubin-Vaughan

Advisor, External Relations Corporate Services

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Federal Election Highlights: • October 19, 2015 - Federal Election was held with the Liberal Party, led by Prime

Minister Justin Trudeau winning a majority government, with 184 seats (supported by 39.5% of the vote).

• November 4, 2015 – Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau was sworn in as Canada's 23rd prime minister and appoints 30 new Cabinet Ministers

– Navdeep Bains, MP (Mississauga—Malton) - Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development

• November 5, 2015 - The Conservative Party selected Rona Ambrose MP (Sturgeon River – Parkland (Alberta)) as interim leader. (Conservative Party of Canada leadership election will be held on May 27, 2017)

• December 2, 2015 – Federal Parliamentary Secretaries appointed – Kamal Khera, MP (Brampton West) - Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of

Health – Omar Alghabra, MP (Mississauga Centre) as Parliamentary Secretary to the

Minister of Foreign Affairs (Consular Affairs)

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Federal Election

3

2015 Region of Peel Results Riding Elected MP

(*Incumbent) Party

Brampton Brampton South Sonia Sidhu Liberal Brampton Centre Ramesh Sangha Liberal Brampton West Kamal Khera Liberal Brampton North Ruby Sahorta Liberal Brampton East Raj Grewal Liberal

Caledon Dufferin-Caledon David Tilson* Conservative

Mississauga Mississauga-Lakeshore Sven Spengemann Liberal Mississauga-Erin Mills Iqra Khalid Liberal Mississauga Centre Omar Alghabra Liberal Mississauga-Streetsville Gagan Sikand Liberal Mississauga East-Cooksville Peter Fonseca Liberal Mississauga-Malton Navdeep Bains Liberal

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Federal Highlights: • November 13, 2015 – Prime Minister Trudeau issued Mandate Letters to

Cabinet Ministers outlining the overarching approach to government for the next four years.

• November 20, 2015 - Federal Finance Minister, presented the Update of Economic and Fiscal Projections 2015 stating that that the national fiscal outlook has deteriorated since the projections posted in April 2015.

• December 9, 2015 – Federal Finance Minister introduced Bill C-2, An Act to Amend the Income Tax Act, which reduces the middle income tax bracket to 20.5% from 22% and introduce a new tax bracket of 33% for high income earners. (Debate at Second Reading)

• January 21, 2016 – Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, Amarjeet Sohi, TRBOT Speech - confirms Government infrastructure commitments including investing $60 billion over 10 years on public transit, green and social infrastructure.

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FCM Update Highlights:

• December 4, 2015 – Cities and Communities: Partners in Canada’s

Future the First 100 Days of Government is released - proposes key municipal priorities to be addressed by the federal government.

• January 18, 2016 - The Canadian Infrastructure Report Card

(CIRC) is released - assesses the condition of Canada’s municipally-owned infrastructure.

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Provincial Highlights: • September 3, 2015 – By-election held in Simcoe North resulting in Ontario

PC Leader Patrick Brown winning a seat in the provincial legislature • October 7, 2015 - Bill 66, Great Lakes Protection Act - Addresses

environmental challenges to the Great Lakes. (Royal Assent) - The Region submitted comment in April 2015.

• October 21, 2015 - Province releases a proposal to modernize and strengthen the Aggregate Resources Act policy framework. The Region submitted comments on Dec. 14, 2015.

• November 24, 2015 - Province releases Climate Change Strategy which was based on the consultations held on the Climate Change Strategy Discussion Paper released Feb. 2015. The Region submitted comments March 2015.

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Highlights: • November 26, 2015 – Province introduced Waste Free Ontario Act. The

Region submitted comments including support of full producer responsibility. (Second Reading as of Feb 16)

• November 26, 2015 - Finance Minister, Charles Sousa (Mississauga South), released the provincial Economic Outlook and Fiscal Review

• December 2, 2015 - Auditor General, Bonnie Lysyk tables the 2015 Annual Report in the Ontario Legislature which included audits on, health-care services, long-term-care homes and infrastructure planning

• December 3, 2015 - Bill 115. Electoral Boundaries Act, 2015 - Increasing the number of provincial ridings in southern Ontario to 111 to align with the new federal boundaries. (Royal Assent) Peel ridings will increase from 9 to 12 in 2018.

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Provincial 5-7

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Provincial Highlights: • December 3, 2015 - Bill 113, Police Record Checks Reform Act, 2015 -

Setting province-wide standards for the types of background police record checks available across Ontario. (Royal Assent)

• December 3, 2015 - Bill 73 - Smart Growth for Our Communities Act, 2015 - Reforming the Planning Act and the Development Charges Act. The Region submitted comments in May 2015. (Royal Assent)

• December 7, 2015 – The provincially appointed advisory panel released its report Planning for Health, Prosperity and Growth in the Greater Golden Horseshoe: 2015-2024. The Region submitted comments in May 2015.

• December 8, 2015 – Ontario Budget Consultations are launched to gather input for the 2016 Budget. The Region presented comments in Hamilton and Mississauga based on Peel’s written submission.

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Provincial Highlights: • December 10, 2015 – Bill 109, Employment and Labour Statute Law

Amendment Act, 2015 (Royal Assent) – aims to further protect the rights of injured workers and firefighters and support labour relations for employees in the broader public sector.

• December 16, 2015 - Province suspends work on the Greater Toronto Area West Highway Corridor environmental assessment . Government to provide update in spring 2016.

• December 17. 2015 – Province announces that it has moved forward with the allocation of $16.2 million for 1,000 supportive housing units, Including investments in Supportive Housing in Peel (SHIP).

.

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Provincial Highlights: • December 17, 2015 - The province releases a discussion paper Patients

First: Proposal to Strengthen Patient-Centred Health Care in Ontario to help address several challenges identified by Ontario’s Auditor-General. Consultations on the recommendations will be held in early 2016. Staff reported to Health System Integration Committee February 4, 2015.

• December 18, 2015 - Province released a draft Provincial Alcohol Policy and will be working with key stakeholders to develop a province-wide alcohol strategy.

• January 6, 2016 - The Ontario Trillium Foundation provided $53.5 million in provincial funds for grants supporting projects undertaken by non-profit organizations in areas including social services, environment, sports and recreation, and arts and culture sectors.

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Provincial Highlights: • January 22, 2016 - The province is providing $6 million in local mental

health services which is estimated to help serve an additional 4,000 children and youth, and their families each year.

• January 26, 2016 - The province released details on the proposed design of the Ontario Retirement Pension Plan (ORPP), including the structure of ORPP benefits, compliance and enforcement, plan comparability and member participation. The province also released details on the ORPP's funding policy

• February 11, 2016 – Province held a by-election in the riding of Whitby-Oshawa – won by PC candidate Lorne Coe

• February 16, 2016 - The Ontario Legislature resumed

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AMO Update Highlights: • November 9, 2015 – “What’s Next Ontario” Working Group established to

determine priorities in advance of 2018 Provincial Election • November 25, 2015 - AMO and Union of Quebec Municipalities (UQM)

signed an Agreement on Promoting Municipal Climate Change Action. The agreement called on the provinces and the federal government to provide resources and funding to municipalities to reduce greenhouse gases and build resilient communities.

• December 17, 2015 – AMO is establishing its own municipal officials group to make recommendations directly to the Minister on the consultation paper Patients First: A Proposal to Strengthen Patient Centred Health Care in Ontario

• January 18, 2016 - AMO’s 2016 Pre-Budget Submission was submitted to the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs.

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1

Speaking Notes for David Szwarc, CAO, Region of Peel

Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs

January 18, 2016 – Hamilton, ON

Introduction

• Good morning Chair Wong, Committee members and attendees.

• My name is David Szwarc and I am the Chief Administrative Officer for the Region of Peel.

• Today, we are going to talk to you about 3 specific challenges we continue to face in Peel Region that directly or indirectly affect much of Ontario.

• Three key opportunities that I’d like to discuss are: Goods Movement/Transportation Infrastructure, Affordable Housing, and Paramedic Services.

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Goods Movement/Transportation Infrastructure

• Peel Region is one of North America’s largest

transportation and goods movement hubs o 43% of all jobs in Peel are related to the

movement of goods o 2 of every 5 businesses are in the goods

movement sector and contribute 48.8 billion dollars’ worth of gross domestic product to our economy

o Truck movement in Peel represents 25% of all of the trucking activity in Ontario

o And as Chair Dale noted, $1.5 billion worth of goods move through Peel each and every day

• However, our goods movement industry partners continue to identify traffic congestions and travel delays as a major challenge to our economic state and potential.

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• According to the Toronto Region Board of Trade, gridlock is estimated to cost $6 billion in lost productivity in the GTA, projected to rise to $16 billion by 2031.

• The Region recognizes the importance and potential impact of the government’s investment in transit to help alleviate congestion throughout the GTHA.

• However, we propose that those investments are only a piece of the overall economic and social prosperity puzzle.

• Through the work with our public and private partners on Peel’s Goods Movement Task Force we have identified three specific opportunities with regard to the 2016 Budget: o We need a long-term, predictable and

sustainable funding program for transportation infrastructure to address congestion on local and regional roads

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o Peel needs an aggressive widening plan for the 400 series highway network. This investment is critical to keeping goods and people moving.

o The Province needs to complete the environmental assessment and commit the necessary funds to developing the GTA West corridor. The absence of a GTA West Corridor will put a significant strain on our transportation infrastructure, and will eventually erode both goods movement AND the Region’s ability to attract and retain businesses. The Environmental Assessment undertaken by the Province in 2012 found that this new transportation corridor is required to service growth to 2031.

Affordable Housing

• Rapid population growth, increased market costs

and high unemployment rates all contribute to the increasing demand for a range of affordable housing options.

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• However, investing in affordable housing

construction and repair not only meets a social need, but stimulates economic growth and employment.

• According to a study by CMHC, the construction of each new housing unit is estimated to generate 2.5 full-time jobs.

• By this measure, almost 800 new affordable housing units built in Peel between 2011 and 2013 are estimated to have created close to 2,000 jobs.

• While municipalities wait for the renewal of the Long-Term Affordable Housing Strategy, through this pre-budget consultation, Peel continues to advocate for the following investments in affordable housing initiatives:

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o We are grateful for the $10 million per year Peel will receive through the Investment in Affordable Housing program; however there is also a need for flexible ongoing capital and operational funding for new housing and repair of existing stock.

o There also needs to be a continued push by all three orders of government for a national housing strategy with predictable, sustainable funding and continued investment as federal operating agreements expire.

o In 2014, 4.5% of all new housing starts in Peel were private rental. In discussing this with the private sector developers they recommend tools to encourage private sector rental housing investment including: changes to the tax system such as

accelerating capital cost allowance, reduction in capital gains tax and soft cost deductibility

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and tax incentive programs such as the HST rebate on new construction and a low income housing tax credit program

Paramedic Dispatch

• The last item I want to bring to the Committee’s

attention is paramedic dispatch.

• Peel’s population continues to grow at rate of approximately 20,000 people per year or 1.5%.

• The demand for paramedic services in Peel is growing at an even faster rate.

• Calls to the provincially-operated Mississauga dispatch centre have been growing at a rate of approximately 5% annually.

• Growing pressure on ambulance resources requires that ambulances be deployed and managed as efficiently as possible.

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• However, the provincially-operated Mississauga

dispatch centre, like many of the 22 dispatch centres across Ontario, uses technology that does not accurately prioritize ambulance calls.

• In 2014, 72 per cent of all calls were dispatched as life-threatening (requiring lights and sirens response) while upon patient assessment, paramedics only transported about 20 per cent of these responses on a life-threatening basis.

• This over-prioritizing of emergency calls places increased demands on the system and leaves fewer or no ambulances to respond to new calls that are truly urgent.

• For many years Peel has been advocating for changes to the ambulance dispatch system.

• We were pleased to see that the Auditor General recommended a more effective dispatch protocol using the Medical Priority Dispatch System.

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• A study undertaken on behalf of the other GTA municipalities and Simcoe County indicated that the Medical Priority Dispatch System recommended by the Auditor General would save 60 million dollars over 10 years as compared to the current system.

• Today, I want to reiterate the urgent need for an improved dispatch system. Making these changes will result in greater efficiencies, improved response times and better patient outcomes.

• And given the call volumes, we request that the Mississauga Dispatch Centre be given priority for implementation of these improvements.

Conclusion We believe that by working with you to address the priorities that the Chairman and I have spoken to today – transportation and goods movement, housing and paramedic services- Peel and the Province will support the government’s goal of creating a healthy, prosperous Ontario. Thank you.

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2016 Federal Pre-Budget Submission

The Honourable Bill Morneau Minister of Finance

2016

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Region of Peel 2016 Federal Pre-Budget Submission

2

Introduction As one of Canada’s largest and most diverse communities, the Region of Peel is an important hub of economic activity. Peel is home to 1.4 million residents and over 106,000 businesses, which represents approximately 10 per cent of all businesses in Ontario. In addition, $1.5 billion worth of goods are moved daily through Peel, which also has the densest network of 400 series highways, Toronto Pearson International Airport and Canada’s two major railroads. To meet Peel’s current challenges as well as reach its full future potential, the Region of Peel has introduced a 20-year strategic plan that is built on a foundation of collaboration, citizen engagement, future-oriented planning and accountable public service. The goal of the strategic plan is to create a healthy, safe and connected community where everyone has access to the services and opportunities they need to thrive at all stages of life. A key element of our Strategic Plan is our new brand, Working with You which reflects our commitment to meaningful, innovative collaboration with our stakeholders and partners. With this in mind, the Region will be looking for opportunities to strengthen our working relationship with both the federal and provincial orders of government to jointly develop solutions that will lead to greater prosperity and an improved quality of life for all residents. In order to better partner with the federal government, the Region’s pre-budget submission is proposing the following recommendations in three key areas:

1) Long-Term Infrastructure Investments a. Transportation Infrastructure b. Water and Wastewater Infrastructure c. Goods Movement

2) Affordable Housing 3) Immigration

The Region of Peel looks forward to working with the federal government to continue to build on the progress we have made together.

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Region of Peel 2016 Federal Pre-Budget Submission

3

Long-Term Infrastructure Investments

Transportation Infrastructure A Toronto Dominion Economics report (2013) identified gridlock in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) as a key barrier to sustained economic growth. Gridlock is estimated to cost the GTHA $6 billion in lost productivity annually and projected to rise to $15 billion by 2031. Many municipalities, including the Region of Peel, face significant challenges in addressing gridlock as a result of pressures placed on transportation infrastructure due to high population growth rates and aging infrastructure. The cost of the infrastructure required to service growth is a key issue. Addressing transportation gridlock is a key priority of Regional Council and vital to economic growth and quality of life in Peel as well as across Ontario. • Infrastructure investment requirements are beginning to outpace the ability of the Region of

Peel’s ability to afford through property taxes, the utility rate and development charges. • To address gridlock, Peel has shifted its planning strategies to focus on the long term

sustainability of critical infrastructure. o Example: Peel’s Transportation Asset Management Strategy (TAMS) was developed

in 2013 and is being used to support capital budget process and maintenance programs to help ensure transportation assets are cost effectively maintained in a state of good repair.

In the past, The Region of Peel has benefitted from key federal commitments supporting municipal infrastructure including making the Gas Tax Fund (GTF) a permanent annual investment of $2 billion beyond 2014. For example, $9.6 million from the Federal GTF was used towards Peel’s TransHelp headquarters which opened in December 2013. This state-of-the art facility has enabled Peel to better serve residents who are not physically able to take buses. The Region is pleased with the federal government’s election commitment to develop a 10 year

plan to deliver significant new funding to provinces, territories and municipalities including an

immediate increase in infrastructure investments like public transit.

In order to truly address municipal infrastructure challenges, it is essential for all orders of government commit to making strategic long-term contributions in building and rebuilding a solid infrastructure foundation. The federal government must:

• Create a funding stream dedicated to providing annual resources to municipalities for the purpose of capital infrastructure

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Region of Peel 2016 Federal Pre-Budget Submission

4

Water & Wastewater Infrastructure The Region relies heavily on water and wastewater infrastructure as these systems are critical for the economic viability and efficiency of residents and businesses. While the Region’s water and wastewater infrastructure is currently well maintained, the cost of building, upgrading or repairing water treatment facilities is quickly moving beyond the Region’s ability to pay with limited revenue tools. The 2016 Region of Peel Budget estimates that approximately $4.5 billion will be required over the next 20 years to finance the state of good repair of water and wastewater assets. Based on current reserve levels and contributions, there is a projected shortfall of $1.1 billion in available funding by the end of year 2035. An annual increase of 3.5 per cent for four years will be required to close the current estimated gap of $1.1 billion. To help municipalities meet their water and wastewater service demands, the Region needs the federal government to remain committed to include in its 10 year infrastructure plan a predictable and sustainable infrastructure fund that targets small urban communities with a need to improve their water treatment facilities. As has been the history with the municipal sector, Peel would expect to cost share this fund up to 50 per cent. There is a significant need for greater cooperation amongst the three orders of government to bring solutions forward to address long-term issues in the areas of water, wastewater and waste infrastructure.

The federal government must:

• Take a leading role in increasing the level of coordination and financial commitment, from both the provincial and federal orders of government to fund water, wastewater and waste infrastructure projects

• Create a specific infrastructure fund that targets small urban communities with a need to improve their water treatment facilities

Goods Movement The Region of Peel is one of Canada’s primary freight hubs:

• Approximately $1.5 billion worth of goods move through Peel every day • Goods Movement-related businesses (Transportation and Warehousing; Construction;

Manufacturing; Wholesale Trade; Agriculture, and Mining, etc.) represent approximately 43% of jobs in Peel.

• Peel accounts for 15 per cent of Ontario's exports • There are approximately 2,000 trucking companies in Peel • Truck activity in Peel represents about 25 per cent of all truck activity in Ontario • Toronto Pearson International Airport processes over 45 per cent of Canada’s air cargo • The CN Brampton and CP Vaughan intermodal terminals are two of the largest in

Canada • The cost of traffic congestion the cost of congestion in Peel Region is $845 million per

year

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Region of Peel 2016 Federal Pre-Budget Submission

5

The movement of people, goods and services across the region and province, however, is severely impacted by gridlock on roads and highways making the Greater Toronto Hamilton Area (GTHA) one of the most congested metropolitan areas in North America. The escalating congestion is detrimental to the Region, Ontario and Canada’s overall well-being. The Region believes that all orders of government, in collaboration with private sectors, must actively participate and be engaged to improve the overall inter-modal transportation system leading to the development of a provincial goods movement action plan. The Peel’s Goods Movement Taskforce, established in 2009, involves both the public and private sectors to help address the issue of congestion and goods movement across one of North America’s largest transportation hubs. Key participants on the Taskforce that have contributed significantly are staff from the Transport Canada, Ministry of Transportation and Metrolinx. The Taskforce is implementing twenty-three action items over the next five years in order to move goods more efficiently, manage congestion and mitigate the effects on health and the environment in Peel. The Region of Peel looks forward to the continued support from the federal government on the Goods Movement Taskforce as well as the delivery of new infrastructure funding. Increased transparency and more efficient approval processes are welcomed especially for major transportation projects including roads, bridges, transportation corridors, ports, and border gateways. Moving forward on the construction of key transportation assets will help in the development of a safe, reliable and connected multi-modal transportation system.

The federal government must:

• Continue to develop a long-term strategy to improve the movement of goods throughout the GTHA

Affordable Housing

There are several drivers for Peel Region to be expanding affordable housing options to its residents including: the current multi-year waiting list for subsidized housing; rapid population growth; increasing housing market rates; and, adverse economic impacts particularly on the manufacturing sector.

However, just maintaining the existing stock of social housing is being threatened by multiple inter-related factors. The existing housing stock is aging with increasing capital requirements to maintain it. As the Service Manager, the Region has invested in building condition assessments of all social housing properties. The results will become available later this year and it is anticipated that a number of properties will be identified with capital requirements that will prompt major redevelopment scenarios.

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Region of Peel 2016 Federal Pre-Budget Submission

6

The elimination of the federal housing subsidy over the next 15 years poses an additional threat to long-term financial sustainability. In 2015, this funding accounted for $23.9 million (12.8 per cent of overall housing budget). In addition to the direct loss of funding for subsidized units (rent supplement program), the loss of operating subsidies will threaten the sustainability of properties, and with the end of agreements, the potential loss of existing providers who will no longer be obliged to provide subsidized units. As the Service Manager, the Region is required by legislation to meet service level standards and must fund subsidized units regardless of loss of funding subsidies. Investing in affordable housing construction not only meets a social need, but stimulates economic growth and employment. The construction of each new housing unit is estimated to generate 2.5 full-time jobs. By this measure, the 769 new affordable housing units built in Peel between 2011 and 2013 are estimated to have created close to 2,000 jobs. The Region welcomes the previous federal government’s commitment of a five-year extension of its investment in Affordable Housing program (IAH). This investment provides a $63.3 million allocation over 6 years (2014- 2020) and will contribute towards implementing the Region’s 10-year capital plan that includes $121.8 million to build 700 affordable housing units. While IAH funding provides certainty over the near term, municipalities remain concerned about funding sustainability over the long-term. In addition, the Region of Peel welcomes your government’s commitment to removing the GST on new capital investments in affordable rental housing. Providing incentives will help support the construction of new, affordable rental housing. In addition, the re-establishment of the federal government’s role in supporting affordable housing will help serve municipalities better fulfil their role as system service managers. By working directly with the Region of Peel to innovate in the areas of housing capital and policy, there is opportunity for significant benefit socially and economically.

The federal government must:

• Work collaboratively with the provincial government to establish a national housing strategy that is predictable, sustainable and includes a long-term source of funding to meet local housing needs

• Provide ongoing capital and operational funding the flexibility to apply it to the building of new affordable housing and repair of existing housing stock

• Continue to provide funding for social housing once the operating agreements expire to allow municipalities to continue to achieve their service level standards

• Encourage private sector investment in rental housing through: o Changes in the tax system (e.g. accelerating capital cost allowance, reduction in

capital gains tax, soft cost deductibility) o Tax incentives (e.g. HST rebate on new construction, a low income housing tax

credit program)

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Region of Peel 2016 Federal Pre-Budget Submission

7

Immigration Immigration is a critical component of Canada’s economy. Peel region benefits from the knowledge, skills and resources that immigrants bring with them as many choose Peel as their place of residence. In 2011, Peel had the largest proportion of immigrants in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) at over 50 per cent. At that time, Peel also had over 100 thousand recent immigrants and was home to almost a quarter of the GTA’s total immigrant population. Most come hoping to find good paying jobs that match their qualifications. Unfortunately, many recent immigrants experience high rates of poverty, unemployment and underemployment despite high levels of education. The 2011 Poverty and Employment Precarity in Southern Ontario study found that almost 50 per cent of newcomers are likely to be precariously employed in their first year compared to 25 per cent of non-immigrants. In fact, it is only after 10 years in Canada that immigrants are as likely as workers born in Canada to be in permanent, full-time employment with benefits. Immigration settlement services in Ontario need adequate funding to help integrate newcomers in high immigrant regions like Peel. In Peel, settlement spending has dropped significantly from a high of $74.5 million in 2008-9 to $47.7 million in 2012-13, a decrease of 36 percent. While this reduced funding is tied to the decline in Ontario’s share of direct immigration, appropriate levels of funding are required as Peel experiences proportionately higher immigration growth due to secondary migration. The Region of Peel has benefitted from the federal government support to partner with the community to successfully implement a number of initiatives to integrate newcomers. Through the Region’s immigration website, ImmigrationPeel.ca, and the Peel Newcomer Strategy Group (PNSG), Peel’s local immigration partnership, Peel has been able to better prepare and connect newcomers to the labour market. The Region looks forward to continuing to partner with the federal government to build on the progress made to help immigrants integrate successfully.

The federal government must:

• Provide adequate immigration settlement funding levels to meet current and future needs, including sustainable funding for the creation and enhancement of municipal immigration websites

• Continue to recognize municipalities as partners in immigration planning and policy and program development, including the capacity to identify needs and provide input into the allocation of funds for immigrant settlement and integration

• Provide continued support for Local Immigration Partnerships, like PNSG, and the implementation of local immigration plans to ensure integrated community planning and delivery of services

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Region of Peel 2016 Federal Pre-Budget Submission

8

Conclusion As the Region of Peel moves forward in executing its new 20-year strategic plan we will continue to be an active and willing partner to help the federal government achieve its short-term goals of creating jobs, protecting and improving services and its long-term objectives of economic growth, prosperity and deficit reduction. As such, we encourage your government to adopt the recommendations outlined in this pre-budget submission. Thank you for the opportunity to provide input into the 2016 budget. We look forward to “working with you” in creating a strong, competitive and prosperous Canada.

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2016 Provincial Pre-Budget Submission

The Honourable Charles Sousa Minister of Finance

2016

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Region of Peel 2016 Provincial Pre-Budget Submission

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Introduction As one of Canada’s largest and most diverse communities, the Region of Peel is an important hub of economic activity. Peel is home to 1.4 million residents and over 106,000 businesses, which represents approximately 10 per cent of all businesses in Ontario. In addition, $1.5 billion worth of goods are moved daily through Peel, which also has the densest network of 400 series highways, Toronto Pearson International Airport and Canada’s two major railroads. To meet Peel’s current challenges as well as reach its full future potential, the Region of Peel has introduced a 20-year strategic plan that is built on a foundation of collaboration, citizen engagement, future-oriented planning and accountable public service. The goal of the strategic plan is to create a healthy, safe and connected community where everyone has access to the services and opportunities they need to thrive at all stages of life. A key element of our Strategic Plan is our new brand, Working with You which reflects our commitment to meaningful, innovative collaboration with our stakeholders and partners. With this in mind, the Region will be looking for opportunities to strengthen our working relationship with both the provincial and federal orders of government to jointly develop solutions that will lead to greater prosperity and an improved quality of life for all residents. In order to better partner with the province, the Region’s pre-budget submission is proposing the following recommendations in four key areas:

1) Long-Term Infrastructure Investments a. Transportation Infrastructure b. Water and Wastewater Infrastructure c. Goods Movement

2) Affordable Housing 3) Poverty 4) Improving Paramedic Response Times

a. Reducing Paramedic Offload Delay b. Paramedic Dispatch

The Region of Peel looks forward to working with the provincial government to continue to build on the progress we have made together.

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Region of Peel 2016 Provincial Pre-Budget Submission

3

Long-Term Infrastructure Investments

Transportation Infrastructure A Toronto Dominion Economics report (2013) identified gridlock in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) as a key barrier to sustained economic growth. Gridlock is estimated to cost the GTHA $6 billion in lost productivity annually and projected to rise to $15 billion by 2031. Many municipalities, including the Region of Peel, face significant challenges in addressing gridlock as a result of pressures placed on transportation infrastructure due to high population growth rates and aging infrastructure. The cost of the infrastructure required to service growth is a key issue. Addressing transportation gridlock is a key priority of Regional Council and vital to economic growth and quality of life in Peel as well as across Ontario. • Infrastructure investment requirements are beginning to outpace the ability of the Region of

Peel’s ability to afford through property taxes, the utility rate and development charges. • To address gridlock, Peel has shifted its planning strategies to focus on the long term

sustainability of critical infrastructure. o Example: Peel’s Transportation Asset Management Strategy (TAMS) was developed

in 2013 and is being used to support capital budget process and maintenance programs to help ensure transportation assets are cost effectively maintained in a state of good repair.

The Region is pleased the province remains committed in supporting transportation infrastructure as demonstrated by the $2.6 billion increase in dedicated funds for Moving Ontario Forward, for a total of $31.5 billion over 10 years. While the Region welcomes the continued support for the Moving Ontario Forward initiative, municipalities need a greater understanding of how these funds will be distributed in order to better plan for transit/active infrastructure. In addition, to effectively maintain the state of good repair of transportation infrastructure, municipalities require a dedicated funding stream and fixed capital plan beyond the Ministry of Transportation’s 5 year Southern Ontario Highways Program. Developing a provincial long-term sustainable fund for transportation infrastructure beyond transit projects will help municipalities build a solid infrastructure foundation contributing to the province’s overall well-being.

The Provincial Government must:

• Create a funding stream dedicated to providing annual resources to municipalities for the purpose of capital infrastructure

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Region of Peel 2016 Provincial Pre-Budget Submission

4

Water & Wastewater Infrastructure The Region relies heavily on water and wastewater infrastructure as these systems are critical for the economic viability and efficiency of residents and businesses. While the Region’s water and wastewater infrastructure is currently well maintained, the cost of building, upgrading or repairing water treatment facilities is quickly moving beyond the Region’s ability to pay with limited revenue tools. For example, the 2016 Region of Peel Budget estimates that approximately $4.5 billion will be required over the next 20 years to finance the state of good repair of water and wastewater assets. Based on current reserve levels and contributions, there is a projected shortfall of $1.1 billion in available funding by the end of year 2035. An annual increase of 3.5 per cent for four years will be required to close this current estimated gap. To help municipalities meet their water and wastewater service demands, the provincial government can create a long-term, predictable and sustainable infrastructure fund that targets small urban communities with a need to improve their water treatment facilities. As has been the history with the municipal sector, Peel would expect to cost share this fund up to 50 per cent. There is a significant need for greater cooperation amongst the three orders of government to bring solutions forward to address long-term issues in the areas of water, wastewater and waste infrastructure.

The Provincial Government must:

• Create a specific infrastructure fund that targets small urban communities with a need to improve their water treatment facilities

• Ask the federal government to increase the level of coordination and financial commitment to fund water, wastewater and waste infrastructure projects

Goods Movement The Region of Peel is one of Canada’s primary freight hubs:

• Approximately $1.5 billion worth of goods move through Peel every day • Goods Movement-related businesses (Transportation and Warehousing; Construction;

Manufacturing; Wholesale Trade; Agriculture, and Mining, etc.) represent approximately 43 per cent of jobs in Peel.

• Peel accounts for 15 per cent of Ontario's exports. • There are approximately 2,000 trucking companies in Peel. • Truck activity in Peel represents about 25 per cent of all truck activity in Ontario. • Toronto Pearson International Airport processes over 45 per cent of Canada’s air cargo • The CN Brampton and CP Vaughan intermodal terminals are two of the largest in

Canada. • The cost of traffic congestion in Peel Region is $845 million per year

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Region of Peel 2016 Provincial Pre-Budget Submission

5

The movement of people, goods and services across the region and province, is severely impacted by gridlock on roads and highways making the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) one of the most congested metropolitan areas in North America. The escalating congestion is detrimental to the Region, Ontario and Canada’s overall well-being since goods movement and manufacturing are critical elements to Peel’s economy. The recent decision by the province to postpone Phase 2 of GTA West Corridor Environmental Assessment process will only contribute to the economic costs associated traffic congestion. The Region believes that all orders of government, in collaboration with private sectors, must actively participate and be engaged to improve the overall inter-modal transportation system leading to the development of a provincial goods movement action plan. The Peel’s Goods Movement Taskforce, established in 2009, involves both the public and private sectors to help address the issue of congestion and goods movement across one of North America’s largest transportation hubs. Key participants on the Taskforce that have contributed significantly are staff from the Ministry of Transportation, Metrolinx and Transport Canada. The Taskforce is in the process of implementing 23 action items over the next five years in order to move goods more efficiently, manage congestion and mitigate the effects on health and the environment in Peel. Twenty-two of the action items are either complete or are actively underway. The Region of Peel is pleased that the MTO is moving forward with the Greater Golden Horseshoe (GGH) Transportation Plan. Peel Region looks forward to working collaboratively over the next two years with the Province to ensure the development of a safe, reliable and connected multi-modal transportation plan for the GGH.

The Provincial Government must:

• Complete the development of a long-term strategy to improve the movement of goods throughout the GTHA

• Develop an aggressive widening plan for the 400 series highway network

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Region of Peel 2016 Provincial Pre-Budget Submission

6

Affordable Housing

There are several drivers for Peel Region to be expanding affordable housing options to its residents including: the current multi-year waiting list for subsidized housing; rapid population growth; increasing housing market rates; and, adverse economic impacts particularly on the manufacturing sector.

However, just maintaining the existing stock of social housing is being threatened by multiple inter-related factors. The existing housing stock is aging with increasing capital requirements to maintain it. As the Service Manager, the Region has invested in building condition assessments of all social housing properties. The results will become available later this year and it is anticipated that a number of properties will be identified with capital requirements that will prompt major redevelopment scenarios.

The elimination of the federal housing subsidy over the next 15 years poses an additional threat to long-term financial sustainability. In 2015, this funding accounted for $23.9 million (12.8 per cent of overall housing budget). In addition to the direct loss of funding for subsidized units (rent supplement program), the loss of operating subsidies will threaten the sustainability of properties, and with the end of agreements, the potential loss of existing providers who will no longer be obliged to provide subsidized units. As the Service Manager, the Region is required by legislation to meet service level standards and must fund subsidized units regardless of loss of funding subsidies. The province’s support for the Federal government’s five-year extension of its investment in the Affordable Housing program (IAH) is welcomed by the Region. This investment provides a $63.3 million allocation over 6 years (2014- 2020) and will contribute towards implementing the Region’s 10-year capital plan that includes $121.8 million to build 700 affordable housing units. While IAH funding provides certainty over the near term, municipalities remain concerned about funding sustainability over the long-term. In the Region’s submission into the province’s Long-Term Affordable Housing Strategy update (July 2015) the emphasis was placed on the province’s role to support social and economic inclusion and ultimately end homelessness collaboratively. In addition, funding for new housing and repairs, housing subsidies, as well as legislative and regulatory changes to encourage rental housing construction are just some of the affordable housing solutions. Investing in affordable housing construction not only meets a social need, but stimulates economic growth and employment. The construction of each new housing unit is estimated to generate 2.5 full-time jobs. By this measure, the 769 new affordable housing units built in Peel between 2011 and 2013 are estimated to have created close to 2,000 jobs. By working directly with the Region of Peel to innovate in the areas of housing capital and policy, there is opportunity for significant benefit socially and economically.

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Region of Peel 2016 Provincial Pre-Budget Submission

7

Poverty The Region of Peel, like the rest of the world, has continued to face economic challenges since the recession of 2008. Approximately 13 per cent of individuals and families in Peel are living in a low-income situation. The slow economic growth impacts Peel in several ways including higher social assistance caseload and increased demand for affordable housing. The social assistance caseload is a key indicator of Peel’s economic conditions. Peel’s unemployment rate has been higher than that of the province since 2002. Average monthly caseload volume has risen from 14,648 in 2010 to a monthly average of 17,500 in 2015 (projection), an increase of approximately 2,852 cases over the past 6 years. Ontario Works participants, as a percentage of the population, has remained consistent at 2.6 per cent of Peel’s population, indicating that population growth is also a driver of caseload growth. Many provincial funding formulas now recognize the value of demographic information to better address local needs. This has resulted in a more equitable distribution of funding across the province and has provided Peel with much-needed support. Funding formula changes often come with flexible guidelines allowing local System Managers to invest funds to best meet community needs. Over the past two years, provincial and federal governments have provided continued support and in some instances, increased funding for several programs:

• Since 2013, $54 million, including Wage Enhancement, has been infused into Early

Years and Child Care in Peel. This investment contributed to the elimination of the fee subsidy waitlist, increased payments to agencies for Transition grants, special needs supports, retrofitting of space, capacity building through professional education opportunities and the retention of qualified staff in child care settings.

• Community Homelessness Prevention Initiative (CHPI) block funding provided much needed flexibility.

The Provincial Government must:

• Work with the federal government to establish a national housing strategy that is predictable, sustainable and includes a long-term source of funding to meet local housing needs

• Provide ongoing capital and operational funding with flexibility to apply it to the building of new affordable housing and repair of existing housing stock

• Continue to provide funding for social housing once the operating agreements expire to allow municipalities to continue to achieve their service level standards

• Encourage private sector investment in rental housing through: o Changes in the tax system (e.g. accelerating capital cost allowance, reduction in

capital gains tax, soft cost deductibility) o Tax incentives (e.g. HST rebate on new construction, a low income housing tax

credit program)

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Region of Peel 2016 Provincial Pre-Budget Submission

8

• Continued commitment, as outlined in the Provincial-Municipal Fiscal Service Delivery review, to upload the costs of social assistance benefits ($4.2 million impact in 2016).

• Federal government renewal of Homelessness Prevention Strategy (HPS) for five years 2014-2019). Total allocation is $4.7 million or $0.94 million per year.

The Region of Peel also supports the provincial government’s ongoing commitment to the Poverty Reduction Strategy and its long-term goal to end homelessness. The Region, along with the United Way of Peel Region and its community partners, has launched a number of initiatives in an effort to reduce poverty in Peel. To support our most vulnerable youth, the Region of Peel and its community partners have offered a Summer Job Challenge Program since 2010, providing employment and valuable job experience to over 360 youth. The Peel Poverty Reduction Strategy Committee, which is co-chaired by the Region and the United Way, released a poverty reduction strategy in the fall of 2012. This strategy focuses on addressing the following issues: economic opportunities, income security, affordable and accessible transportation, food security, and safe and affordable housing. While we are making some progress, we can achieve much more if the other levels of government will partner with us.

Improving Paramedic Response Times The Region of Peel is encouraged by the recent efforts of the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care to prioritize paramedic offload delay and ambulance communications and dispatch for much-needed reforms. Given the pressures on our health services from population growth, an aging population, and an increasing prevalence of chronic conditions, it is essential that the Ontario government proceed on both these issues in 2016. Paramedic Offload Delay The Region of Peel and Peel-area hospitals continue to make progress reducing paramedic offload delay due to much-needed process improvements and the Hospital Nursing Program but more needs to be done: Offload delay consumed approximately 38,000 Paramedic service hours in Peel in 2014. The Region is hopeful a Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care review of the Hospital Nursing Program will result in a system of funding incentives for hospitals to continue the reduction of paramedic offload delay.

The Provincial Government must:

• Work with the Region of Peel and community stakeholders to find both short and long-term solutions to address the issues related to poverty

• Implement changes to the Ontario Works service delivery model to one that provides more integrated health, recreation and employment supports for single-support families, similar to Peel’s Family First Program

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Region of Peel 2016 Provincial Pre-Budget Submission

9

The Provincial Government must: • Continue with the Hospital Nursing Program to provide increased reductions to paramedic

offload delay • Set specific performance targets for reducing paramedic offload delays and provide

sustainable long-term funding to programs designed to decrease offload delay • Direct area hospitals, through accountability agreements with the LHINs and a pay-for-

performance initiative, to address paramedic offload delay

Paramedic Dispatch Peel, through the provincially-operated Mississauga dispatch centre, continues to experience high ambulance call volume (growing 5 per cent annually), and an increasing number of emergency calls as a proportion of all calls. Growing pressure on ambulance resources requires that ambulances be deployed and managed as efficiently as possible. For a number of years now, most recently in 2015, Ontario’s Auditor General has reported on concerns related to paramedic dispatch in the province, with the over-prioritization of calls being the most pressing issue. The continued over-prioritizing of emergency calls places increased demands on the system by assigning more ambulances to life threatening emergency response than what is necessary. This can leave fewer or no ambulances to respond to new calls that are truly urgent. In 2014, a Dispatch Working Group was formed by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care whose membership included the Chief and Director of Peel Regional Paramedic Services. The Group provided a confidential report to the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care which included recommendations to improve the dispatching of ambulance services and the prioritization of emergency calls. Reforming the paramedic dispatch system in Peel would allow Peel Regional Paramedic Services to reassess how it allocates resources across its ambulance fleet, further improving response times for those calls prioritized as life-threatening, and ensuring patients receive care within a time period that more accurately reflects their condition. Improvements to ambulance dispatch will see better patient outcomes, and contribute to solutions which will help to enhance the overall health system, including hospital emergency department wait times and paramedic demands. This would ultimately provide the ‘right care, at the right time, in the right place’ thereby helping to fulfill the overall objectives of the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care’s Patients First objectives. The Provincial Government must: • Work with the Region of Peel to immediately address technology and accountability

concerns with the ambulance dispatch system to improve the safety, effectiveness, and efficiency of ambulance services.

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Region of Peel 2016 Provincial Pre-Budget Submission

10

Conclusion As the Region of Peel moves forward in executing its new 20-year strategic plan we will continue to be an active and willing partner to help the province achieve its short-term goals of creating jobs, protecting and improving services and its long-term objectives of economic growth, prosperity and deficit reduction. As such, we encourage your government to adopt the recommendations outlined in this pre-budget submission. Thank you for the opportunity to provide input into the 2016 budget. We look forward to “working with you” in creating a strong, competitive and prosperous Ontario.

6.2-10

6.3-1

2 MP/MPP Advocacy Update | Spring 2016

When the Federal Government announced its goal to bring 25,000 Syrian refugees to Canada by the end of February 2016, the Region of Peel went to work developing an Action Plan. The arrival of a large number of newcomers to Canada, Ontario and Peel requires consideration about potential impacts to the human services and other (e.g., health) systems. As such the Region of Peel is engaged in activities related to the initial arrival of refugees, and in their ongoing settlement.

For the initial arrival of the Syrian Refugees at Toronto Pearson International Airport, the Region of Peel established standby teams to provide emergency social services in case they were required. On an ongoing basis the Region of Peel will continue to work in collaboration with all other levels of government and community partners, and will include support of the Greater Toronto Airports Authority operations, as needed.

The Region has also focused its attention to working with community partners including the United Way of Peel and settlement agencies to help anticipate both short and long term needs of the refugees once they begin the integration process into the community.

The Region is moving forward with its Action Plan to provide the necessary supports to community

partners. For example, the Region has initially dedicated two mental health staff to help support the work of Peel’s settlement agencies. The Region has also begun preparing for the potential long-term impacts on Regional services such as Ontario Works, housing and child care. In addition, Peel is planning activities for Syrian refugee resettlement to remain fluid and dynamic, and it is likely that aspects of Peel’s involvement will evolve over time, based on actual number of Syrian refugees settling (directly or moving from other neighboring jurisdictions) in Peel.

The successful resettlement of Syrian refugees in Peel will require a coordinated effort among all levels of government and all relevant sectors (e.g., human services, education) that are interdependent with each other. Understanding that the realities surrounding the Syrian refugee situation is ever-changing, the Region will continue to work with community and government partners to help ensure that the Action Plan is resilient and flexible to successfully support the refugees.

On November 12, 2015, Peel Regional Council approved the Region’s first ever 20-year Strategic Plan. The Strategic Plan is our roadmap to achieving our new community vision: Community for Life. A Community for Life is a place where everyone enjoys a sense of belonging and has access to the services and opportunities they need to thrive throughout their entire life.

Adopting a 20-year outlook is a shift from a four-year plan based on the Term of Council that has been used in the past. Moving to a longer-term outlook will help better position the Region to meet the changing needs of our community and rise to the challenges of the future.

A key element of our Strategic Plan is our new brand: ‘Working with You’. This reflects our commitment to meaningful, innovative collaboration with our stakeholders and partners. With this in mind, the Region will be looking for opportunities to strengthen our working relationship with both the provincial and federal orders of government to jointly develop solutions that will lead to greater prosperity and an improved quality of life for all residents.

Working with You, was developed through the most extensive strategic planning community outreach in our history. Throughout the spring and summer of 2015, we asked thousands of community members and staff what they could envision for Peel in 2035.

Working with You – The Region of Peel’s 20 year Strategic Plan

The Region of Peel’s Syrian Refugee Plan

Continues on page 3

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