Ontario Construction News staff writer
The governments of Ontario and Canada have announced a funding package of up to $401.4 million to assist Mississauga in developing the infrastructure necessary for new housing, which includes significant transit initiatives.
This funding comes from the Development Charges Reduction Program, aimed at helping municipalities that have lowered development charges invest in the essential infrastructure needed for growth.
Mississauga was one of the first cities in Ontario to make considerable reductions in development charges, cutting them by as much as 100 percent to promote housing construction and enhance affordability. The city has pledged to uphold these reductions until March 31, 2029.
The funds will go towards infrastructure that supports housing, such as a new zero-emission transit maintenance and storage facility and a downtown transit mobility hub.
As Canada’s seventh-largest city, Mississauga recognizes that substantial investments in transit infrastructure are crucial to support its growing population and new housing projects, including a new zero-emission transit maintenance and storage facility on city-owned land at 7300 West Credit Ave.
The city anticipates that transit ridership will increase by 50 percent by 2035, necessitating an additional 250 buses.
Mi Way currently operates from both the Edward J. Dowling Transit Facility and the Malton Satellite Facility. However, both locations are at full capacity, which restricts the system’s ability to expand its fleet and improve services.
The city is also working on plans for a new Downtown Transit Mobility Hub as Mississauga’s downtown continues to develop.
The downtown area is presently home to around 36,000 residents and over 1,100 businesses. Its population is projected to more than double by 2051.
The proposed hub would enhance the City Centre Transit Terminal and integrate local and regional transit services, including the Hazel Mc Callion LRT.
These plans are currently going through the Transit and Rail Project Assessment Process, which is a provincial approval process involving public input and environmental reviews.
This process is expected to wrap up by late 2027 before moving into design stages for construction planning.
“Mississauga acted early to help get more homes built and make them more affordable for our residents,” said Mississauga Mayor Carolyn Parrish. “Today’s announcement demonstrates the value of that leadership.”
The funding is contingent upon the city signing a Canada-Ontario Build Communities Strong Fund bilateral agreement along with a Transfer Payment Agreement with the province. It also requires further due diligence and confirmation of approved projects from both levels of government.
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