Last week, the province announced that seven new regions of the Province would re-open under Stage 2 of the Emergency Measurement Orders on June 19, but not the Region of Peel. In a statement, the Mississauga Board of Trade (MBOT) said it is extremely disappointed in this decision and feels that businesses are ready and should be opened in this region on June 19, 2020 along with neighbouring regions. Because the City of Mississauga is part of the Region of Peel, the Regional public health unit oversees Mississauga, the City of Brampton and Town of Caledon in one area.
This regional approach unfairly captures Mississauga, which displays low COVID-19 issues. “Mississauga businesses are in a very unfair situation because they are included in the Region of Peel model. The City of Mississauga has comparable numbers to other parts of the Province that are opening. We, the City of Mississauga should be treated that way,” said David Wojcik, President & CEO of MBOT. The Board of Trade is calling on Mayor Bonnie Crombie and Mississauga City Council to request that the City of Mississauga be exempted from the regional model so businesses can re-open on June 19, 2020. “A week or longer might not sound like a big deal, but ask local businesses what they think. Every day they stay closed is a day closer to them never re-opening,” Wojcik concluded.