Figure 1Argentino, A. Mark. "Mississauga City Information on Number of Households and Breakdown for Dwelling Types." Mississauga 4 Sale.

Accessed
February 1, 2019. http://www.mississauga4sale.com/Mississauga-Dwellings.htm.

MISSISSAUGA
Municipal Profile Briefing Document

Abstract
Municipal Profile Briefing Document for the New Members of Council of the
Mississauga

Shamsun Nahar Ferdous, Neeraja Patwardhan, Simran Bedi, Parneet

Gill & Matthew Campbell
February 4, 2019
Mississauga

Geography, Population and Demographic Composition:

Mississauga sits in the Peel region of Ontario and covers an area of 292.83 km squared.
Mississauga's population in 2016 sat at 721,599 as per Stats Canada census, and that the
population density per square kilometre is 2,467.6 (Statistics Canada, 2017). Mississauga sits at
the very bottom of the Peel region and has the second largest land mass of the three cities that
make up Peel. Mississauga is counted as a medium-sized city, one of 18 that make up the list
(Government of Canada, 2019).

The demographics of the population in Mississauga is broad and varied given that it is a
major city in Canada and attracts people of different backgrounds, ages, occupations, and skills
(Statistics Canada, 2017).

Concerning age, the number of people in the ages 15-64 (498,890) far outweighs the number of
people aged 0-14 (120,925), and 65 and over (101,780). The average age of the population is
39.6, while the median is 40. In that sense, Mississauga attracts young adults, people starting
their careers and those who have established their careers. There seem to be fewer families and
fewer seniors retained as opposed. As for languages spoken, 337,005 people count the official
languages as their mother tongue (English - 329,990, and French - 7,015), whereas 342,810
people indicate non-official languages as their mother tongue. This points to how diverse the
population is in its make-up (Statistics Canada, 2017).

As for their mobility status, 626,910 make up non-movers, while 81,860 are considered as
movers (this includes non-migrants, migrants, and external migrants). This particular data
indicates the number of people that had moved (or not) their place of residence within a year of
when the data collection was conducted. This shows the trends of moving in and out of
Mississauga (Statistics Canada, 2017).

Household Characteristics:

Selected Family Characteristics

Total

Total number of families 170,560

Number of married-couple families 135,095
Number of common-law couple families 10,825
Number of lone-parent families 24,640
Number of female lone-parent families 20,545
Number of male lone-parent families 4,100
Median family income, 2000 ($) - All census families 67,767
Median family income, 2000 ($) - Couple families 73,072
Median family income, 2000 ($) - Lone-parent families 39,883
1 Chart obtained from Mississauga 4 Sale web source

There are 170,560 families in residing in Mississauga. There are over 135,000 married
families and 10,800 common-law families living in Mississauga. There are 24,640 lone-parent
families. Of the lone parent families recorded, 20,545 were female lone-parent families, and
4,100 were male lone-parent families.2

Selected Household Characteristics Mississauga

Total

Total - All private households 195,180

Households containing a couple (married or common-law) with children 83,610
Households containing a couple (married or common-law) without children 46,225
One-person households 30,125
Other household types 35,220
Median household income, 2000 ($) - All households 67,542
Median household income, 2000 ($) - One-person households 34,505
Median household income, 2000 ($) - Two-or-more-persons households 74,914
Number of rented dwellings 55,050
Number of owner-occupied dwellings 140,120

3
Chart from website

Of the 195, 180 private households, 83,610 households with a couple had children, while
46,225 households contained a couple without children.4

Economic Profile:

In Mississauga, there is a diversity of businesses that range from aerospace industries to

food processing and machine stops. Only 11% of the workforce in Mississauga are unionized5. A
broad shift of world-renowned corporations has relocated their head offices and plant facilities to
Mississauga.

Around 18,000 companies run and operate in Mississauga and range from corporate head
offices and industrial branch operations to corner store retail businesses and include 50 of
Canada's Fortune 500. The Mississauga business community is suffering as a result of

1Argentino, A. Mark. "Mississauga City Information on Number of Households and Breakdown for
Dwelling Types." Mississauga 4 Sale. Accessed February 1, 2019.
http://www.mississauga4sale.com/Mississauga-Dwellings.htm.
2
Ibid
3
Argentino, A. Mark. "Mississauga City Information on Number of Households and Breakdown for Dwelling
Types." Mississauga 4 Sale. Accessed February 1, 2019. http://www.mississauga4sale.com/Mississauga-
Dwellings.htm.
4
Ibid
5
http://www.mississauga.ca/file/COM/2006Labour_Employment.pdf
international competition, political, economic and technological changes. The business
community requires adaptable and highly skilled labour to keep up with such changes.
Employers recognize the need to retain workers but have been limited by inadequately trained
labour with a lower skill set 6.

The ideal business environment in Mississauga has allowed smaller businesses to grow.
Developers have started building affordable and efficient working units for small companies.
Mississauga has witnessed economic stability as a result of these medium and small-sized
businesses, and the majority have fewer than 50 employees.

According to a 1994 employment survey report, a significant number of firms and

employees worked in manufacturing/warehouses, followed by retail and wholesale sectors. The
employment base will see a shift from traditional manufacturing to light assembly, warehouse
distribution, and general services. Some of Mississauga’s stronger industries include
pharmaceuticals, computer, electronics, chemical and transportation parts, and equipment
industries. Petro-Canada refinery and St. Lawrence Cement come under the heavy industry.

According to demographics, Mississauga is experiencing dramatic changes. The next ten

years predict 70% of the new Canadian workforce will consist of women, racial minorities, and
people with disabilities. The Mississauga labour force is ageing, and there are fewer young
people available to take entry-level jobs, and many present employees are struggling to adapt to
the changing economic climate 7.

• Primary Occupations and Labour Force Status

Current Labour Force and Characteristics:

The City of Mississauga is the largest labour force market in Canada and recruit
employees from a population base over 4 million and are age 15 or older in the Greater Toronto
Area (GTA). One of the largest commercial bases is also located in The City of Mississauga.
t90,780 businesses in Mississauga had employed 438,168 people in 2017.

Employment Statistics
In 2017, the population of Mississauga was 770,000, and the employment ratio was 0.57,
and that means for every 100 residents of the city, there were 57 local jobs. An estimated
421,172 people participate in Mississauga's labour force. The table illustrates the cities net
importer of 46,057 employment opportunities. 8

6
http://www.mississauga.cc/economy.shtml

7
http://www.mississauga.cc/economy.shtml

8
http://www7.mississauga.ca/documents/business/2018/Talent__Employment.pdf
 Employment Statistics
800,000

600,000

400,000

200,000

0
2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017

Population Total employment

Employment Ratio (1) Participating Resident Labour Force (2)
Labour Import (Export) (3)

Source: City of Mississauga, Planning & Building Department, 2013-2018 Employment Profiles
Notes: (1) Total employment divided by the total population
(2) The resident labour force multiplied by the participation rate from the Labour Force Survey
(3) Total employment positions minus the employed labour force

Labour Force by Selected Industry Sector

A greater share of Mississauga’s labour force participates in professional, manufacturing
and scientific sectors in addition to finance and insurance in Ontario.9

Industry Sector Canada Ontario Mississauga

Total Labour Force 15 years & 18,672,475 7,141,675 394,640

over by industry

Source: Statistics Canada, 2016 Census

9
http://www7.mississauga.ca/documents/business/2018/Talent__Employment.pdf
 Labour Force by Selected Industry Sector

12%

10%

8%

6%

4%

2%

0%

Canada Ontario Mississauga

Source: Statistics Canada, 2016 Census

Training & Employment Programs

There are numerous employment benefits and support measure programs that the three
branches of Service Canada administer in Mississauga. These branches serve as assessment case
management centers and refer clients to various employment interventions in the community.
According to the 2016 census, the rate of unemployment in Mississauga is 8.3%10

Labour Force by Occupation

A significant amount of Mississauga's labour is involved in business, finance, and
administrative occupations, and management occupations compared to Ontario and Canada.11

Classification Canada Ontario Mississauga

Total Labour Force 15 Years & 18,672,470 7,141,675 394,640

Over by Occupation

10
https://www.peelregion.ca/planning/pdc/data/quickfacts.html
11
http://www7.mississauga.ca/documents/business/2018/Talent__Employment.pdf
 Source: Statistics Canada, 2016 Census

Labour Force by Occupation

25%

20%

15%

10%

5%

0%

Canada Ontario Mississauga

Payroll Overhead/Fringe Benefits

Certain deductions made in the employee' may contribute to employment insurance,
income tax, and the Canada Pension Plan. Workers also enjoy other government-specified
benefits such as vacation pay and workers’ compensation. Employees working for a more
extended period enjoy standard payroll overhead and fringe benefits, which include paying all or
part of life insurance, significant medical and dental benefits, pension plans and extended
vacations. There are no standard wage rate surveys conducted in the City of Mississauga.

Industrial and Commercial Activity:

Mississauga is one the most business-friendly cities in North America. It is located
centrally in the middle of the Greater Toronto and Hamilton area. Mississauga also has one of
the largest real estate markets in North America. It is estimated that Mississauga holds 17% of
Canada's labour force and population. [12]

Construction
Business is continuously growing in Mississauga as $1.5 billion in building permits were
approved between January and September 2018. Between January and September, $563 million
was spent on building permits, with $303 million spent on Industrial permits and $260 million on
commercial permits. Also, $856 million of permits were issued for the residential sector. [13]

Industrial and Commercial Real Estate

Mississauga has one of the most active Commercial and Industrial real estate markets in
the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area. In the first three quarters of 2018, Mississauga sold
more than $630 billion in industrial building sales, which is more than any city in the GTHA
during that period. Mississauga also currently has over 1673 acres of vacant undeveloped
employment space available that has yet to be developed. Overall Mississauga is one of the best
cities in Ontario to start the local and commercial business. [14]

Type and structure of government and three issues currently facing the municipality:

There are three types of municipalities in Canada: Single-tier; Two-tier and Supra
regional. The City of Mississauga is a lower two-tier system. The two-tier system is in which
decisions are divided between two municipal governments. In Mississauga, there is a regional
level of government which is called the Region of Peel. "The City of Mississauga, Brampton and
Caledon all are under the jurisdiction of the Region of Peel" (Mississauga.ca). Mississauga is
accountable for various things happening around the city, for ex. Managing of parks, libraries,
local transportation, property taxes, fire services, city road maintenance is one of them
(Mississauga.ca). The city is governed by City Council which consists of Mayor and 11
Councillors, which represent city's certain boundaries/areas. Mississauga is divided among 11
wards, and each Councillor represents a ward. The election is held after every four years where
members of the Council are elected. The City Council represents and serves the people of
Mississauga. In doing so, Council follows the rules set by the Provincial Government called the
Municipal Act. Councillors make key decisions related to various aspects of the City, pass by-
laws (local laws for Mississauga), create policies, approve budgets and provide programs and
services to make citizen's lives better" (Mississauga.ca).
Mississauga is one of the most growing cities of Canada from which the economy is
booming on the municipality level. The city is also affected by the recent inflation of the country
due to the increment of the minimum wages, opening the doors of immigration and granting high
student loans. Mississauga had Hazel McCallion for 36 years, and the city is always proud of her
work. Her service to the city has proven through the low crime rate, high education and
maintenance of the hospitals and educational institutes. However, the recent election after Hazel
McCallion was retired, Bonnie Crombie was elected as the Mayor of Mississauga. Indeed, her
expertise and qualifications were sufficient to be elected. Based on the report by Mississauga
News, it has said that " It has wreaked havoc on major roads during rush hour and has sparked an
overdue need for public transit options. Crime is also an important issue among residents…"
(Raza, 2018). The website has addressed two major issues that are occurring in the city of
Mississauga. The first issue is that the city is facing high traffic due to the residents travelling
mostly from their cars. The city's 721,599 residents drive a car. There are various ways to reduce
the issue of car traffic, but the recommendation by Mississauga News is to increase public transit
options. These options can be available to the public to bus transits, subway transit or the LRT
that has been introduced for the Hurontario road. It is important in the eyes of the public because
it shows the initiative of the government for improvement and progress in the city as well as it
creates ease of the public, especially for working people. As Mississauga is in the process of
building the downtown hub through the skyrise infrastructure and providing public activities,
there are positive and negative about it. Surely Mississauga will have attraction places and
communities to be entertained. However, with the growing population, Mississauga is also
facing crime issues. "In 2016, police charged nearly 16,000 people in Peel Region with some
criminal offence." (Rosella, 2017) By these facts, it is observed that Mississauga needs high
security. Security of the public of any place will be the top priority in their lives. With a high
crime rate, the city could face some crisis that will affect other areas of the city. For example,
many international students choose to study in the city where the crime rate is low due to their
dependency on security. The third critical issue that Mississauga is facing is the affordability of
housing. "The average home price in Mississauga is $683,819, requiring an annual income of
$93,279." (Raza, 2018) Based on these numbers, the residents of Mississauga are finding it very
difficult to afford the living. The housing market is entirely above the level of their average
income. This issue has arisen due to different reasons such as inflation and the growing
population. Thus, the next mayor will have to help the transit issue, catch up with housing prices
and last but not least, reduce the crime rate.
 Works Cited

Argentino, A. Mark. "Mississauga City Information on Number of Households and Breakdown

for Dwelling Types." Mississauga 4 Sale. Accessed February 1, 2019.
http://www.mississauga4sale.com/Mississauga-Dwellings.htm.
Canada. The City of Mississauga. Mississauga Economic Development. Market
Conditions.2018. Accessed January 27, 2019, pg.3
http://www7.mississauga.ca/documents/business/2018/Market_Conditions.pdf
Frisque, G. (2018, 09 27). Mississauga, Brampton among least affordable Ontario housing
markets: Report. Retrieved from Brampton Guardian:
https://www.bramptonguardian.com/news-story/8927757-mississauga-brampton-among-
least-affordable-ontario-housing-markets-report/
Government of Canada. (2019, January 14). Choose a city. Retrieved from Immigration and
Citizenship: <https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/new-
immigrants/prepare-life-canada/choose-city.html>
Raza, A. (2018, 10 08). Mississauga's mayoral election: Transit, affordability and crime top
issues as the city 'grows up.' Retrieved from Mississauga News:
https://www.mississauga.com/news-story/8946295-mississauga-s-mayoral-election-
transit-affordability-and-crime-top-issues-as-city-grows-up-/
Rosella, L. (2017, 09 12). BY THE NUMBERS: Top 10 crimes happening in Mississauga.
Retrieved from Mississauga News: https://www.mississauga.com/news-story/7550811-
by-the-numbers-top-10-crimes-happening-in-mississauga/
Statistics Canada. 2017. Mississauga, CY [Census subdivision], Ontario and Ontario [Province]
(table). Census Profile. 2016 Census. Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 98-316-X2016001.
Ottawa. Released November 29, 2017. Retrieved from
<https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2016/dp-
pd/prof/details/page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=CSD&Code1=3521005&Geo2=PR&Code2=3
5&Data=Count&SearchText=Mississauga&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&TABID
=1&B1=All>
Your City Your Government. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www7.mississauga.ca/Departments/Marketing/Websites/local-
government/city.html