PHOTO Courtesy City of Brampton category and eighth in the infrastructure and city of the future categories.
Positioned at the vanguard of the knowledge-based economy, Brampton’ s health-care and life science sector employs about 6,700 people. In October 2016, the province announced funding for a new STEAM-focused university in Brampton. Sheridan College’ s Davis Campus also recently launched the Davis Applied Engineering Centre and ABB Robotics Centre.
When hiring staff, Brampton seeks“ those people who want to be part of an organization that provides solutions for all of our neighbourhoods,” says Schlange. Also,“ we have an inclusion and equity committee; we’ re always looking at how we can improve.”
“ Everybody pays for City Hall, yet not everybody feels welcome,” Jeffrey says.“( Last) year we celebrated Eid; we invited all the imams and leaders of the community, and they had never all been in the same place together. We raised flags( last) year for communities that have never had their flag raised. To be perfectly honest, we’ re breaking new ground every day.”
Online budget consultations and telephone town halls are among recent innovations. Extensive community engagement has fostered other new ideas. A Parks and Recreation visioning exercise showed“ a shift to a much more passive park setting where there’ s a lot more walking and gathering,” says Schlange.“ We’ re constructing shelters
and washrooms, but at the same time we have a very rich heritage in sport and league sport, so we’ re preserving that.”
Brampton’ s places-of-worship policy seeks to ensure that faith communities have access to buildings. A second-unit policy responds to affordable housing needs by permitting additional units in some residences. Project Lighthouse is building crosscultural emergency communications networks, and Brampton nurtures richly diverse festivals and events.
“ We’ ve engaged the business community and the religious community on a fireworks bylaw, because of the celebration of Diwali,” Schlange adds.“ They wanted to host displays of their own. So we created a bylaw that provides a framework for fireworks without a permit.”
Throughout the summer, Brampton’ s diverse citizens gather in the newly redeveloped downtown for live music, cultural festivals, a farmer’ s market, movie nights, or to watch the Raptors, Blue Jays and TFC games on the big screen. Last summer, Garden Square hosted live Euro Cup games on the big screen and residents came together to support each national team. Thousands of Brampton’ s Portuguese residents waved flags as their team won the final, and the City closed Main Street for a parade.
“ I’ m really lucky: I lead a city that’ s interesting and diverse and young and exciting, and I need to find ways to help them shine and achieve their goals,” says Jeffrey.“ If we don’ t find a way to engage our residents, we’ re not getting the best.”
Markham’ s mayor believes municipalities have a key role to play in Canada’ s evolution.
“ As we approach Canada’ s 150th birthday, we should consider the tremendous changes we’ ve witnessed since our centennial celebrations in 1967,” Scarpitti says.“ In just 50 years, Canada has transformed into a diverse, successful country known around the world for its tolerance, civil liberties, kindness and peaceful nature.”
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