Decision on Peel Region's future could come this week, sources say, as Ford backs independent Mississauga

The Ontario government is set to make an announcement on the future of Peel Region as early as this week, sources say, after Premier Doug Ford again voiced support for Mississauga becoming an independent municipality.

Sources with knowledge of the decision told CBC Toronto the announcement concerns the separation of the region but offered no further details.

Peel currently consists of Mississauga and Brampton — the third and fourth largest cities in Ontario, respectively — and the Town of Caledon in the north. It was created in 1974 by the government of former premier Bill Davis, and the region is responsible for services such as paramedics, health programs and recycling.

Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie has repeatedly argued her city should be its own municipality. Ford has publicly backed the idea, most recently at a news conference on Monday.

"I've always been for an independent Mississauga. You can't have a city the size of Mississauga — close to 800,000 people, and it is continuing to grow — being tied into other jurisdictions," Ford said.

"It's my job, and I know it's the mayors, that the people of Mississauga get the best services they can and to continue to enhance those services."

Crombie, who was also at the news conference and spoke after Ford, said she is "delighted that the premier has publicly stated that he is on the way to separating Peel."

She added that the move would fulfil a promise Ford made to former Mississauga mayor Hazel McCallion and that it makes sense for Mississauga and Brampton to "go our separate ways.

"It is cost effective, it allows us both to build great cities and allow my taxpayers to invest their tax dollars back into our city rather than support the growth of the other municipalities," Crombie said.

Crombie has previously said separating the region would save Mississauga more than $1 billion over 10 years. In a statement earlier this month, she said her city has been "the cash cow" of Peel for more than 50 years, covering more than 60 per cent of the costs of running the region.

Any decision by the province could cause tensions with neighbouring Brampton, where Mayor Patrick Brown has said his city would need to be made whole financially if there is a separation into independent municipalities.

"If there [are] two cities, Brampton needs to be made whole in the sense that the water treatment facilities, the police headquarters, we have built in Mississauga," Brown told reporters last week.

"If the mayor of Mississauga thinks she can leave and not pay her bill, the residents of Brampton would be outraged."

Crombie responded to those comments in a statement, saying it is "fundamentally untrue" that Brampton has funded growth in Mississauga.