From Our Home to Yours: How the City is Using Technology to Connect with Residents during COVID-19

With many City of Mississauga staff working from home and connecting virtually, the City is dedicated and equipped to provide residents with the information and resources that they need during COVID-19. In response to the necessary closures and cancellations that have taken place to help stop the spread of COVID-19, the City has turned to innovative technology, virtual programming and online solutions to continue to inform, serve and connect with residents.

Staying Informed

• Social Media – for the most up-to-date information regarding the City of Mississauga’s response to COVID-19, residents can follow the City on all of its social media platforms. Follow @citymississauga on Facebook and Twitter and check out the City of Mississauga on YouTube.
• 311 Citizen Contact Centre (311) – the 311 Citizen Contact Centre is a critical component of the City’s COVID-19 response and staff continue to provide residents with responsive and easily accessible customer service while completely working from home. For questions related to Mississauga’s response to COVID-19 and other City business, residents can call 311 or 905-615-4311 if outside city limits.
• Dedicated COVID-19 Web Page – visit mississauga.ca/coronavirus for the latest information on topics related to COVID-19, including cancellations and closures, City services, health advice and more. In April alone, the page received 139,277 unique views.
• eNews – sign up for the City’s eNewsletter to receive updates as they relate to COVID-19.

• Pingstreet – the City’s free mobile app Pingstreet provides access to real-time information, including the City’s latest news on COVID-19 and can also be used to report problems, including road damage, litter and dumping in City parks and much more.

Mayor and Council

• Virtual Council Meetings – every Wednesday at 9:30 a.m., residents can tune in to the live, virtual Council meeting from the comfort of their own home and listen in as Council discusses Mississauga’s response to COVID-19, as well as other business items.

• Virtual Press Conference – every Wednesday afternoon following Council, residents are invited to tune in to a live, virtual press conference where Mayor Bonnie Crombie will answer questions from the media and provide an update on COVID-19 in Mississauga.  Stream the press conference online at mississauga.ca/video.

• Mayor’s Tele Town Hall – the City continues to hold regular Tele Town Hall meetings to address resident concerns surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, and had over 21,000 residents participating in the Tele Town Hall on April 8. The Mayor hosts Tele Town Hall meetings to provide residents with the opportunity to ask COVID-19 related questions to a group of panelists from the City, Peel Region Public Health, Trillium Health Partners and Peel Regional Police. Listen to the previous Tele Town Halls online.

• Mayor’s city-wide courtesy phone call – to help keep Mississauga residents informed, Mayor Bonnie Crombie has issued two city-wide voice recordings, with each being delivered to nearly 130,000 residents.

Online Programs and Services

Although many City services and facilities continue to be affected, some City services that are normally available in-person are also available remotely. Residents are encouraged to check out the City’s list of online services and stay up-to-date on the City’s current service impacts.

The City also continues to offer a number of free, online resources and activities that residents can access from home.

• Library – the Library has a wide range of digital resources that residents can access from home using their physical or virtual library card. Since the launch of the virtual library card program in December, 2019, 1,949 virtual cards have been issued, with 1,378 of them being issued since the Library’s closure on March 14.

With their card, residents can access thousands of ebooks, audiobooks, movies, music, newspapers and much more. The Library also offers several online, educational resources for students as well as live storytimes on the Library’s Facebook page.

• Recreation – stay safe at home and let the City help with ideas for you and your family to stay healthy, active and connected. Visit the Stay Home Stay Active page for online videos, nutritional tips and home workouts for all ages and abilities. You can also follow Recreation on Facebook and Twitter @MississaugaRec for up-to-date information.

• Parks – new this year, residents will be able to enjoy the City of Mississauga’s beautiful cherry blossoms in Kariya Park from home using the City’s new webcam. Although Kariya Park is closed to the public to help stop the spread of COVID-19, this technology will allow residents to continue to enjoy this magical, springtime display.

• Go Green at Home – from May 16 to 22, youth ages 13 to 24 can take part in the 2020 Virtual Amazing Green Race, in partnership with Peel Environmental Youth Alliance (PEYA), to take positive action at home for the environment. The race will feature a series of at-home sustainability challenges and offers a chance to win a prize. Register now.

• For Businesses and Vendors – the City’s Economic Development Office is now fully virtual and continues to serve the business community. One of the ways it is supporting local businesses is by providing free webinars that provide useful information for navigating business during COVID-19. For more online resources, including the Business Relief Portal, visit mississauga.ca/business-covid-19.

The City’s Revenue and Materiel Management Department continues to be a leader in procurement modernization and innovation. In the midst of COVID-19, it accelerated its digital procurement platform to allow for eBidding. As of March 31, the bidding process became virtually paperless. Vendors can now access bid opportunities and submit bids online and the City can evaluate bids electronically.

• For Older Adults – are you an older adult or a caregiver or family member of an adult over the age of 70? The City has a variety of online resources and information to help support and inform older adults during COVID-19. Resources include a printable fact sheet, health and wellness information, lists of key contacts, social supports and more.

• Planning and Development – the City’s Planning and Building Department continues to provide many resources and online services to provide assistance to residents and businesses during this time. All online application functionality continues. You will still be able to apply, update and complete application-related tasks using the ePlans.

To access these online services, residents have the option to use Wireless Mississauga from various locations across the city. In addition to the Library’s Hotspot Lending Program which has provided free Wi-Fi hotspots to 40 Mississauga families without access to the internet, free Wireless Mississauga hotspots located throughout the city also help provide internet access to those who need it.

Residents can use the Wireless Mississauga Map to view the wireless hotspot locations in Mississauga. When using a Wireless Mississauga hotspot, residents are reminded to practise physical distancing and to follow all health guidelines, bylaws and closures.

For more information about City programs and services during COVID-19, visit mississauga.ca/coronavirus or call 311 (or 905-615-4311 if outside city limits). You can also connect with the City through Twitter or Facebook.

Tags

• COVID-19