As of Friday, April 9 at 8:00 a.m., all vaccine clinics in Peel Region will be accepting bookings for individuals 50 years or older within select postal codes to schedule COVID-19 vaccine appointments.
 
The select communities include:

• L4T, L4W, L4X, L4Z 
• L5A, L5B, L5C, L5K, L5L, L5M, L5N, L5R, L5V, L5W 
• L6P, L6R, L6S, L6T, L6V, L6W, L6X, L6Y, L6Z 
• L7A, L7C 

 
This eligibility expansion also marks our progression into phase 2 of the vaccine roll-out, offering vaccines to more residents and made available in more accessible ways. All vaccine clinics in Peel region will be taking bookings for the following groups who wish to receive the COVID-19 vaccine:

• Adults 50 years and older within select postal codes
• Eligible Health Care Workers – Check eligibility for a more detailed list of who falls within that group
• Indigenous Adults and their household members 18 years of age or older
• Active health care workers
• People with highest and high-risk health conditions
• Adult recipients of home care

 
Book an appointment online. The fastest way to book is online. Residents without internet access who need assistance booking can call 905-791-5202.
Information on how to prepare for an appointment and what to expect at a clinic is available at peelregion.ca/COVID19vaccine. This is a one-stop spot for Peel residents to book an appointment to get vaccinated at the clinic of their choice when it’s their turn.
 
Adults 65 years or older and people of any age who have transportation barriers can use TransHelp, free of charge, to get to their vaccine appointment.
You don't need to be a TransHelp client to use this service. Call 905-791-1015 at least 48 hours before your appointment to make your booking.

The City is proposing changes that will have a significant impact on our community.   Before the plan is rubber stamped, we want to ensure that every resident knows exactly how some of the measures to be taken will impact our neighbourhood.
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What at first appeared to be repaving and some upgrading to boulevards and curbs has morphed into a plan to insert cycle paths at the expense of right turn lanes and traffic management.  Cycle lanes are planned on Rathburn from Dixie to the dead end at the creek, and on Ponytrail from Rathburn to Burnhamthorpe. 
We all need to question whether the “active lifestyle” the City has envisioned for Rockwood Village will put the safety of our children and families at risk.
Currently, Rockwood Village has two cycling trails - Shaver and Mitoff - on either side of Ponytrail.  Both of these are within the community and provide a safe place for families to ride or walk.  An additional trail will be completed this spring along the Hydro corridor from Audubon to Dundas and will intersect with the Shaver Trail.  The City plan proposes additional cycle lanes along busy roads.  It does nothing to offer cyclists safe passage across Ponytrail from one of the existing trails to the other.

The plan also includes stop signs in places that have relatively little traffic and which might be better suited to crosswalks.  
The complete proposal can be viewed on line at:  www.mississauga.ca/rathburn-ponytrail.  While many of you may have already sent your individual response to the City, we need a measurable community response to issues that have been identified. 

We urge you to use the link below to make your voice heard.  The results will be used by RHA to respond to the City’s proposal, the same way we did with the Bough Beeches proposal.

Survey to closed on February 8, at 9:00 p.m.

Warning:
During the winter months, the City does not maintain any of the trails along the Etobicoke Creek. 
The northern part of the trail is treacherous on a good day, but snow and ice can and will provide additional hazards. 
Please ensure that you and your children do not access these trails until it is safe to do so. 

​Late last year, the City requested submissions from Rockwood residents of their ideas for Rathburn Road, east of Ponytrail.  When construction of watermain work on Ponytrail was completed last year, the curbs and islands were temporarily repaired in light of resurfacing and other changes to be undertaken in 2021.  This timing allowed for residents to have some input on changes to the area of Ponytrail and Rathburn. 
At the AGM on October 21, Rory O’Sullivan, Transport Engineer, and Jeremy Blair, Manager of Transportation Infrastructure Management put forward the current proposal for the area.  
Prior to the meeting, residents were asked once again to send their ideas.  Many residents did, along with questions and even detailed plans.  Several comments addressed the speeding issues along Rathburn and the desire to have the plan incorporate the challenge of eliminating speeding and racing along this stretch of roadway.
Unfortunately, time constraints did not allow for this topic to be fully discussed.   Another Zoom meeting will be held as soon as possible.  If you are interested in attending this meeting, please make sure you are on our e-mail list to receive the details.  
​Rha.executive@gmail.com or go to our website: rockwoodvillage.ca

In response to the Covid-19 situation, the RHA (Rockwood Homeowners’ Association) held its first Annual General Meeting (AGM) via Zoom on October 21, 2020.
Turnout exceeded expectation, with requests for attendance exceeded our capacity of 100, several residents were unfortunately denied request for a link.
Councillor Fonseca was the keynote speaker.

​For details, see December 2020 Newsletter

A natural ice rink is being built in Beechwood Park! 
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Weather permitting, it will be open on December 15th from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily. 
Beechwood Park is located at 4139 Ottewell Cres., east of Rockwood Mall, it is also accessible from Bryce Rd.  

Our thanks to those neighbours who have volunteered their time to maintain the rink for the benefit of the community.  
If you can donate some time to assist with the maintenance please sign up at:
 Parks.CommunityDevelopment@mississauga.ca

Dear Joe, I just purchased and installed some new LED lamps in my kitchen pot lights and when dimming them the lamps start to flicker. Any idea of what is going on?  The old type lamps did not do this. - Henry in Rockwood

Hi Henry  This question has been asked of me a few times from family and friends. First of all, you have made a great decision that will save you some money on energy costs for years to come.  Unfortunately, due to the technology that is used in these types of lamps, they are not compatible with the dimmers you probably have in your house.

The LED lamps must be the dimmable type and must be matched with the appropriate dimmer made for LED lamp technology. 
So, what you now need to do now is have each dimmer changed to an LED dimmer. Please remember that a qualified electrician who will ensure the connections are made appropriately should do this.  Word of caution:  you can damage a dimmer if it is not appropriately installed. 

​The Region of Peel has money available to fund safety and accessibility concerns for seniors, persons with disabilities, and families with a combined income under $60,000.  This program covers renovations to provide accessibility, safety, structural, electrical, plumbing or heating issues.   To receive funds, you must have owned the home for at least three years.  Unfortunately, to qualify, the maximum value of the property in Mississauga is $546,203.  This would effectively eliminate most detached homeowners, but could be of interest to those who own towns, links and semis.   The program will fund recipients on a first come basis until the funding is exhausted.  For more details, or to apply online: peelregion.ca/peelrenovates or call 905-793-9200.

I attended Sts. Martha and Mary School as a child and was lucky enough to live close and enjoy the walk. I still live in the area and am very worried for our children and seniors. 

There’s no excuse for hostile behaviour and breaking traffic rules. Parents and motorists have to start driving safely – we don’t want someone to get hurt. I have witnessed parents not following rules of the road, including not stopping at a marked crosswalk, or driving over the speed limit. Distracted driving has also increased and remains high. 

Tips for parents to help make school zones safer: 

 1. Avoid running late. A great deal of stress arises from feeling rushed. Give yourself plenty of time in the morning and consider completing tasks and preparing your child’s school items the night before.

2. Focus on what you can control. No matter what’s going on around you, be patient and courteous. Reacting with extreme frustration may aggravate the situation and increase the risk of unsafe behaviours.  3. Follow the rules; which include school, drop off and pick up procedures and rules of the road such as driving within the speed limit, stopping at marked cross walks and not driving distracted. If everyone follows the rules, problems and misunderstandings are less likely to occur.

 5. Reduce congestion. Consider walking or cycling your child to school or park a few blocks away and walk your child the rest of the way to school. 

6. Speeding. School zone speed limit is 30 km/hr between 8am - 5pm on school days unless otherwise posted. In playground zones, a 30-km/hr speed limit is in effect from dawn to dusk, 365 days of the year. • Crosswalks. Drivers must stop for pedestrians crossing the road at a crosswalk. The best and safest rule is for drivers to stop once they see a pedestrian standing on the curb at a crosswalk and to wait for as long as it takes for all pedestrians to reach the curb on the other side. • Crossing guards/patrollers. Drivers, pedestrians and cyclists must follow the instructions of a school crossing guard or student patroller. • Distracted driving. Using an electronic device while driving, including holding the device in a position in which it may be used, is considered to be distracted driving and is against the law. For you parents and guardians dropping off or picking up your child from school, avoid using your cell phone within a school zone, even when your car is parked and idling at the curb. Parents please teach your kids how to walk or cycle safely near or on the road.​

The City has announced major reconstruction of Burnhamthorpe Rd. East from the Etobicoke Creek to Dixie Rd.  It is anticipated that work will commence this spring and will continue until December.  The work, estimated to cost $8.5 million, for reconstruction of Burnhamthorpe Road East (approximately 2 km), will include: • The extension of the multi-use trail along the north side of the road, including lighting and connecting with the Etobicoke Creek Trail • Catch basin lead replacements • Management of stormwater runoff using Low Impact Development • Intersection improvements including traffic signal replacements and bus stop/queue jump lanes constructed at Bough Beeches Boulevard/Havenwood Drive, Fieldgate Drive and Ponytrail Drive intersections.  • During this same timeframe, watermain work will be in process along Ponytrail, north of Burnhamthorpe, and along Rathburn.  Residents can probably expect major traffic issues during this period.