Biography

Pat Saito was first elected to Council in the City of Mississauga and Region of Peel in 1991. Prior to her election, Pat worked for 5 years as a Public Affairs Officer for the City.

Pat believes that in order to be an effective member of Council, you have to know your community and be involved in all aspects of its life. This, along with a wide range of involvement on various committees and boards gives Pat the perspective needed to make the right decisions at Council.

Pat has a long history of community involvement in Ward 9 and in the City of Mississauga and Region of Peel. It is this experience that enables Pat to represent Ward 9 to the fullest.

Pat’s history of community involvement goes back to 1972 when she and her husband Ron moved to Mississauga and became involved in the Mississauga Valleys ratepayers association. They played a large role in fundraising for the Mississauga Valley Community Centre. In 1978, Pat and Ron moved to Meadowvale in Ward 9, where they once again pitched in to help bring recreational facilities to their community. Pat and Ron were instrumental in organizing the Lake Aquitaine Family Festival and the Novemberfest dances to raise funds for the community.

As a volunteer and now as Councillor, Pat is very involved in crime prevention, traffic safety and waste management issues. She initiated and chaired the Peel Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design Committee (CPTED) and was instrumental in the founding of the Mississauga Crime Prevention Association (now Safe City Mississauga). Pat continues to serve on the board of SCM.

Pat's initiative resulted in the development of Peel's first Community Police station at Meadowvale Town Centre. For the past two terms of office, Pat sits on the Peel Police Internet Safety Committee. Pat also initiated a region wide committee to develop a strategy for youth crime prevention, the Peel Youth Violence Prevention committee, and is working towards formation of the Peel Child and Youth Initiative.

In 2006, Pat's contributions were recognized by Peel Regional Police who awarded her the prestigious Robert Boyne Award for Crime Prevention.

Pat was also a driving force in the creation of the Mississauga Safe Driving Committee, on which she sits today (now Road Safety Mississauga) and was instrumental in forming the Pedestrian Safety Strategy group. Pat also spearheaded the production of Mississauga's first Traffic Safety Handbook published in 2006. She advocated for traffic calming in the city and sat on the committee to draft criteria for a program. She has recently become a member of the newly formed Traffic Calming Committee. She has served as a member and vice-chair of Mississauga Traffic Safety Council dealing with traffic safety issues around schools. Pat was also invited to sit on the Board of Directors of the Ontario Traffic Conference where she represented elected officials across the province.

Pat has served on the Region of Peel's Waste Management Committee and also chaired the Works committee for many years. A former member of Ecosource Mississauga, Pat has a keen interest in developing new methods for managing Peel's waste and has been instrumental in bringing in expanded recycling programs, curb side composting and new technology for dealing with garbage. Pat worked with staff to open a Community Recycling Centre adjacent to Ward 9 so residents can recycle goods close to home.

Pat's three children grew up in Ward 9 and have been involved in various sports and community organizations. Andrew, age 33, works for HP in Mississauga. He and his wife, Kelly have two sons: Dylan and Morgan. Jenny, age 30, works in Peel and Katy, age 27, manages a business in Kitchener.

Pat’s husband Ron continues the family volunteerism and serves as President of the Eden Community Food Bank.

Although her job as Councillor takes up much of her time, Pat finds relaxation in training and competing in dog agility with her young German Shepherd Dog, Kahlua.

Committees and Boards

During her terms of office, Pat has served on the following committees and boards: