On Thursday night, the Mississauga mayoral debate featured some intense and at times personal exchanges between the current mayor and her predecessor.
Mayor Carolyn Parrish and former mayor Bonnie Crombie, who previously competed against each other in a 2011 city council election, hurled sharp personal comments and insults as the four leading candidates faced off in the second debate of this campaign.
City councillors Alvin Tedjo and Dipika Damerla also participated in the 90-minute event hosted by Food Banks Mississauga and the Metamorphosis Network. The debate took place at FBM’s warehouse located in the city’s eastern region.
According to organizers, they held this event “to ensure that poverty alleviation, including income and housing security, and food security are key platform issues for Mississauga mayoral candidates.”
While those topics were discussed by all four candidates during Thursday night’s debate, much of the time was spent with Parrish and Crombie challenging one another over various issues and who would be more committed to serving as Mississauga’s top elected official.
Parrish, who won a byelection for mayor in June 2024 after Crombie left to become leader of the Ontario Liberals, questioned her opponent’s intentions for wanting to return to the role after leaving it for provincial politics.
Crombie maintains she aimed for the premier position so she could better advocate for Mississauga from that level.
She told INSAUGA Canada on Thursday that it would’ve been “great for Mississauga” if she had triumphed over Premier Doug Ford in February 2025 elections.
<p In a previous interview, Crombie stated that Mississauga has always been “where my heart is,” having served as mayor from 2014 to 2024 before transitioning into provincial politics.
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A few hours before last night’s debate, Crombie shared with INSAUGA Canada that she found this year’s mayoral campaign in Mississauga “a lot more negative than I had hoped,” describing it as sometimes “nasty.”
The top four polling candidates-Parrish, Crombie, Tedjo, and Damerla-in a race with fourteen total contenders will have one more opportunity to debate before voters head to polls on October 26.
The final discussion where Parrish plans to participate is set for October 15 at Christ First United Church on Lakeshore Road West. It’s organized by several local associations including Town of Port Credit Association and Lakeview Ratepayers Association.
The other three main candidates are confirmed attendees as well.
Meanwhile, Crombie along with Tedjo and Damerla will join an October 5 debate at Mississauga City Hall hosted by Policorner-a group reporting on political events at Queen’s Park.
Parrish won’t attend this fourth debate due to prior commitments. Her choice not to participate drew criticism from her three main opponents last week.
Crombie and Parrish have previously faced off during an intense municipal election battle prior to the upcoming vote. In September 2011 byelection for Ward 5 council seat, Crombie beat Parrish (2,479 votes versus Parrish’s 2,239 votes).
Food Banks Mississauga-formerly known as The Mississauga Food Bank until its rebranding in 2023-oversees over sixty agencies/food programs within its network across Canada’s seventh-largest city.
The Metamorphosis Network is an alliance made up of more than one hundred non-profit community service agencies in Peel working together to ensure essential services are “fully funded,” effective,”and meet community needs.”
As residents gear up for municipal elections both locally in Mississauga and across Ontario on October 26th , officials from FBM indicate their network “continues serving record-breaking numbers of food bank users while food insecurity rises without any end in sight.”
The remaining ten candidates running for Mayor of Mississauga include:
David Shaw – ran in both the 2024 mayoral byelection and 2022 municipal election for mayor. Registered to run May 1 Mike Matulewicz – ran in the 2024 mayoral byelection. Registered to run May 5 Amjad Jilani – registered to run July 14 Frank Fang – ran in the 2024 mayoral byelection; competed for Ward 9 council seat during prior municipal election. Registered April July 15 Fadi Naami – registered July20 Karam Ahmed – registered August20 Aamir Bhatti – registered August21 Gord Elliott – registered August21 Mohsin Khan – registered August18 Ana Luisa Vasquez De Espinal – registered August11
For additional information about who’s running or details regarding elections generally speaking visit city’s official election page online!
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