Mississauga riding is a troubling example of election apathy & why politicians love it 

At the start of the federal election campaign, when the Conservative Party of Canada announced that media would not be allowed to travel with Pierre Poilievre on his plane, an email was sent to news outlets across the country. 

“We would like to assure you that this campaign will be one of the most accessible and transparent campaigns in recent memory,” Jenni Byrne, the party’s campaign chief, wrote. “We have taken multiple steps to ensure that Canadian media will be able to share any public events, participate in events on the ground, and ask their questions remotely and in person.”

Poilievre claimed the move would give local journalists more space to ask questions. 

But that has been far from the case. The Conservatives have not responded to any questions from The Pointer this election campaign. 

Last week Poilievre referred to a reporter in Sault Ste. Marie as a “protester” when he was asked why he refuses to get his security clearance (a decision that many observers have said is disqualifying for a man who expects to become prime minister, especially with the mounting threats to Canada’s election security and national sovereignty). 

The Conservative leader has come under fire for his poor treatment of journalists, and has been heavily criticized for trying to cherry pick which reporters he will call on at events. The Globe and Mail reported two weeks ago that one of its journalists was told by Conservative campaign handlers at an event the question they wanted asked, so Poilievre could highlight a specific issue he planned to focus on.

But it’s not just the Conservatives displaying a troubling lack of transparency and engagement this election.

In Mississauga Centre four major party candidates are vying for the seat following the decision by Omar Alghabra not to seek reelection. His Liberal replacement on the ballot is Fares Al Soud; the Conservatives are running Muhammad Ishaq; Brandon Nguyen is representing the NDP; and Ruth Cameron is running for the Green Party.  

Huge downtown developments are planned for the riding which is facing tremendous growth pressure, on top of other issues tied to its rapidly urbanizing landscape. Immigration and housing are critical issues in the area where thousands of newcomers have settled in the mix of apartments, condos and other units that dot this unusually dense part of the city.

Over the next decade, tens of thousands of residents will move into the booming downtown area, with City staff predicting 50,000 newcomers over the next ten years. 

Last week The Pointer reached out to the four candidates with questions about the pressing local issues voters face in this pivotal election for the unique Mississauga riding.

The Conservative, NDP and Green Party candidates did not respond. 

Al Soud, the Liberal on the ballot, did speak to The Pointer, and outlined the plans he will advocate for, if elected.

But the lack of engagement by others–at least one Conservative candidate in the city did not show up for a debate last week–makes it difficult for voters to distinguish between the choices on their ballot, in an election with so much at stake for Mississauga residents, who are facing many of the same issues voters across the country are grappling with, on top of their unique local priorities.

TOP: A rendering of M City, which will see towers as high as 70 storeys in Mississauga’s core. (Urban Toronto) BOTTOM: A rendering of the Square One District development which is anticipated to accommodate approximately 35,000 residents. (Oxford Properties) 

Brent Toderian is an urban planner who specializes in city building and across his more than 30-year career he has been “waiting for the real authentic downtown to emerge”. He is “still waiting,” he told The Pointer. While the skyline has taken shape, overall he is “surprised at how little has changed.”

Although Mississauga’s downtown has housing and amenities such as shopping, office space and support services, Toderian says they are not integrated in a way that moves people away from the car toward alternative modes of transportation. 

“All levels of government should be doing what they can to continue to build and pick up the speed of building housing in and around the downtown. Mississauga has seen some good gains in recent years, but frankly, should go further and faster, and do it in a way where it's not just housing. It’s actually creating livable and complete neighborhoods”.

Mississauga’s downtown is working to evolve from a former suburban community to a metropolis rich with dense vertical growth.

(Alexis Wright/The Pointer files) 

Al Soud says he has heard concerns over the need for funding to support Mississauga’s growth challenges while campaigning.

“From the conversations I’ve been having at the doors these past few weeks, it is clear to me that the biggest challenge in making Mississauga's downtown core a true representation of what the city's center should be, is the competing visions for how our city should grow,” he told The Pointer. “Some still see Mississauga through a suburban lens, while others see it as a more urban, connected, and people-focused core.”

He was asked what he would do if elected.

“I’ll advocate for a clear, shared vision of urban growth that prioritizes complete communities where people can live, work, and move easily without a car. This means pushing for stronger investment in active transportation, complete streets and public spaces that bring life to our downtown. As we continue to develop, however, it is important that we build real, connected communities.”

While City Hall has a good plan for what it wants the downtown to be moving forward, Toderian said “what's missing is a sense of urgency. What's missing is a sense of follow through, and a strategy or a wrap around of what to do in the meantime.” 

City of Mississauga senior staff released a list of priorities for the next federal government when the election period began, highlighting some of the funding it will require and the priorities around growth they want Ottawa to focus on. 

Toderian highlighted what he would like to hear candidates in Mississauga Centre address, as the city core makes a critical transition from its past into the future. “One of the ways I put this for cities is ‘are you trying to create a real urban place, or just a much higher density suburb.’ I often looked at Mississauga’s downtown as a higher density suburb because it's clearly high density like a downtown is, but a number of its elements are still operating like a suburb, the most obvious of which being the scale of the space for cars.”

Al Soud told The Pointer he will “advocate for infrastructure and housing investments that support smart, transit-oriented growth,” an approach he said aligns with the City’s Mississauga Moves Transportation Master Plan, which emphasizes creating complete, walkable communities, and “also reflects [Liberal Leader] Mark Carney’s economic vision of building sustainable, inclusive cities that reduce emissions and enhance quality of life.”

The Hurontario LRT, which was supposed to begin operation last year, and currently has no launch date scheduled, is a key piece of the transit puzzle, which Ottawa could help complete with sustained funding for transit that supports the creation of dense affordable housing, which the previous Liberal government tried to catalyze through funding incentives.

“The most important thing that upper levels of government could do is actually get that built yesterday,” Toderian said of the LRT, which would trigger other types of truly urban growth.

Al Soud said Mississauga is “at a pivotal moment” with its transit infrastructure and “downtown Mississauga in particular must become a true mobility hub—where people can live, work, and travel without needing a car. I’ll push for smart, long-term investments in infrastructure that not only improve service but also increase frequency, reliability, and accessibility for everyone.” 

He advocated for building on federal investments like the Canada Public Transit Fund — Mississauga recently received funding from the program. He said he would also push for “sustained and expanded federal and provincial partnerships to secure funding for a Bus Rapid Transit system that serves all corners of Mississauga.”

Toderian said any investments by the federal government that support transit and other urban infrastructure that aligns with affordable housing is “welcome and badly necessary.” 

“[Downtowns] are the economic engines of our cities and our country, and they need to be overtly and aggressively supported.” 

Unfortunately, Mississauga Centre voters are not getting much clarity about plans for the area’s future from most of the candidates vying for their support. 

The Pointer's 2025 federal election coverage is partly supported by the Covering Canada: Election 2025 Fund. 

Email: [email protected] 

Twitter: @mcpaigepeacock 

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