From student senate to hopes of working for Brampton residents: Jugraj Singh Khinda wants to engage young voters

After graduating from university, many students are left with a choice: continue in higher education; find work in their desired field; or take a leap of faith. 

Jugraj Singh Khinda decided on the path less considered. 

He is running for Brampton city council and wants to represent Wards 3 and 4, where he grew up.

The 23-year-old was born and raised there, and he knows what the residents of the area need, especially young voters. He attended local schools, then commuted to university where he served as a student senator, interim executive director of a student union and university governor. It exposed him to what democratic representation is all about. For a certain type of person, it is the type of work that can feel more like a purpose–what some feel they are meant to do. 

The experiences, he says, were beneficial for someone who wants to be involved in the business of helping govern their community. 

He has been an avid user of the Brampton Library system, and wants to see the service expanded throughout the city. 

“I’ve been a library card holder for over 18 years. I spent a lot of time in that library. I attended several skating and swimming programs and sports programs in that area.”

Studying civics in school, Khinda and his friends found out just how hard it was to communicate with their MPPs. He described a school assignment where they had to contact their local MPP, only to be met with a wall of silence. 

“We sent multiple emails to our MPP,” he said. “And did not get a single response from any of them or their offices. And I think it’s things like that that make students feel that, ‘hey, do we even matter’?”

When asked why he was running for a council seat, he said Brampton has “evolved and it has not kept up with the growth”.

He believes his age is an asset in this race, where he is running against six other candidates, including the incumbent Dennis Keenan. 

“We need more young people in our government if we truly want to reflect the voices in our city and the diversity of it,” he said. 

He has been hearing from young voters that the current system in place is failing them. “They don’t see themselves represented,” he said. “They kind of feel helpless as well.”

Brampton’s 2022 municipal turnout was 24.56 percent (87,115 of 354,884 voters). This is down from 34.5 percent in 2018. The Pointer has reported on Brampton’s low voting numbers and how voter apathy can also have an effect on City Hall. Low voting turnout is not simply a Brampton issue, but a Canada-wide one. 

Statistics Canada also shows a disengagement of young voters in politics. The website says 60 percent of youth between the ages of 15 and 30 are “less likely to be interested in politics than older adults.” According to the website, a survey conducted also shows that youths of visible minorities are also less likely to vote than their non-visible counterparts. 

Khinda says that growing up in wards 3 and 4 has made him intimately aware of the problems facing the constituents. He is running against six candidates, including the incumbent Dennis Keenan. (Submitted)

Khinda also argued that voter distrust stems from decisions politicians make, especially by the Ford government’s recent OSAP changes. The Ford government announced in February of this year that starting in Fall 2026, OSAP grants will be capped at 25 percent of provincial funding, with at least 75 percent as repayable loans, sparking protests across universities and colleges. 

Instead, Khinda wants to entice young voters by addressing issues directly affecting them, like transit. He understands that currently, transit is subsidized for children between the ages of 13 and 19, but he wants to go further than that.

“I’m proposing making the buses free for them before and after school, so they can enjoy the extracurriculars, they can take part in activities and clubs, or try out for sports teams, whatever it may be,” he said. 

This is coming at a time when Brampton Transit’s youth fare, between ages 13 and 19, rose about 5 percent in February of this year. The new fare stands at $2.95 per ride for PRESTO users, $31.75 weekly and $123.75 monthly. 

In 2023, Brampton Transit recorded 40.9 million rides, a 31 percent increase from 2022 and nearly five million above projections. Rapid population growth and affordability pressures intensified the demand for transit, and overcrowded buses, missed stops and delays frustrated commuters. Transit funding has been consistently below what was required to help with the situation, with transit funding in the 2024 operating budget being $44 million below an earlier forecast. 

Less access to affordable transit options can also disproportionately affect newcomers who depend on public transportation to reach employment, education and essential services. In Brampton, the City’s 2025 Transportation Equity Framework identified disadvantaged neighbourhoods with poor access to jobs, healthcare and schools. 

Khinda wants to make transit free for youths before and after school, so they can attend their extracurricular activities and engage with the community more. (Alexis Wright/The Pointer)

Khinda also echoes what other candidates say on safety and youth crime. He says he also experienced a youth carjacking on his own driveway. However, he does not want to place the blame on the youth, but on the system that has led the youth to be in that position. 

“I don’t see them to blame,” he said. “I think it’s just a result of their circumstances. I see a path for those kids too. I see a future in them, and I think we really need to support them to push them on the right track in life.”

This is coming at a time when residents have raised concerns over Peel Police Board’s budget significantly increasing in the past few years. Peel’s 2026 operating budget rose 9.9 percent to about $837 million, an 81 percent jump from $462.5 million in 2021, after a record 23.3 percent, $144 million increase for 2025 that many officials called unsustainable. 

Khinda thinks that some of that money can be better spent “invested into our youth and services,” so that crime could be prevented, instead of reacting to it. 

One of the ways he thinks the City can improve their outreach towards Brampton’s youth is by adding more libraries. “At the minimum we should have the same number of libraries as Mississauga,” he said, noting that Mississauga has 18 libraries while Brampton only has nine, and the comparable levels of their population. 

In 2023, The Pointer reported that among Canada’s ten largest cities, Brampton has the fewest branches and ranks last in library space per capita. Brampton City Council unanimously pledged to find a permanent home for the Chinguacousy Library branch following its eviction from the Bramalea Civic Centre to make way for Toronto Metropolitan University’s proposed medical school. The library was temporarily relocated to the smaller Chinguacousy Park Ski Chalet, reducing its space and resources. Library officials at the time criticized the lack of consultation.  

“Our libraries are more than just places people go to read,” he said. “They really are just incubators for creativity.”

He wants more transparency and accountability from elected officials. “And we need a City council that has integrity,” he added. 

He said his parents have instilled the value of hard work in him, and he also sees Brampton residents as hardworking people.

“They've taught me the value of hard work,” he said. “And how far you could get if you, you know, you put in the effort, and they come here with nothing.” 
 

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