Mississauga residents head to polls to elect city’s next mayor – Toronto

Residents of Mississauga, Ont., will be going to the polls today to elect the city’s next mayor.

Sixteen candidates are vying to fill the office last held by Bonnie Crombie, who stepped down in January shortly after becoming leader of the provincial Liberals.

Former federal Member of Parliament Carolyn Parrish, who spent roughly 12 years in the House of Commons as both a Liberal and independent representative, was initially considered the front-runner in the race.

But polls suggest her decision not to take part in candidate debates allowed other contenders to gain ground, including former Ontario Liberal M-P-P Dipika Damerla, who recently served on Mississauga City Council alongside fellow mayoral hopefuls Alvin Tedjo and Stephen Dasko.

Voters have indicated housing and affordability concerns are among the top issues at stake during a time of expansion that has seen Mississauga grow into the third-largest city in Ontario and the seventh-largest in Canada.

Polls are set to open at 10 a.m. and close at 8 p.m.