Hunger problem will be debated by mayoral candidates in Mississauga

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Published May 23, 2024 at 3:32 pm

Food Banks Mississauga hosts mayors debate.

Officials with Mississauga’s largest food bank organization hope to hear some good ideas tonight that will help the record-breaking number of residents across the city having trouble putting food on the table for themselves and their families.

Four of the 20 candidates entered in the mayoral byelection to succeed Bonnie Crombie, who bolted town in January to lead the Ontario Liberal Party. will square off in a candidates debate hosted by Food Banks Mississauga at its Eastgate Parkway headquarters.

Current Mississauga city councillors Stephen Dasko, Alvin Tedjo and Dipika Damerla in addition to Brian Crombie will participate in the Thursday night debate.

Among those not taking part is former councillor Carolyn Parrish, who resigned the Ward 5 seat in March to run for mayor. She said earlier this month she was declining to participate in any more mayoral byelection debates.

Brian Crombie is the ex-husband of Mississauga’s most-recent former mayor.

Tonight’s debate runs from 7-9 p.m. and food bank officials say some 230 people have signed up to attend the event in person. Many more residents will participate online, officials added.

Food Banks Mississauga oversees a network of more than 65 agencies across Canada’s seventh-largest city. Officials with the charitable organization have long been sounding the alarm over the record-breaking numbers of residents who find themselves needing help in what’s been described as a “crisis.”

Having candidates debate the issues surrounding food insecurity — in addition to other pressing matters facing residents — is crucial, organizers said.

“Given the reality that affordability persists as one of the top issues affecting Canadians, including Mississauga residents, Food Banks Mississauga will be hosting a mayoral debate,” a FBM spokesperson said in an earlier email to insauga.com.

Food Banks Mississauga’s network of agencies and programs provided healthy food for nearly six million meals last year to people in Mississauga facing food insecurity. That number, officials note, is projected to jump to more than 10 million meals this year.

Earlier this month, food bank officials said a record 19,342 people used FBM agencies in March, the most-ever users in a single month. It marked a 20 per cent increase compared to the previous year.
By comparison, 16,068 people used FBM agencies in March 2023, that figure representing a 61 per cent increase over March 2022.
Meghan Nicholls, CEO of Food Banks Mississauga, will ask questions of the candidates on Thursday night. She said earlier the “record-breaking demand” on food banks is showing itself from one month to the next.

Mississauga voters will elect a new mayor and Ward 5 councillor on June 10.

The city has never seen so many candidates run for mayor.

Others entered in the race are:

  • Zulfiqar Ali
  • Diya Atassi
  • Jamie Dookie
  • Frank Fang
  • Xiaohua Gong
  • Winston Harding
  • Sara Iqbal
  • Syed Jaffery
  • Mohsin Khan
  • Mitchell MacEachern
  • Sinisa Mandrapa
  • Mike Matulewicz
  • David Shaw
  • George Tavares
  • Nathalie Xian Yi Yan

The winner will become the seventh mayor of Mississauga, following Robert Speck (1968-72), Chic Murray (1972-73), Martin Dobkin (1973-76), Ron Searle (1976-78), Hazel McCallion (1978-2014) and Bonnie Crombie (2014-24).

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