Carolyn Parrish has emerged victorious in the Mississauga byelection, securing her position as the city’s next mayor. Parrish, who will be the city’s third mayor since 1978, garnered 43,494 votes, decisively outpacing her closest rival, Alvin Tedjo, who received 35,005 votes. Despite earlier polls suggesting a neck-and-neck contest, Parrish’s lead remained unchallenged from the start, culminating in a substantial margin of victory.
In her victory speech, Parrish expressed her gratitude to the citizens of Mississauga and underscored her commitment to the city’s future. She emphasized the need for greater citizen participation in the budget process and outlined her priorities, including sustainable development and addressing the housing affordability crisis.
“I hope the city stops losing residents,” Parrish stated. “We’ve lost 40,000 people since the last census, primarily young individuals who can’t afford the rent or to buy homes. These are people who grew up here and want to stay close to their families. Addressing this issue will be my first priority.”
Drawing on her extensive political experience, she highlighted her readiness for the mayoral role. With 13 years of experience working alongside two different mayors, she noted that her deep understanding of the role and the city’s needs positions her well to lead Mississauga effectively.
“I’ve got 13 years of experience sitting with a mayor with two different mayors,” Parrish remarked. “I think it’s different in that I’m way more experienced and understand the role way better than when I started off as an MP.”
A major theme of her campaign and victory speech was the pressing issue of housing affordability. Acknowledging the challenges faced by residents, particularly the younger demographic, she announced plans to assemble a panel of developers to advise on accelerating the construction of affordable housing.
“A big concern is the lack of affordable housing and the fact that people are leaving Mississauga because they can’t afford to live here,” Parrish said. “I will work on building more housing and making it more accessible and affordable.”
While the exact date for Parrish’s swearing-in ceremony has yet to be confirmed, city officials are expected to finalize these details soon.
As the city prepares for the official swearing-in of its new mayor, the focus now shifts to how Parrish will implement her campaign promises and the impact of her policies on the future of Mississauga.