Nearly three years after the Ontario government quashed plans to give Mississauga its independence from Peel Region, three of the city’s top mayoral contenders said this week they still favour such a split.

Responding to a “yes or no” question at Monday night’s mayoral debate at City Hall asking if Mississauga should remain part of Peel, former mayor Bonnie Crombie and city councillors Alvin Tedjo and Dipika Damerla quickly indicated that Canada’s seventh-largest city should not remain part of the region with Brampton and Caledon.

Absent from the debate stage was incumbent Mayor Carolyn Parrish, though she has also said on several occasions she still supports Mississauga going it alone. In June 2025, amid an ongoing dispute between Mississauga councillors and their regional counterparts in Brampton and Caledon, Parrish suggested that was strong enough reason for the provincial government to revisit the idea of a breakup.

Province said yes, then no to Peel split

Peel’s three member municipalities are currently moving forward on a new plan to deliver the various public works services in the region (waste collection, roads, etc.).

The provincial government pivoted to that strategy shortly after telling Mississauga officials in December 2023 that it had reconsidered its earlier decision to let the city go it alone.

After 30-plus years of pushing for a political split of Peel, Mississauga officials seemed to have gotten their wish for independence when Ontario Premier Doug Ford told them so in mid-2023.

We brought out the paddles during last night’s Mississauga mayoral debate, asking the candidates a series of quick yes-or-no questions.

Simple enough — or so I thought. pic.twitter.com/CYh1V4dJ1D

— Ahmad Elbayoumi (@ahmadelbayoumi) October 6, 2026

For a few short months following that decision, Mississauga was on the fast — and official — path to cutting political ties with siblings Brampton and Caledon, and the umbrella Peel municipality. It was set to be the perfect gift to mark Mississauga’s 50th anniversary as a city, which was to be celebrated throughout 2024.

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However, in an unexpected turn of events, Ford and the province backtracked on their promise in December 2023.

Had plan stood, Peel would have split up in January 2025

Had that plan stood, Peel would have been split up on Jan. 1, 2025, as outlined in the Hazel McCallion Act of 2023, which put into legislation (at least for the time being) that the dissolution of Peel would proceed.

The province’s reversal was made official in February 2024 when Ontario’s legislature resumed session and revoked the Hazel McCallion Act.

Crombie, who was mayor in late 2023 when Mississauga received word that plans for Peel’s dissolution had been scrapped, immediately accused Queen’s Park of caving to “scare tactics and fear mongering” from Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown.

She was convinced at the time Brown’s repeated and “unfounded” public assertions that a Peel breakup would cost taxpayers $1.3 billion over 10 years had much to do with the province backing out of the Peel dissolution deal.

Whatever pushed Ford and the province to reconsider their earlier decision, the Mississauga dream of independence had once again been thwarted.

Less than three weeks until election night

Parrish, Crombie, Tedjo, Damerla and 10 other candidates are vying to become Mississauga’s next mayor. Voters will go to the polls on Oct. 26 — though many may consider advance voting, which began on Tuesday.

Parrish, who won a mayoral byelection in June 2024 to succeed Crombie, and her predecessor have gone head-to-head in a heated municipal election campaign prior to 2026. Crombie defeated Parrish (2,479 votes to 2,239 votes) in a September 2011 byelection for the Ward 5 council seat.

After taking the reins in 2014, Crombie left the mayor’s post in Mississauga in January 2024 to become leader of the Ontario Liberal Party and take a shot at unseating Premier Ford.

The other 10 candidates for mayor of Mississauga are:

David Shaw — ran in both the 2024 mayoral byelection and 2022 municipal election for mayor. Registered to run May 1
Mike Matulewicz — ran in the 2024 mayoral byelection. Registered to run May 5
Amjad Jilani — registered to run July 14
Frank Fang — ran in the 2024 mayoral byelection and competed for the Ward 9 council seat in the 2022 municipal election. Registered to run July 15
Fadi Naami — registered to run July 20
Karam Ahmed — registered to run Aug. 20
Aamir Bhatti — registered to run Aug. 21
Gord Elliott — registered to run Aug. 21
Mohsin Khan — registered to run Aug. 18
Ana Luisa Vasquez De Espinal — registered to run Aug. 11

For more information on who’s running and the election in general, visit the city’s election page online.

 


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