Mississauga Centre

Mississauga Centre is an urban riding anchored by the Square One Shopping Centre district and the dense cluster of condominium towers that have come to define Mississauga’s downtown core. The riding was created in the 2018 redistribution, and Progressive Conservative Natalia Kusendova won the inaugural contest to become the first MPP for the newly formed district. With a high proportion of renters — more than half of whom spent 30 percent or more of their income on shelter — and rapidly dwindling green space due to development, affordability and quality of life were central issues heading into the 2022 election.

Candidates

Natalia Kusendova (Progressive Conservative) — Kusendova-Bashta immigrated to Canada at the age of 12 and is of Slovak and Polish descent. She holds degrees in human and molecular biology from the University of Toronto and in nursing from Nipissing University. A registered nurse, she worked in the emergency department at Etobicoke General Hospital and at the Vanier Centre for Women, Ontario’s only female provincial correctional facility. During the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, she took on 12-hour shifts in the Etobicoke General emergency department while continuing her legislative duties. She speaks five languages.

Sumira Malik (Liberal) — Malik is a mental health advocate with degrees in neuropsychology and management. She conducted neuroscience research at Harvard and co-founded VAIYZ, a company focused on AI-driven medical imaging solutions.

Sarah Walji (NDP) — Walji is a registered nurse who holds a Bachelor of Nursing and a Master’s in Global Health from McMaster University. She previously worked as a COVID-19 tracker for Peel Public Health and as a crisis support worker with the Canadian Mental Health Association. She had previously run as the federal NDP candidate in Mississauga Centre in 2019.

The remaining candidates included Adriane Franklin for the Green Party, Audrey Simpson for the New Blue Party, Stephanie Wright for the Ontario Party, Greg Vezina for the None of the Above Direct Democracy Party, Elie Diab for the People’s Political Party, and Viktor Chornopyskyy for the Ontario Moderate Party.

Local Issues

Healthcare was a dominant issue in Mississauga Centre, with the incumbent advocating for additional long-term care beds and increased acute-care capacity at Trillium Health Partners’ hospitals. The pandemic had exposed severe strains in the health care system, and all major party leaders spent considerable time in the Mississauga area during the campaign, making announcements on healthcare, auto insurance rates, and housing. The fact that both the PC incumbent and the NDP candidate were registered nurses underscored the centrality of health care to the local contest.

Housing affordability was an acute concern in a riding where more than half of renters spent 30 percent or more on shelter costs. Advocates called on the provincial government to legislate affordable housing minimums in new developments. The riding’s landscape continued to evolve as condominium towers rose around the Square One district, part of a multi-decade plan to create over 18,000 residential units in the area.

Green space loss was a related concern, as development consumed most remaining available land in the riding for residential and commercial purposes, including large surface parking lots. Residents called for stronger protections for remaining parks and natural areas.