Mississauga—Erin Mills

Mississauga—Erin Mills is a suburban riding in the northwestern part of Mississauga, home to the University of Toronto Mississauga campus and a diverse residential community that has long been a draw for newcomers to Canada. Progressive Conservative Sheref Sabawy won the seat in 2018, defeating both the NDP’s Farina Hassan and the Liberal’s Imran Mian. In 2022, Sabawy sought re-election against the same opponents in what was expected to be one of the more competitive Mississauga contests.

Candidates

Sheref Sabawy (Progressive Conservative) — Sabawy was born in Alexandria, Egypt, in 1965 and earned a bachelor’s degree in engineering from Alexandria University. He immigrated to Canada in 1995 and built a career as an IT professional with over 30 years of experience, working at major financial institutions and teaching IT at George Brown and Centennial Colleges. He became the first Egyptian-Canadian elected as an MPP in Ontario upon his 2018 victory.

Imran Mian (Liberal) — Mian is a technology executive with over 20 years of experience in business and technology. He served as Vice-President of Sales at a GTA technology company and previously held senior roles at mobileLIVE Inc. and Info-Tech Research Group. He was the founding co-chair of the United Way of Peel Region’s South Asian Advisory Council and served on the board of Family Services of Peel.

Farina Hassan (NDP) — Hassan holds an undergraduate degree in economics and human rights and equity from York University and has a background in banking and finance. She has been active in the Erin Mills community on issues including park cleanup, affordable housing, and women’s rights.

The remaining candidates included Michelle Angkasa for the Green Party, Charles Wroblewski for the New Blue Party, and Laura E. Scarangella for the Ontario Party.

Local Issues

Rental affordability and housing costs were top-of-mind for voters in Mississauga—Erin Mills. The riding’s large newcomer population was particularly affected by rising rents, and residents called on candidates to address the affordability crisis. During the provincial term, critics noted that Sabawy had never mentioned the words “rental” or “renting” in conjunction with his riding inside the legislature, despite the issue’s importance to constituents.

Transit infrastructure was a key concern, with the Hurontario LRT under construction to the east of the riding. Sabawy had been a proponent of the Hurontario LRT project, and residents looked to the next MPP to ensure transit improvements connected the Erin Mills community to the broader regional network. Climate action was also a concern for some voters, particularly those connected to the University of Toronto Mississauga campus community.

Sabawy’s legislative participation itself became an issue during the campaign. Analysis of Hansard records showed he stood to speak in the legislature 278 times during the 42nd Parliament — among the least of any Mississauga MPP — and mentioned his riding by name only 39 times. Opponents and media questioned whether the riding was receiving adequate representation at Queen’s Park.