Brampton Centre

Brampton Centre sits at the heart of one of the fastest-growing cities in the Greater Toronto Area, a diverse suburban community in the Region of Peel. The riding had been held since 2018 by NDP MPP Sara Singh, who also served as Deputy Leader of the Ontario NDP and as Opposition Critic for the Attorney General. Her presence gave the riding outsized prominence in provincial politics. However, the 2022 election saw the Progressive Conservatives make a concerted push across all five Brampton ridings, with Brampton city councillor Charmaine Williams challenging Singh in a closely watched contest.

Candidates

Charmaine Williams (Progressive Conservative) — In 2018, Williams became the first Black woman elected to Brampton City Council, winning the Ward 7 and 8 seat. Prior to her political career, she spent 19 years working in children's mental health, behavioural therapy, and multisystemic therapy. Her platform focused on public safety, gun violence prevention, family services, and an integrated regional transportation plan.

Sara Singh (NDP) — First elected in 2018 at the age of 33, Singh served as one of two Deputy Leaders of the Ontario NDP alongside John Vanthof. During her term, she focused on health care and education issues in Brampton, including advocating for a dedicated cancer care centre in the city and pushing for a second full-service hospital.

Safdar Hussain (Liberal) — A local entrepreneur in the real estate industry who had lived in the community for more than a decade, Hussain held a law degree from the University of Toronto and had run as the Liberal candidate in Brampton Centre in the 2018 election as well.

Karitsa Tye (Green Party) and Kathrin Matusiak (New Blue Party) also ran.

Local Issues

Health care was the most urgent issue in Brampton heading into the 2022 election. The city of over 650,000 residents was served primarily by a single full-service hospital, Brampton Civic Hospital, which was chronically overcrowded. Hallway medicine — the practice of treating patients in hospital corridors due to a lack of beds — had become a symbol of the city's health care crisis. All major parties promised action on hospital capacity: the NDP pledged to build a new hospital and expand existing facilities, while the PCs pointed to their commitment to redevelop Peel Memorial Centre into a full-service hospital. The pandemic had further strained the system and amplified calls for investment.

Housing affordability was a defining challenge in Brampton Centre. Residents at community forums described home prices and rents as increasingly out of reach, with calls for more density, more rental housing, and stronger tenant protections. Community members argued that single-family zoning and industrial land use dominated too much of the city's footprint, and that more diverse housing types were needed in walkable, transit-accessible neighbourhoods.

Public transit was a long-standing frustration for Brampton residents. The city's car-dependent layout and limited rapid transit options led to significant gridlock. Candidates discussed the need to fund the Main Street Light Rail Transit project, Queen Street Bus Rapid Transit, and all-day, two-way GO Train service to reduce commute times and connect Brampton to the broader regional transit network. The intersection of transit, housing, and health care access underscored how Brampton's rapid growth had outpaced the infrastructure needed to support its population.