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 the Churchill Meadows residential community. Progressive Conservative Sheref Sabawy had held the seat since 2018, winning re-election in 2022. During the 43rd Parliament, he served as Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development. The 2025 contest in this riding proved to be one of the closest in the province, with the final margin between the PC and Liberal candidates narrow enough to trigger a judicial recount.

Candidates

Sheref Sabawy (Progressive Conservative) — Sabawy was born in Alexandria, Egypt, 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.

Qasir Dar (Liberal) — Dar is an economist and teacher who has lived in the Erin Mills area for over 20 years. He began his career on the sales floor and worked his way up to manage big box stores in Mississauga before transitioning into a career in the Government of Canada. He has served on the Churchill Meadows Residents Association and organized campaigns for the Mississauga Food Bank.

Mubashir Rizvi (NDP) — Rizvi is a lawyer and Penn State Law School graduate who operates a law firm in Churchill Meadows. He serves as Chairman of the Pakistan Business Association and has lived in the community for three decades.

The remaining candidates included Adriane Franklin for the Green Party, Michael Bayer for the New Blue Party, and independents Michael Matulewicz and Sajid Hussain.

Local Issues

Housing affordability was the foremost concern for voters in Mississauga—Erin Mills, particularly among the riding’s large newcomer population. Rising rents and home prices placed significant financial pressure on families, and residents called on their MPP to advocate more forcefully for affordable housing options. The provincial government’s approach to housing supply, which emphasized speeding up approvals and overriding municipal zoning, drew both support and criticism in a riding where neighbourhood character was important to established residents.

Transit connectivity remained a key issue. The Hazel McCallion LRT under construction on Hurontario Street to the east of the riding was seen as a potential catalyst for improved transit access, but the project’s repeated delays frustrated commuters who depended on buses for their daily travel. Announcements about two-way, all-day GO service on the Milton line, which passes through Mississauga, offered some hope but remained at the planning stage.

The Greenbelt scandal of 2023 and the broader question of government integrity coloured the political environment. In a riding where the PC and Liberal candidates were separated by only a handful of votes, the outcome suggested that voter sentiment was finely balanced between the governing party’s economic message and the opposition’s calls for change.