Mississauga mayoral candidates talk youth issues at UTM forum
With Mississauga mayor Hazel McCallion’s 36-year reign in office coming to an end, what do the next four years hold for the city, and particularly, for its youth?
That was the big question being debated at U of T Mississauga Wednesday evening by nine of the 15 candidates vying for the city’s top job. Called #SaugaSpeaks: A Mayoral Forum on Youth, the event highlighted ideas from candidates on what the future could hold for young people in the city. About 250 people, including many UTM students, attended the forum. The municipal election takes place Oct. 27.
“Youth are the future of the city. If we don’t create opportunities for youth, there will be no future for Mississauga,” said Talha Mahmood Ahmedani, president of the UTM Debating Club, which co-organized the event with the Mississauga City Youth Council. “We need a forum like this not only to encourage youth to vote, but also to make an informed decision.”
The forum, facilitated by Ryan Rocca, a 16-year-old youth reporter for Rogers Television, focused largely on issues of unemployment, transit and homelessness, and elicited a diverse range of ideas and opinions.
On how to address the GTA’s current youth unemployment rate of 18.1 per cent, Steve Mahoney, a Mississauga politician with experience at the federal, provincial and municipal levels, said he would create 1,500 city co-op placements in his first term, and would challenge private-sector employers to match that number. He would also require organizations bidding for city work to have an apprenticeship program.
Added Mahoney: “We have the ability to create 10,000 square feet of new office space in Mississauga over the next 10 years, up to 25 million square feet...that’s 100,000 jobs.”
Mayoral candidate, former federal member of parliament and current Ward 5 councillor Bonnie Crombie said she would create 1,000 new jobs a year for youth by encouraging companies to hire them. Her plan also includes creating more internship programs, co-op placements and business training opportunities.
Human resources professional Stephen King and lawyer Grant Isaac supported giving tax breaks to companies to encourage them to hire youth, while businessman Masood Khan emphasized the need for young people to pursue higher education to advance their career prospects.
Urban agriculturist Andrew Seitz championed the idea of worker-led co-operative businesses. “Co-ops and social enterprises generally create higher wages and better working conditions, and keep the money within the community,” he said.
Much of the transit discussion focused on the proposed Hurontario-Main light-rail transit system, which would go from the Port Credit GO Station in Mississauga to the GO Station in downtown Brampton.