Brampton’s population has surged to 791,486, a 6.2% increase according to the latest Statistics Canada data. This growth positions Brampton as the second-largest city in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) and the seventh-largest in Canada. Despite this, Brampton remains chronically underfunded per capita for essential services like healthcare, transit, infrastructure, and social programs, compared to other municipalities. To mitigate such insufficiencies, a motion was brought forward by Councillor Santos, at the final Budget meeting of Council. Find motion here.
“Brampton is now the second most populous city in the GTHA, surpassing Mississauga and even larger than Vancouver. As elections approach, I hope this reality resonates with other orders of government. For decades, Brampton has faced chronic underfunding in essential services like health care, public safety, social services, education and transit.
Despite our growing population, we still only have one emergency room and hospital—though a second is finally on the way. But how many hospitals do cities like Mississauga or Vancouver have? It’s time for the federal and provincial governments to provide Brampton with equitable, per capita funding comparable to other municipalities. It’s catch-up time. Brampton deserves it’s FAIR SHARE”
– Rowena Santos, Regional Councillor, Wards 1 and 5
Federal and provincial commitments, including Brampton’s second hospital and the Riverwalk project, have helped address gaps but are still somewhat insufficient to meet the city’s rapid growth. Since December 2018, Mayor Brown and Councillor Santos have advocated for Brampton’s fair share, which is now backed by the updated population data.
In addition to funding shortfalls, Brampton faces imbalances with respect to representation at the region. The province recently added regional council seats for Brampton but has not yet aligned representation in the Region of Peel to reflect Brampton’s population surpassing Mississauga.
A motion by Councillor Santos, calls for a February report detailing funding gaps and proposes revamping Brampton’s “Fair Share Campaign.” It also urges the provincial government to ensure equitable representation at the Region of Peel.
This motion underscores the urgent need for sustainable, predictable funding frameworks and equitable representation to support Brampton’s continued growth.
