Brampton mayoral candidates clash over arts funding and city underinvestment at first debate

Five candidates running to lead Brampton took the stage Tuesday night for the first time in the 2026 mayoral election campaign at an arts and culture forum that exposed divisions over city investment and the future of the local arts sector.

The forum, Get Out the Vote: An Arts and Culture Issues Forum, was co-hosted by the Brampton Arts Organization (BAO) and Brampton Library at the Springdale branch and moderated by CBC Peel host Nav Nanwa. Incumbent Mayor Patrick Brown confirmed his attendance on the day of the event but departed after answering two questions to attend a prior commitment. His departure left his challengers to field the remainder of the community questions and open discussion.

The challengers were real estate attorney Wesley Jackson, who previously ran for mayor in 2018; local realtor Paul Tarriwal; non-profit worker Sandeep Somal; and arbitrator Prabh Gill. There are 12 mayoral candidates running overall; the full slate can be found on the city's website.

Before leaving, Brown outlined his priorities for the arts. "I'm proud to say it's this team at city hall that created BAO, funding it with $5 million over five years to build an independent arts organization supporting artists across our city. We want to make sure that the arts are in every aspect of our community," Brown said.

When asked how the city should protect and create affordable stages and rehearsal rooms, Brown replied: "Brampton is booked every single weekend. Our parks are full, our venues are full, and if we have more venues, which we're getting, that is going to enable more opportunities to have festivals like that."

With Brown absent for the remainder, challenger candidates seized the opportunity to critique his administration's record and pitch competing visions. Somal raised concerns over the long-term future of BAO funding, noting that its current five-year operating agreement will expire in 2028. "It's important to continue that funding and the partnership with BAO to create more opportunities and create a revenue generating arts and culture sector here in Brampton," Somal said.

Raising the affordability issue, Jackson said: "Brampton is a fantastic place to live from birth to about the time we finish school. After that, we lose everybody to Toronto. You want artists to live in the city and stay in the city. People come back to Brampton when they're ready to get married and have kids and live in the suburbs. When we talk about missing middle housing, what about the missing middle of artists?"

Tarriwal pointed to municipal underinvestment, saying the city is in desperate need of infrastructure spending compared to peer communities like Oakville, Mississauga, and Vaughan.

The 2026 Brampton municipal election is scheduled for October 26, 2026. The election will determine the positions of mayor, five regional councillors, five city councillors, and trustees for four school boards.