Baraa Fattal, Ward 4, Grimsby 2022

Baraa Fattal, Ward 4, Grimsby 2022

As someone who came to Canada as a refugee back in 2001, I understand and hold dear to my heart the true value of having a place to call home. Canadians gave us a peaceful life, a prosperous life, a life without the fear of being attacked based on who we are! I was only 6 years old when I came to Canada and was immediately shocked by how nice everyone was and how safe it felt. I remember being able to leave my house without having to triple-check before locking the door. I remember my teachers actually making an effort to communicate with me. I remember being able to take my bike wherever I wanted and not being worried that I was at risk of being kidnapped or trafficked. Finally, I remember saying to myself that Mississauga was perfect! Our mayor at the time, Hazel Mccallion, was perfect! She was kind, approachable, and most importantly made me feel heard at a very young age.

After Hazel Mccallion left the position of mayor after serving for 36 years, Mississauga went downhill fast. Mississauga is now the human trafficking capital of Canada, the crime rate is growing exponentially, and the city is extremely overdeveloped. This is what pushed me and my wife to leave Mississauga so that we can build a better future for our daughters. After over a year of analyzing every city that we could reasonably move to we decided on Grimsby. Grimsby has some of the best schools in Ontario while also having the second lowest crime rate of any city in the Niagara Region. The people here are kind, respectful, and always smiling.

However, after moving to Grimsby and learning about the abysmal state of Grimsby’s council I decided to run to ensure that Grimsby never becomes what Mississauga is today. Grimsby will be a home for my children and my grandchildren! I want to ensure that I help make Grimsby a home for them and for all Grimsby residents. I will ensure that Grimsby grows at a reasonable pace so that we still have a beautiful town by the time our children and grandchildren are starting their lives here. I will do my best to make sure that Grimsby’s crime rate is kept at manageable levels. I will work to make interactions with the council easy and simple. This is our town and it is up to us to ensure that our town doesn’t fall into chaos.