Navjit Kaur Brar won the race in Wards 2 and 6 in the recent municipal council polls
Toronto: Navjit Kaur Brar, an Indo-Canadian healthcare worker has become the first turban-wearing Sikh woman to be elected as a city councillor of Brampton city in Canada, a report in The Tribune, Chandigarh, says.
A respiratory therapist, Brar was on Monday, October 23, was elected Brampton city Councillor in the recent municipal council polls after she won the race in Wards 2 and 6.
Brar focused on three areas — building new infrastructure, reducing crime and improving road safety. She plans to work hard to represent all demographics in her ward.
“I’m excited. I’m so proud of all Bramptonians who have voted, making sure our voices are being heard more than ever before,” she said before the announcement.
The mother of three beat Jermaine Chambers, a former Conservative MP candidate for Brampton West, as she secured 28.85 per cent of the votes cast.
Chambers, the nearest contender received 22.59 per cent and Carmen Wilson came in third at 15.41 per cent, the Brampton Guardian reported.
She had knocked on over 40,000 doors and spoken to over 22,500 residents in the last two months.
“I am so proud of @Navjitkaurbrar. She was a selfless and dedicated front-line health care worker during the pandemic. She has stepped up for public service and I am confident she will be a phenomenal addition to Brampton City Council,” Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown, who won a second term in the recent election, tweeted.
A report said as many as 40 Punjabis were in the fray for Brampton civic elections and only 87,155 of the 3,54,884 eligible voters turned up to cast ballots — an abysmal voter turnout of approximately 24.56 per cent.
The Indo-Canadian community, along with the councillor candidates, had raised concerns over the election date overlapping with Diwali — one of the most-awaited festivals celebrated by the large swathe of Indian diaspora in Canada.
Elections for municipal government are held every four years on the fourth Monday of October, which fell on October 24 this time.
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