BRAMPTON — Brampton voters will see at least two new faces on city council following the Oct. 26 municipal election after Regional Councillors Pat Fortini and Gurpartap Singh Toor decided not to seek re-election.
Fortini, a veteran member of council representing Wards 7 and 8, is leaving after three consecutive terms, while Toor, the regional councillor for Wards 9 and 10, will depart after serving one term.
Fortini was first elected to Brampton council in 2014 and had initially registered as a candidate seeking a fourth term. He later withdrew his candidacy before the Aug. 21 deadline.
His decision, however, does not mark the end of his political career.
Fortini and his wife have purchased a home in Caledon and plan to move there. He said he did not believe it would be appropriate to continue representing Brampton residents while living in another municipality.
Fortini told the Brampton Guardian that continuing to run in Brampton after deciding to relocate would not have been fair to the people he represents.
Looking back on his 12 years at city hall, Fortini said he hoped residents were satisfied with his work and emphasized that he had tried to remain accessible and transparent throughout his time in office.
Among the accomplishments he considers most significant was his involvement in efforts to bring Toronto Metropolitan University’s medical school to Brampton, one of the city’s most important recent institutional developments.
Fortini also highlighted his work on improving property standards across Brampton and advocating for additional park space in the communities he represented.
Although he is leaving Brampton politics, Fortini is already pursuing another elected position. He is a confirmed candidate for Ward 4 in the Town of Caledon, where he and his wife intend to live.
Toor, meanwhile, will leave Brampton council after a much shorter tenure.
He was elected in 2022 to represent Wards 9 and 10 as a regional councillor and has decided not to seek a second term.
No reason for his decision was provided in the report. The Brampton Guardian said Toor did not respond to its request for an interview or comment before publication.
Both Fortini and Toor served not only on Brampton city council but also on Peel regional council, giving their departures significance at both levels of municipal government.
With nominations now closed, their decisions guarantee two open regional councillor contests in Brampton and create opportunities for new candidates to enter city hall.
The rest of Brampton’s incumbent council is largely seeking another mandate.
Mayor Patrick Brown and the other eight councillors have confirmed they will run for re-election in the Oct. 26 municipal election.
The departure of two sitting regional councillors means Brampton council will undergo at least some change regardless of how the remaining incumbent races are decided.
For Fortini, the election represents a move rather than a retirement from municipal politics as he attempts to continue his public career in neighbouring Caledon.
For Toor, it brings his four-year term at Brampton city hall to an end.
Brampton voters will now decide who replaces them as the city prepares for a new council term and at least two important seats without an incumbent on the ballot.