In April 2023, Brampton Councillor Gurpartap Toor, accompanied by city and Algoma University staff, traveled to Dubai for a “developer day” hosted by tech company Unity. The objective was to attract further investment from a company already partnered with Algoma University. The trip was part of a broader effort by Brampton officials to promote economic development and innovation in the city.
While Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown’s office described the meeting as a success, no new agreements have been signed since the trip. Algoma University confirmed that no formal deal resulted from the visit, despite earlier partnerships being in place.
Documents obtained by Global News reveal that the cost of the trip for Brampton city staff, including flights and hotel stays, amounted to thousands of dollars. The delegation stayed at the W Dubai – Mina Seyahi, a five-star hotel, and also hired chauffeur-driven vehicles, raising concerns over the use of taxpayer money.
Coun. Toor defended the arrangements, stating they were made by city staff in line with applicable policies. However, critics, including Jay Goldberg of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, questioned whether such a trip was necessary, pointing out that international business pitches are typically handled by provincial or federal agencies.
Former Brampton councillor Elaine Moore also criticized the expense, suggesting that virtual meetings, which have become common since the pandemic, could have sufficed for this partnership, particularly given that Algoma and Unity were already collaborating.
Mayor Patrick Brown, who was on a separate trip to Pakistan, adjusted his plans to meet with Unity executives in Abu Dhabi to reinforce Brampton’s pitch. Brown’s office maintains that this effort helped secure Unity’s move to Brampton’s Centre for Innovation, although Algoma University has not confirmed any new commitments since the trip.
The controversy surrounding the trip has led to broader questions about transparency and the effective use of public funds in Brampton’s economic development efforts.