My name is Vijai Kumar Singh and I am incredibly happy to introduce myself as the new Manager of Policy and Government Relations at the Brampton Board of Trade. I was ecstatic to take this job for several reasons. Firstly, I was born and raised in Brampton. I spent most of my adolescent life participating in the variety of community programming in downtown Brampton and was an avid volunteer with Rotaract. My political awakening was local in nature. As I was forging my own personal and professional identity, my growth became interlinked with that of the city’s. I’m also excited about Brampton’s unique political positioning in the coming years. With the impending federal and provincial elections in the next one to two years, respectively, Brampton’s significance cannot be overstated. It stands as a crucial battleground, where electoral success for major parties hinges upon capturing the hearts and minds of our diverse population. The city is also preparing for transformative new developments, especially in public transit, which will redefine Brampton’s urban landscape.
Recently, I chaired my first Policy and Government Relations (PGR) committee meeting, a forum where dedicated volunteers convene monthly to strategize advocacy efforts for the Brampton Board of Trade. Our discussions centered on pressing issues, notably the complexities surrounding the allocation of study permits and how the announcement affects the postsecondary education sector in Brampton. We also discussed the 2024 Ontario budget, particularly concerning major infrastructure projects like the Hazel McCallion LRT extension in downtown Brampton and Highway 413.
What struck me most during the meeting was the depth of expertise within our committee, underscoring the commitment to effective advocacy within the Brampton business community. We have highly intelligent members who I am excited to learn from every month. The PGR committee serves as a platform for dissecting intricate policy matters and collaboratively shaping advocacy strategies tailored to our community’s needs. By engaging stakeholders and mobilizing support from elected officials, we aim to steer policy decisions that foster Brampton’s prosperity – whether it’s enhancing transit infrastructure, bolstering education, or investing in housing and densification, to name a few.
With Brampton’s electoral importance, we are poised to do some very effective advocacy and engage Ministers and opposition leaders on topics most important to Brampton. If you or someone you know shares our passion for Brampton’s future and wishes to contribute to our advocacy efforts, I invite you to join our PGR committee. And please let us know what we should be discussing. As I have done so my entire life, I’m looking to learn as much as I can from my community.
Reach out to me at vijai.singh@bramptonbot.com to learn more about how you can get involved. I’m incredibly excited for Brampton’s future and how the Brampton Board of Trade can contribute to shaping what it might look like.
