Mississauga residents are divided right down the middle when it comes to whether the city is heading in the right direction or on the wrong track, according to a new poll.
The Canada Pulse Insights poll for CityNews found that 51 per cent say Mississauga is trending in the right direction, while 49 per cent believe it’s on the wrong track.
The survey comes just under a month before the upcoming municipal election where the incumbent Carolyn Parrish is facing off against Alvin Tedjo, a councillor for Ward 2, and former mayor and Ontario Liberal leader Bonnie Crombie in a tight three-horse race.
A majority of those surveyed believed that their local representatives were doing a good job, with 57 per cent agreeing the Mayor was doing a good job, 70 per cent gave their local councillor good marks, with 61 per cent of those polled saying city council was doing a good job.
However, nearly two-thirds of residents say the mayor and city council are out of touch with what they want and need.
Pollster John Wright said this shows residents want confidence in their leaders to address key issues.
“What we’re seeing here is that while City Council and the mayor and the individual councillors are getting approval ratings that are okay, they’re lukewarm. People are not feeling that they are addressing the specific issues that they have, which are mainly affordability and cost of living,” said Wright.
In the same poll, residents were called to pick the three most important issues facing the city. Forty-five per cent said affordability and cost of living, 30 per cent highlighted housing affordability and home ownership, followed 29 per cent saying crime, policing and public safety.
“People are looking at them, saying, “Do you represent my issues to get me action at City Hall, and that’s where we have a three-way split right now that’s showing up in the actual voting identity for the candidates,” Wright added.
‘A lot can be done for Mississauga’
Speaking to residents in Mississauga, one teenager tells CityNews “a lot more” can be done for the city.
“A lot can be done for Mississauga compared to what’s being done right now,” the 16-year-old teenager said.
When asked about what the teen would like to see for the future of Mississauga, she points to housing.
“Better housing, cheaper housing, less condensed condos,” she said. “I think the city could be so much more, I think there’s not enough movement and there’s not enough traction happening.”
CityNews will be hosting a Mississauga mayoral debate on Thursday Oct. 1 between Parrish, Tedjo, Crombie and Dipika Damerla, the Ward 7 councillor. It will be hosted by CityNews journalist Mark McAllister and be streamed live starting at 7 p.m. on CityNews 24/7.
The municipal election is scheduled for Oct. 26 and voters will be receiving their voting cards in their mailbox in the coming days. Advance voting for Mississauga will take place from Tuesday Oct. 6 to Sunday Oct. 11.
This survey was conducted among 514 adult residents of the City of Mississauga in Ontario by Canada Pulse Insights between September 14 and 25, 2026 through an online panel platform managed by Sago. The margin of error for a probability-based sample of this size is ±4.3 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.