Paul Vicente, the newly elected Regional Councillor for Brampton Ward 1/5 spoke with us on a variety of topics after the City’s inauguration event on Monday. Vicente has transitioned quickly to representing his residents along with Rowena Santos who was also elected as City Councillor for Ward 1/5.
Vicente and Santos campaigned together over the Summer and Fall in an effort to demonstrate the benefits of teamwork.
Brampton Focus Host Michael A. Charbon asked Vicente and his thoughts on Council Unity, the upcoming Cannabis decision on allowing retail stores in the city, the loss of provincial funding for Ryerson University’s expansion to Brampton, and council’s diversity.
Vicente also shared his thoughts on the importance of economic development in the city. He recently shared on a social media post showing that in 2016, close to 70,000 Bramptonians were leaving the city to work in Mississauga. He says that council and the city has a lot of work to do to bring 160,000 jobs to Brampton over the next 25 to 30 years.
Vicente previously built a successful video production company with clients across Canada. His company is based in the city, his 3 kids go to school here, and his wife teachers here. He is a co-founder of Brampton Focus Community Media and created Stand Up For Brampton, one of the city’s most engaging online social media properties.