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Newcomers across GTA not a priority in transit planning
Brampton’s 2025 study links immigrant-rich neighbourhoods to poor transit access.
For the increasing number of immigrants settling in Toronto's suburbs, public transit is a lifeline, connecting them to jobs, education and a host of necessary services.
Yet research shows that while newcomers often depend more heavily on transit than longer term Canadians, those living in outlying communities face more challenges travelling around their communities.
The gaps are especially visible in Brampton, where the city's own 2025 study shows an overlap between immigrant-rich neighbourhoods and poor public transportation to access jobs, health care and other essential services.
Studies and surveys in Toronto and Mississauga point to similar difficulties, raising questions about whether transit networks are keeping pace with the needs of the new communities they serve.
As Brampton, Mississauga and Toronto prepare to elect their next municipal councils, the question is not simply the funding of public transit systems, but whether they serve the people who most rely on buses and trains to get around.
Newcomers are especially reliant on public transit. According to 2021 census data for the Toronto metropolitan area, 28.5 per cent of immigrants who obtained permanent residency between 2016 and 2021 commuted by public transit, compared with 11.6 per cent of non-immigrants. Among temporary residents such as international students and temporary foreign workers, the figure was even higher, at 39.6 per cent.
Steven Farber, a professor at the University of Toronto who studies transportation equity, said recent immigrants use public transit at higher rates than Canadian-born residents, a pattern reflected in both census commuting data and the Transportation Tomorrow Survey.
[caption id="attachment_43264" align="alignleft" width="1738"] Public transit commuting in the Toronto metropolitan area by immigration status, 2021.
Source: Statistics Canada, 2021 Census. Chart prepared by Professor Steven Farber, University of Toronto.[/caption]
A 2024 national survey by Mobilizing Justice found that 45 per cent of recent immigrants had turned down job opportunities because of transportation difficulties, compared with 26 per cent of Canadian-born respondents.
Brampton: Where disadvantage and poor access overlap
Sara Jose, an IT professional who works in downtown Toronto, arrived from India in 2023 and lived in Brampton until last November. Without a driver's licence, she initially relied on public transit to get to work, taking a bus from her home to the Brampton Innovation District GO station before boarding a train to downtown Toronto.
Although her family owns a car and she has since obtained her driver’s licence, Jose said she still prefers public transit because it is cheaper and saves her the trouble of finding parking.
But she said the local bus was often the weakest link in her commute. The Route 502 bus would stop at Ray Lawson Boulevard for 15 to 20 minutes before continuing to the GO station.
“That is when you really feel you lose a lot of time,” she said.
During bad weather, Jose said two buses would sometimes arrive together; other times, none would show up. On her return journey, buses departed before passengers reached the stop.
And missing a connection could mean a long wait. Jose said if she reached the GO station after 8:30 a.m., the train runs less frequently and she had to wait 30 minutes or longer for the next one.
She said she shared her concerns with the transit agency and noticed that buses wait longer at stops. She said there appeared to be closer monitoring of the length of time buses remain at stops.
Jose has since moved to Oakville, which falls under a different municipal region, and said the public transit system is much more efficient there than the one she left behind.
Brampton provides one of the clearest examples of the challenges facing transit-dependent communities. The city's own 2025 Transportation Equity Framework identified neighbourhoods where residents facing greater social and economic disadvantages also have poorer access to jobs, health care, schools and important destinations.
[caption id="attachment_43259" align="alignleft" width="463"] Brampton Transit suspended four routes, citing low ridership due to the loss of international students in the city. Photo: The Pointer[/caption]
The study identified parts of western Brampton, particularly around Mississauga and Mayfield Road, and the Wildfield and Castlemore area in the northeast.
To assess which communities were most vulnerable to transportation barriers, the city considered factors including recent immigration; visible minority populations; unemployment; housing costs and access to vehicles.
A 2021 study published in the Journal of Transport Geography also found that immigrants living in peripheral suburbs can struggle to access opportunities due to inadequate transit services.
Brampton Transit has faced financial pressures following changes to federal immigration policy. In a 2025 budget forecast, city staff reported a 20 per cent year-over-year decline in ridership and an estimated $26 million reduction in fare revenue.
The forecast attributed much of the decline to the loss of international students. In April 2026, the transit authority suspended four of the city's routes, citing low ridership.
Brampton Transit did not respond to requests for comment about the service changes and research findings.
Toronto: Who gets considered in transit planning?
Andrew Pulsifer, executive director of transit advocacy group TTCriders, said residents of areas such as immigrant-rich Scarborough and Etobicoke have long raised concerns about the level of transit service available to them.
"There is a general sentiment that places like Scarborough and Etobicoke don't have the higher order transit that they feel they deserve," Pulsifer said.
A 2025 University of Toronto School of Cities analysis found that immigrant settlement in the Greater Toronto Area has increasingly shifted toward these suburbs, with newcomers also settling just outside the downtown core.
A 2024 study published in Case Studies on Transport Policy found that 72 per cent of TTC riders considered equity-deserving, based on visible minority status or low income, lived outside the neighbourhoods the TTC prioritizes in its equity-based service planning. The findings suggest that relying on designated neighbourhoods alone may overlook many disadvantaged transit users.
Farber, the University of Toronto professor and one of the study's authors, said this does not mean the TTC necessarily overlooks immigrant communities, and suggested closer collaboration with immigrant communities to identify barriers involving language, affordability and access to destinations.
The TTC's 2026–2028 Ridership Growth Strategy also identifies lower satisfaction among some groups of riders, including those with low incomes, younger passengers and shift workers.
Mississauga: No alternative for many transit users
Nishant Sharma, a banking professional who works in downtown Toronto, arrived in Canada in September 2026 and stayed with relatives in Mississauga while he started his job and settled into life in Canada. He commuted downtown every day.
He said the morning trip was manageable, but the return trip was not.
As a newcomer, Sharma did not know the last homebound train leaves Union Station at 7:10 p.m. on weekdays. One evening, he left work a little after 8 p.m. and could not find a train to Mississauga. GO runs buses on the corridor after the last train, but he didn't know that.
He said he took three or four local buses instead, and a trip that usually takes about an hour took more than double that time.
Sharma said he also found the transit stations hard to navigate. A family member guided him, he said, but without their help it would have taken “a day or two or three” to learn the system.
“You shouldn’t need any help from anyone just to board a train,” he said. He recently moved to downtown Toronto.
In Mississauga, a MiWay customer survey found that 59 per cent of respondents had no alternative means of transportation. Nearly four in five were under 35, while 35 per cent were students.
Mississauga is home to a substantial immigrant population. According to the 2021 census, 379,420 residents were immigrants, including more than 52,000 who arrived between 2016 and 2021.
[caption id="attachment_43258" align="aligncenter" width="2560"] In Mississauga, a MiWay transit customer survey found that 59 per cent of respondents had no alternative means of transportation. Photo: The Pointer[/caption]
Although Mississauga’s survey does not identify how many transit-dependent riders are newcomers, the figures raise questions about how well the city's transit network serves residents who have limited transportation options.
Research by the University of Toronto's Mobilizing Justice initiative highlighted the challenges facing workers who travel outside conventional commuting hours. As reported by CityNews in 2023, research identified northeast Mississauga as an area with concentrations of evening and night-shift workers.
Newer immigrants are disproportionately represented among workers on these schedules and they face additional difficulties when transit services are sporadic outside peak periods.
In response to questions about its planning approach, a MiWay spokesperson said it collects data about where passengers begin their journeys and where they need to travel when making transit service decisions.
In Scarborough connections are key
The new Scarborough Busway opened Sept. 30, connecting Kennedy Station to Scarborough Town Centre along the former Scarborough Rapid Transit corridor. The dedicated bus route promised shorter journeys for thousands of commuters.
Pranitha Rathakrishnan, who moved to Canada as a child, is a master's student living in Scarborough-Rouge Park. She noticed the difference immediately.
[caption id="attachment_43256" align="aligncenter" width="2560"] The Scarborough Busway opened in September 2026 to provide faster service for thousands of commuters. Photo: Toronto Transit Commission[/caption]
The day before the Busway opened, she said she missed her connection by just 30 seconds which delayed her arrival at her destination by 25 minutes. The following day, with the new Busway, she reached Scarborough Town Centre with five minutes to spare before her connecting bus arrived.
It was a relatively small improvement, but for someone who relies on public transit, it made a big difference. She said her family's growing dependence on public transportation has made her more aware of the importance of reliable connections.
What the ridership figures don't show
Antonio Páez, a professor at McMaster University who studies transportation equity, said assessing whether a transit system adequately serves its residents requires looking beyond ridership numbers and service frequency.
Transit planners should examine whether services are distributed according to residents' needs, particularly those who rely entirely on public transportation because they have no viable alternatives, he said.
That means examining not only where people live, but also which destinations they need to reach and how long those journeys take.
"Does someone need to travel 15 minutes or 90 minutes to reach a doctor, supermarket, job, etc.?" Páez said.
He said equity is seldom considered in conventional transit performance measures, which tend to focus on operating costs, service delivery and fuel emissions.
Páez also pointed to a less visible problem known as "suppressed travel," which are journeys people never undertake because public transit makes them impractical.
For instance, someone might decide against visiting a doctor because the journey would take three hours. Since the trip never happens, it doesn't appear in ridership figures.
Copyright 2026, New Canadian Media. All rights reserved.
Shilpashree Jagannathan and Mubin S. Khan, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, New Canadian Media.
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6 maisons hantées et sorties terrifiantes à Québec et environs pour avoir peur en octobre
Prépare-toi à crier un bon coup! 👻
À l'approche de l'Halloween, les occasions de tester ton courage se multiplient à Québec et dans les environs. Et cette année, il y a de quoi donner des sueurs froides même aux personnes qui pensent ne pas avoir peur de grand-chose. Entre les parcours hantés remplis de zombies, les maisons hantées aménagées par des adeptes de l'horreur et les jeux d'évasion qui semblent tout droit sortis de tes pires cauchemars, les expériences terrifiantes ne manquent pas.
À lire également : Ce parcours hanté en forêt près de Québec te plonge dans un village rempli de zombies
Que tu aies envie de te faire poursuivre par des créatures inquiétantes, de résoudre des mystères paranormaux ou simplement de voir jusqu'où ton courage peut aller, on a déniché six activités qui valent le détour pour l'Halloween 2026. Reste à voir si ta gang sera aussi brave une fois sur place.
« Le dernier chapitre : les reliques du passé » de Eliviascape
Prix : 39 $ par adulte ou 32 $ par personne aux études
Âge : Les jeunes de 13 ans et moins doivent être accompagnés d'un adulte
Quand : Toute l'année, sur réservation
Adresse : 969, route de l'Église, Québec, QC
Pourquoi tu dois y aller : Les histoires de fantômes et les phénomènes paranormaux te donnent des frissons? Chez Eliviascape, le jeu d'évasion Le dernier chapitre : les reliques du passé t'invite à visiter un centre consacré au paranormal, où sont exposés des objets liés à de mystérieuses histoires qui ont inspiré une célèbre trilogie de films d'horreur.
Pendant 70 minutes, ta gang de deux à six personnes devra se plonger dans cet univers inquiétant et résoudre différentes énigmes. Tu peux même choisir une version avec ou sans personnages pour ajuster l'intensité de l'expérience. Et si la peur devient trop forte, un espace moins stressant te permet de continuer à participer à l'aventure sans affronter les moments les plus terrifiants.
La Maison Hantée de St-Étienne
Prix : 14,95 $ par personne
Âge : Non spécifié
Quand : Les 23, 30 et 31 octobre, ainsi que les 6, 7, 13, 20 et 21 novembre 2026
Adresse : 410, av. Taniata, Lévis, QC
Pourquoi tu dois y aller : Pour son édition 2026, la Maison Hantée de St-Étienne te propose un véritable voyage dans les années 1980, mais attention, ce n'est pas le genre de retour dans le passé qui donne envie d'être nostalgique. Cette année, le parcours immersif s'inspire des grandes peurs de cette décennie, entre films d'horreur, paniques sataniques, catastrophes nucléaires et phénomènes extraterrestres.
Pendant 30 à 45 minutes, tu traverseras différentes scènes terrifiantes animées par plus de 30 personnages qui risquent de te faire sursauter plus d'une fois. Les départs se font en petits groupes de six personnes maximum, alors prépare-toi à vivre quelques moments assez intenses avec ta gang.
Zone Toxic au Woodooliparc
Prix : 35 $ par personne
Âge : 13 ans et plus
Quand : Les vendredis et samedis dès 18 h, jusqu'au 31 octobre 2026, sur réservation
Adresse : 295, rue Drouin, Scott, QC
Pourquoi tu dois y aller : Une invasion de zombies, un savant fou et une forêt inquiétante, voilà ce qui t'attend au Woodooliparc pour l'Halloween. Avec son parcours hanté Zone Toxic, le parc te transporte dans le village de Dead Town, où une mystérieuse fumée verte a transformé la population en morts-vivants.
Pour t'en sortir, tu devras t'aventurer dans une forêt sombre, explorer des bâtiments lugubres et traverser un manoir hanté où se déroulent des expériences plutôt morbides. Et comme si l'ambiance n'était pas déjà assez terrifiante, des personnages costumés risquent de surgir au moment où tu t'y attends le moins.
Fracture de Dark Experience
Prix : De 28 $ à 39 $ par personne, selon la taille du groupe (de 2 à 6 personnes) - L'événement affiche complet, mais des places pourraient se libérer en cas d'annulation
Âge : 16 ans et plus
Quand : Jusqu'au 7 novembre 2026, sur réservation
Adresse : 730, rue des Chaînons, Québec, QC
Pourquoi tu dois y aller : Pour sa troisième et dernière édition, Dark Experience revient avec Fracture, un parcours d'horreur immersif qui promet de te faire vivre de grosses émotions. Cette fois, l'expérience t'entraîne dans un endroit où tu n'aurais probablement jamais pensé mettre les pieds, et dont l’équipe organisatrice préfère garder le mystère.
Tu peux affronter cette aventure en petit groupe de deux à six personnes, avec une plage horaire réservée exclusivement à ta gang. De quoi rendre l'expérience encore plus intense, surtout si tu comptes sur tes ami.e.s pour te rassurer quand les choses commencent à devenir inquiétantes.
La P’tite Maison d’Halloween 2.0
Prix : Gratuit
Âge : Tout les âges, deux parcours proposés
Quand : Les 30 et 31 octobre ainsi que le 1er novembre 2026
Adresse : 87, rue de la Fabrique, Sainte-Claire, QC
Pourquoi tu dois y aller : Pas besoin de visiter une grosse attraction d'horreur pour avoir la frousse. À Sainte-Claire, des passionné.e.s d'Halloween transforment leur propre terrain en véritable parcours hanté fait maison, et le résultat promet d'être assez impressionnant. Entre les décors fabriqués pour l'occasion, les créatures animées et les différentes zones thématiques, on est loin des quelques citrouilles sur le balcon.
Cette année, tu pourras notamment croiser un loup-garou de sept pieds, découvrir un jardin de plantes carnivores plutôt et traverser une zone de barils toxiques. Deux versions sont proposées : une visite familiale sans personnages effrayants, les 31 octobre et 1er novembre en après-midi, et un parcours beaucoup plus épeurant avec des comédiens et comédiennes, de la fumée et de l'animation, les soirs des 30 et 31 octobre.
Magnum Opus de Cabinet Mysteriis
Prix : 36,95 $ par personne
Âge : Recommandé aux 16 ans et plus
Quand : Toute l'année, sur réservation
Adresse : 1535, ch. Sainte-Foy, local 010, Québec, QC
Pourquoi tu dois y aller : Une œuvre d'art mystérieuse, un homme qui disparaît et des bruits inquiétants derrière une porte fermée : voilà ce qui t'attend dans Magnum Opus, un jeu d'évasion qui risque de te donner la chair de poule. L'histoire commence lorsqu'un restaurateur d'œuvres d'art devient complètement obsédé par un tableau, au point de s'enfermer dans son bureau. Une semaine plus tard, toujours aucune nouvelle de lui, mais des sons étranges continuent de se faire entendre.
C'est donc à ton groupe de deux à six personnes de découvrir ce qui se cache derrière cette mystérieuse disparition. Pendant 60 minutes, tu devras résoudre des énigmes dans un univers inspiré de l'horreur psychologique, avec des créatures terrifiantes, des scènes troublantes et des sursauts au programme. Avec une cote de frayeur de 5 sur 5, ce n'est clairement pas l'expérience la plus tranquille de Québec. Tu peux toutefois demander d'ajuster l'intensité de la peur selon ton niveau de courage.
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What’s next for Surrey now that McCallum is mayor again?
McCallum’s coalition holds seven of eight council seats, but major promises depend on funding.
On Saturday night, Doug McCallum won his fifth term as Surrey’s mayor. Not only did he win, but his Safe Surrey Coalition swept up seven of the eight councillor seats — meaning that McCallum will likely have almost no opposition when trying to pass things in city hall.
So, what happens next?
While Surrey residents made it clear they preferred McCallum’s platform over the other six mayoral candidates running, it’s worth returning to the party’s platform and seeing how likely some of their promises actually are.
The coalition vowed to bring a SkyTrain to Newton and build a new general hospital along King George Boulevavd. However, both of these projects would be the final decision of the province. While city hall could advocate for it, there is no guarantee the province will allocate the funds for it — the province is also facing an unprecedented deficit.
But other commitments are within McCallum’s jurisdiction to implement, like his promise to freeze property taxes for the next four years and waive business license fees for the first two years of every new business.
Property taxes go to several authorities like the provincial government, Metro Vancouver Regional District, TransLink and police services. The city uses their cut of the taxes to fund services like the fire department, road safety, parks and recreational centres, libraries, garbage pick-up and more.
According to the city’s website, Surrey already has one of the lowest property rates in Metro Vancouver. With inflation increasing the cost of labour and goods, it’s unclear how McCallum plans to fund all the city’s current operations without cutting anything.
Many of McCallum’s other commitments also hinge on the question of funding. The party has promised an expansion of policing services and securing a helicopter and drone fleet within 90 days for the SPS.
Going forward, McCallum has also committed to having all residential building permits approved within 60 days. If city hall misses this deadline, all permit fees will be waived. Surrey currently has a glut of unsold condos and some have questioned whether more housing is even the answer to lowering prices.
When it comes to recreation services, McCallum wants to build new pools in Clayton Heights, City Centre and add a pool into the Newton Community Centre being built. Again, it’s unknown how city hall would fund such large capital projects with a freeze on property taxes.
The party also wants to conduct a forensic audit of city hall’s land deals and “root out waste.” Locke faced backlash during her June announcement of a new $360 million arena — many questioned how much tax payers would be funding. Locke had previously said there was no way to cancel the project, even if a new party was elected.
Another pressing issue in city hall has been Surrey’s fraught relationship with Metro Vancouver Regional District. The regional district oversees core services in the Lower Mainland like delivering clean drinking water, treating waste and monitoring air quality, among other things.
But, the district has also faced criticism for the rising cost of the North Shore Wastewater Treatment Plant, with the top administrator exiting the organisation in early September.
While McCallum wants Surrey to withdraw from the regional district — remaining connected for utilities like water, sewer and waste — it’s unknown if he has the jurisdiction to do so. Or if McCallum does remove Surrey, if the district will allow the city to leave while still benefiting from their services.
McCallum will be sworn in on Nov. 2 and the first council meeting of the newly elected officials will be on Nov. 9.
Copyright 2026, Surrey Citizen. All rights reserved.
Aisha Chaudhry, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Surrey Citizen.
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