In hopes of making a difference in the Bradford West Gwillimbury community, Rahmat Mansoor is running for Ward 1 councillor in the municipal election.
As a director of Mercy 4 Mankind, one of Canada’s largest Ahmadiyya Muslim youth organizations, Mansoor prides himself on his community oriented approached which is why he felt the need to step up and run in the election.
“Thinking about my beliefs and what’s driven me forward the last few decades as a human being and serving on a big scale with Mercy 4 Mankind, it led me to put my name on the ballot to serve Bradford,” he said.
With Mercy 4 Mankind, Mansoor helps run multiple initiatives to help those who are struggling in Bradford and surrounding areas in Simcoe County.
“We do Meals on Wheels and deliver food to people who aren’t able to get food,” he said. “We also do Shelter Bus which helps homeless people when it’s really cold and gives them the opportunity to come into the bus and have a peaceful sleep."
During COVID, the organization had another initiative where they helped drive residents to their medical appointments. Locally, they also organize the annual Run for Bradford. This year they collected $10,000 in donations from the run which will go to the (Helping Hand) Food Bank.
"I’m a committed and dedicated volunteer of the local community that has been working around the clock to make this town a better and more enjoyable place to live,"'he said.
When he is not volunteering, Mansoor works as a real estate agent in the Vaughan area.
Mansoor says his campaign has a wide array of focuses but the key pillars to him are traffic management, better access to healthcare, and improved leisure activities.
“In traffic management we need to bring a speed reduction on some streets, and also, when a new development comes, we should aim to have bike lanes,” he said. “With better access to healthcare, I want to promote healthcare businesses in the town. As the town grows, there’s less healthcare accessible—family doctors, X-ray labs—and these kinds of healthcare businesses need to be brought to the town.
“With improving leisure activities, basically, I work with the youth, and we need to start multiple sports leagues—soccer, basketball—these additional actives will help youth be involved in a better way. I’d also like to bring more water and splash parks to the town.”
Mansoor has a deep love for the community he lives in and wants to see changes made to better Bradford.
“I love this community and I just want to serve this community in the best way and help those around me be their best,” he said. “I’m always driven by my passion to serve, to help, to inspire youth. I’m driven by giving back to this beautiful country which has accepted me with such open arms. I look forward to meeting all of the constituents, neighbours, friends, and families, that are living in Ward 1 and in the Town of Bradford.”
To learn more about Mansoor's campaign, visit his website here.
Election week is Oct. 14-24.
