1. Candidate Bio:
Dharmaveer Gohil is running to be your next City Councillor for Wards 9 and 10. As a proud resident of Brampton for 12 years, Gohil has witnessed Brampton evolved as incredible city as it is today. He is a loving husband and a proud father of two children, both pursuing post-secondary education.
Gohil earned his bachelor’s in Chemical Engineering and is a proud self-made individual. He believes that strong educational foundation is one of the essential elements in person’s growth along with ethics and attitude.
Gohil is very resourceful and knowledgeable and has several books to his credit. He began his driving institute in 2002 and has trained over 3,000 residents in the GTA. His area of expertise has been in educating and developing insights on safe driving skills. He has written a very popular book “Driver’s Companion” which is published both in two languages. It is a free book which he has been distributing to his students and residents for the last 10 years. Gohil is committed to ensuring safe and responsible driving in Brampton.
Gohil is full of gratitude for Canada’s vibrant economic and social ecosystem in providing plethora of opportunities for immigrants like him. His continual philanthropic activities are primarily centered on facilitating settlement of new immigrant families, enabling them to assimilate in multicultural Canada.
In his early years of life, he was exposed to profound and rich cultural heritage, which formed his strong spiritual foundation that guides his passion for community engagement. He takes immense pride in his collaborative skills and has successfully organized number of events, including a fundraising event for the Brampton Civic Hospital, Blood Donation Camp to name a few.
2. What are your three top priorities for Brampton?
Road safety: Increasing awareness about the importance of road safety through effective multi-channel community engagement. I envision to implement best practices in enforcing traffic regulations in reducing traffic violation and accidents. Also, we can create effective and readily accessible educational material for new drivers especially immigrants by using best in class animations, quizzes and mock test.
Resident Safety: I believe that police department can effectively contain crime and youth violence if their engagement in accident-related cases is reduced significantly. This in turn will make police department more accountable in effectively dealing with recent spurt in youth violence and crime. Implementing best practices in the police department will act as a strong deterrent to such acts of crime.
Local Jobs: Developing vibrant economic ecosystem to increase local employment and change the Brampton’s long-held image of sleeper’s city.
3. What is one major council decision from the previous (2014-2018) term that you agree with?
I strongly commend the council’s decision on opening a new Ryerson University Campus in Brampton Downtown. This could prove to be a great stepping stone towards a vibrant and prosperous Brampton. The world has witnessed trends where universities of global repute have created vibrant economic and academic environment to attract world-class talent, infuse entrepreneurship and attracting investors to develop new businesses.
4. What is one major council decision from the previous (2014-2018) term that you disagree with?
The monetary allocation for purchase of Riverstone Golf Club could have been better utilized either for developing better medical services hospital expansion or by attracting new businesses/investors in offering subsidy, leading to increased employment (local jobs).
5. Are there any other ideas from other cities that you would like to see
replicated in Brampton?
I strongly believe that inspiration and motivation can come from any corner of the world. Models implemented by immediate neighbours in the east and south could be replicated by collaborating on transit development and business/commercial development respectively.
6. What are your top transportation priorities to ease congestion and gridlock in the city of Brampton and connections to other communities?
- Top transportation priorities are to build world-class infrastructure by developing/implementing
- LRT and subsequently increase number of lanes
New Expressway/Highway in the North of Brampton connecting Highway 410, 427 and 400. This which enhance connectivity between four major cities in northern GTA.
Extension of Highway 427 to North of Bolton.
7. What are your thoughts on the Brampton 2040 Vision and how should the city proceed with the vision?
The Brampton 2040 Vision offers great opportunity for residents in equitable manner. If implemented well and achieving all milestones in timely fashion, the proposed vision can set a world-class benchmark in developing conducive ecosystem for new businesses, entrepreneurs and tourists. Brampton has lots of viable land that can be developed to go forward with the “Living the Mosaic” vision. With upcoming Ryerson University campus, I am sure, we can attract world-class talent, infuse entrepreneurship and attracting investors to develop new businesses.
8. What is your position on the city’s finances and how would you tackle demands for services and infrastructure renewal?
Candidate has not answered this question.
9. What are your thoughts on how the city/region should handle the alleged uptick of spontaneous youth violence and crime in the city?
Multi-pronged approach:
- Deployment of police personnel on more socially hardworking police force can more of their attention towards containing youth violence and crime and posing strong deterrent to such acts.
- Engaging subject-experts on crime-prevention and traffic-regulation to run continual program in schools, library and other social platforms including social media. This will increase awareness amongst all Brampton residents and empower them to make well informed decisions in any adverse situation.
- Organizing art shows to raise awareness about youth violence. Get school teachers and students to supply art work. Invite parents and members of the community to a special viewing.
- Administer peer mentoring program to contain bullying at the school level to help someone who’s being bullied and be considering dropping out of school.
Organize fund-raising event series like talent shows, basketball tournaments for causes that promotes safety in school and community. - Engage social-workers, settlement-workers and others in the schools and let them know that you want to administer and organize series of youth awareness programs. We may employ NGOs and other agencies specializing in such programs.
10. Why should voters vote for you?
My vision
OUR BRAMPTON, OUR DIGNITY: A safe Brampton with sustainable and equitable economic and social ecosystem providing long-term prosperity
Due to the nature of my professional activity over last 16 years, I have been able to maintain effective engagement with the local community. My strong connection with the locals and their unwavering support empowered my decision to actively join politics. I strongly believe that as a City Councillor, I shall be able to effectively address relevant contemporary issues faced by my fellow Bramptonians; such as delayed infrastructure renewal, traffic congestion, spurt in youth violence and spike in crime rates, etc.
Unbridled commitment to effectively resolve all important issues objectively should be the reason for people to vote for me. My vision of OUR BRAMPTON and passion to realize it should make every responsible voter to vote for a SAFE and PROSPEROUS BRAMPTON.
Candidate contact info:
Phone number: 416-648-4447
Email: gohil_drivingskill@yahoo.com
