Toronto Votes 2026: Scarborough Southwest council candidate Sharmina Nasrin profile
(EDITOR’S NOTE: Local voters will cast their ballots on Monday, Oct. 26, in Toronto’s municipal election. Along with voting for mayor and school trustee, local voters will also be electing a new councillor for Ward 20 Scarborough Southwest.
There are eight candidates running for the council seat in Scarborough Southwest. For this Candidate Profile feature, Beach Metro Community News reached out to the candidates who we could find contact information for and asked them to send their profile and a photo in by a set deadline. We are only printing the profiles of those who responded by the deadline. The eight candidates registered to run for councillor in Scarborough Southwest in this month’s municipal election are Laikul Choudhury, Naser Kaid, Parthi Kandavel, Ariel-Rachel Karokis, Luigi Lisciandro, Sharmina Nasrin, Mohammad Ali Reza, and Kevin Rupasinghe.)
My name is Sharmina Nasrin, and I am running for City Councillor in Scarborough Southwest because I love this community and the people in it.
I have seen the same problems in this area since I moved to Canada nine years ago. I see litter not being cleaned up, I see potholes, I see problems with crime, bad congestion and ordinary people being left behind. I think I can do better. I believe I bring the right attitude of never giving up,
When I first came to Scarborough, I had to secure six months rent in advance just to find housing. After putting most of my life savings into our rent, I got to work right away. Even though I have a Masters Degree in Banking and Finance back in Bangladesh, I had to take work as a janitor and then in childcare to help support my family, while also raising my two children and enrolling them in school. I am proud to say both of them are very good people today and are themselves in university completing their degrees.
In Canada, while working and raising my children, I completed a Masters in Public Policy, Administration and Law at York University. It was at York where I gained an understanding of public policy, government processes, administration and how government decisions are made. My degree in Banking and Finance gives me a strong understanding of financial systems, something I believe we can never get enough of at City Hall. In addition, I also completed a certificate in Human Rights Theory and Practice through Osgoode Hall Law School, which has helped me understand how human rights and government decisions intersect.
As my work life continued in Canada and as I secured more English language education, my career blossomed and allowed me to see the government from different levels. I worked with the Ministry of the Solicitor General in a policy analyst role, gaining hands-on experience in government processes. I then worked in a constituency office for MPP Lorne Coe, where I directly helped residents navigate government services and programs.
For the past three months, I have been knocking on doors in Scarborough Southwest. I have seen our issues at the ground level and listened directly to residents. They want a safer TTC, which means more mental-health support workers at transit hubs. They want road maintenance done on time, cleaner neighbourhoods, better parks and community spaces, cultural opportunities, and accountability for municipal work and spending. They also want improvements, like more permitted parking on side streets and adjustments to the way we use our roads that help clear up congestion.
My strength is that I understand both the system and the people it serves, and I never shy away from a challenge.
