BEA hosts most successful AGM in its history!

Over 100 people, aged 11 to 80, from all different walks of Brampton life, attended the Brampton Environmental Alliance Annual General Meeting this past Monday March 02nd. Co-hosted by BEA Board members Amisha Moorjani and Gunjan Sharda, the meeting took place at the Unifor Local 1285 Hall, where the group was warmly welcomed by Local 1285 President, Vito Beato following the land acknowledgement delivered by BEA Board member Yarim Hinojosa.

Food

The meeting started with informal networking, snacks and refreshments provided by The Food Quotient

Notable Guests

The meeting was attended by several notable guests including:

Ruby Sahota- MP Brampton North – Caledon, Secretary of State (Combatting Crime)
Sonia Sidhu – MP Brampton South,
Graham McGregor – MPP Brampton North, Minister of Citizenship and Multiculturalism
Dr. Therese Chan – Dean Toronto Metropolitan University, School of Medicine
Sharanjit Kaur – Chief Administration Officer TMU School of Medicine,
Dr. Priya Chopra – Course Director TMU School of Medicine
Dayana Gomez – Executive Director, Credit Valley Conservation Foundation

Speakers

Pam Cooper, Manager of Environmental Planning at the City of Brampton, provided an overview of City environmental plans and activities. Things to look forward to in 2026 from Brampton include:

Grow Green Festival and Awards Ceremony – Saturday June 6th at Jim Archdekin Recreation Centre,
Climate Change Adaptation Plan
Invasive Species Management Plan
Numerous Community Stewardship Events and
A Mystery Restoration Project (details to be announced soon).

Karen Wirsig, Senior Program Manager with Environmental Defence then spoke about how her organization is continuing to challenge the Province’s plans:

To build highway 413 when there are more effective options for moving goods and services within the GTA,
To import fracked natural gas from the United States to meet Ontario’s energy needs when local renewable energy can be provided more reliably and at less cost,
To support the expansion of a Brampton-based waste burning facility that will become the largest in Canada, rather than implementing policies to reduce non-recyclable packaging and encouraging proper waste separation.

Jaipaul Massey-Singh, CEO Brampton Board of Trade spoke about the role and responsibility of businesses to protect the environment and reduce emissions that contribute to climate change.

He said that consumers can use their purchasing power to make businesses more environmentally responsible and that, when businesses become more environmentally conscious they do so at scale which truly does have a positive global impact.

Dr. Theresa Chan, Founding Dean of Toronto Metropolitan University’s School of Medicine and their Vice-President of Medical Affairs.

Dr. Chan spoke about the importance of working with the community in collaborations and partnerships for the betterment of health outcomes. TMU is engaging first year medical students in a community project (CAP), where teams of students collaborate with a community partner on a project that deeply affects community health. The team working with the Brampton Environmental Alliance is focusing on the health impacts of air quality in the environment.

BEA Environmental Awards

Civic Leadership Awards
- Rowena Santos, City and Regional Councillor Wards 1 & 5 for her work in championing various environmental causes and events throughout the city both as Councillor and as Brampton’s representative, both nationally and abroad
- Graham McGregor, Brampton North MPP and Minister of Citizenship and Multiculturalism for his work advocating for funding Brampton’s wetlands restoration work
Eco-citizen Award
- Cindy Evans for her project leadership over the past 2 years working with the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority as part of the Bramalea Sustainable Neighbourhoods Program
Corporate Sustainability Award
- Medtronic Canada for its work, collaborating with community organizations to educate its employees on the importance of environmental sustainability,
Green Organization Award
- People Against Littering for its tireless efforts in organizing clean up events to make Brampton the first litter-free city in Canada

BEA Business Meeting

David called the business meeting to order

Approval of 2025 AGM minutes – moved by Steve Papagiannis, carried
Election of Board of Directors:
- Board Executive
  - David Laing – President,
  - Steve Papagiannis – Vice-President,
  - Harry Bridgemohan, Treasurer,
  - Dayle Laing, Secretary
- Board Members
  - Amisha Moorjani,
  - Chaya Chengappa,
  - Ghazanfar Jawaid,
  - Gunjan Sharda,
  - Polly Thornham,
  - Sumit Sharda,
  - Yarim Hinojosa,
  - Rhythm Verma,
  - Gauravi Sani,
  - Jashan Gill,
  - Rajbalinder Ghatoura
- Moved by Polly Thornham, carried
Treasurer’s Report presented by Harry Bridgemohan
- Harry indicated the BEA is in a strong cash position entering into 2026 with positive prospects for the coming year
- Motion to approve the Treasurer’s Report – Dayle Laing, carried
President’s Report
- David provided an overview of what environmental sustainability in Brampton looks like over the coming years and how it fits within the City’s 2040 vision document, “A cultural Mosaic”. He spoke about the role of the BEA in making that vision become a reality, acting as a strong voice for advocacy and as a catalyst bringing together, individuals, groups, corporations and institutions for the greater good of the community.
- BEA Priorities for 2026
  - Increase impact on local government policy through projects like ClimateFast,
  - Build on strategic relationships with other environmental groups, conservation authorities, educational institutions, professional organizations, and city and regional departments
  - Participate in collaborative projects including Bramalea SNAP, TMU CAP, the City’s One-Million Trees Program, BEA loves Pollinators project, and the Credit Valley Trail
  - Continue growing BEA’s reach and impact through increased social media, tabling opportunities and educational seminars and workshops
The meeting was adjourned at 8:26pm followed by informal networking