Dev Vashi today announced his candidacy for Ward 11 Councillor for the City of Mississauga, launching a campaign rooted in service, integrity, and a lifelong belief that privilege carries responsibility, and an obligation to use it for others.
Dev Vashi is a community builder, public policy advocate, and youth leader. His story begins in Botswana, where he was born a premature baby, and from his very first breath, his parents fought for him. That fight shaped everything he would become. As he grew, he came to understand what privilege truly demands of those who hold it: he had an education, a voice, and an opportunity, and an obligation to use all three in service of others.
He studied political science with a specialization in global citizenship at McMaster University, driven by a lifelong belief that policy must serve people, not the other way around. He is now furthering that pursuit in the United Kingdom, where he is pursuing a Master of Public Administration at the University of Birmingham, with a focus on public policy, and studying health economics and policy at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). His academic work has centered on issues close to his heart: ethnic minorities, at-risk migrant populations, and international trade. But his education did not begin or end in a classroom. It was shaped by every community he walked into, every silenced voice he stood beside, and every cause he chose to fight for. While at McMaster, he founded BIO, a diversity-focused group that grew from his campus to universities across the province.
Dev has dedicated his time to organizations that reflect his values: serving as Chair of North American Operations for the Rama Global Foundation, contributing to Khalsa Food Services, and serving as Youth Chair of the Anavil Samaj of Canada. He spent time working closely with homeless and vulnerable populations in South Africa, and has worked alongside provincial and federal governments, volunteered on campaigns, and served in constituency offices and parliaments. For Dev, public service is not just something he does, it is who he is.
“Working for a politician and working for your community are not the same thing. There is a ceiling on what you can do for people when you’re working for someone else, and I want the full power to show up for this community the way it deserves.”
— Dev Vashi
For Dev, Ward 11 is home in every sense of the word. These are the streets where he chalked the sidewalks, played soccer, and made memories through every stage of growing up. He went to school here, laughed here, and cried here too. “The neighbours here are not constituents,” he said. “They are family. This is a personal fight, and I want to show up for them the way they deserve.”
His mission is clear: to unite Ward 11 and build a Mississauga that works for everyone. Dev believes good governance is not about waiting your turn, it is about earning your place through service, integrity, and results. He is committed to giving young people a seat at the table, not someday but now, and to being a representative who is present, accountable, and genuinely invested in the future of his community.
“Young people deserve a seat at the table, not someday, but now. The residents of Ward 11 deserve a representative who is present, accountable, and genuinely invested in their future. I’m ready to be that representative.”
— Dev Vashi
DEViate from the norm.
