Peter Robertson and Susan Fennell

Susan Fennell: But change big change was coming no matter who led the city, thanks to an ever-gathering swell of new Bramptonians, according to The Star. An influx of new Canadians was changing the face of the suburban city. By 2001, 39.9 per cent of the citys population was immigrants, predominantly Pakistani, Indian and Polish. Hearing Punjabi or Urdu in the grocery store or bank was becoming just as common as English; 18.8 per cent of the population said their mother tongue was Punjabi on the 2006 census and In the tradition of countless politicians before her, Susan Fennell, known then as an articulate, down-to-earth former businesswoman, said her city needed change when she shunted her name from the Councillor to the Mayor column on the October 2000 election ballot. That the city was experiencing a spurt was no secret when Fennell made her move to unseat longtime mayor Peter Robertson. In the nearly five years preceding her election, the city saw a 15.6 per cent increase in residents, drawn by factors such as Bramptons proximity to the airport and major highways, and the increasing presence of thriving immigrant communities. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.