Adedokun Waliyu 
Mississauga Mayor Carolyn Parrish and former mayor Bonnie Crombie engaged in a heated back‑and‑forth on X Thursday night, sparring over Parrish’s decision not to vote on the city’s controversial pause on new data‑centre applications.
The exchange unfolded hours after council voted to temporarily halt new data‑centre proposals, giving staff time to study the strain large‑scale facilities place on Mississauga’s electrical grid and industrial land.
Crombie criticized Parrish’s decision not to vote, suggesting it reflected a lack of leadership.
“Yesterday, Carolyn Parrish chose not to vote on the data centre issue. This is yet another example of how our city is drifting under her leadership,” Crombie wrote. “We need a mayor who leads, makes her position known, and is accountable for the tough decisions.”
Parrish responded sharply, arguing that as chair of the meeting she was required not to vote.
“The chair of a democratically conducted meeting is mandated not to influence the outcome of debate. Ergo they don’t speak and they don’t vote,” she wrote. “But you never really understood that. You abandoned our city, failed to win a local riding and ended up turfed by your party.”
Crombie countered again, accusing Parrish of selectively choosing when to vote.
“You vote when it pleases you and don’t when the issue is tough. That’s not leadership.”
Parrish replied by citing Robert’s Rules of Order and Bourinot’s parliamentary rules, saying chairs vote only to break or create ties.
“In a democracy, every member should be free to vote according to conscience & directions of their constituents.”
Crombie pressed further, asking Parrish what her vote would have been — referencing Parrish’s recent controversial remark about constituents as “the great unwashed.”
Parrish ended the exchange with a brief sign‑off.
“Looking forward to the debates!”
Crombie confirmed her intention to seek re-election as Mississauga’s mayor earlier this month. She previously held the City’s top job from 2014 to 2024, but left that position to lead the Ontario Liberal Party.
Mississauga has seen a surge in proposals for AI‑driven data centres, which require massive electrical capacity and cooling infrastructure. City staff have warned that unchecked growth could strain the grid and limit future industrial development.
