Caledon Votes 2026: Meet Your Council Candidates: Hunar Kahlon – Ward 2

By KATHRYN FRASER

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Hunar Kahlon has decided to run for Councillor of Ward 2 in the October 26 municipal election.

Kahlon has been a resident of Ward 2 for many years and wants to be able to help solve problems in his community and be an advocate for his Ward 2 neighbours. 

Kahlon ran for Councillor of Ward 2 back in 2022 and is hoping for another chance this year. 

Through his many years in the community, Kahlon had been involved in several organizations, from being an active member in the Caledon Lions Club, serving on the board for the Caledon Seniors Centre, and being the current chair for the Caledon South Asian Association. 

Beyond his involvement in community, he says he feels his business experience and knowledge of Ward 2 will make him a strong Councillor. 

Kahlon says he doesn't just want to fix things for the present but also provide long-term solutions that will be helpful for the future. 

“A lot of growth is coming our way because Caledon is projected to have a population of roughly 300,000 by year 2051. So, we need to manage that, and we need to plan for 2051 today,” says Kahlon. 

Focusing on proper growth, Kahlon wants to make sure that Caledon isn't just focused on building houses but complete communities as well. 

“We are not building complete communities. What we are building is housing, and that's about it. We need to make sure we bring in some commercial space so that residents don't have to travel to other towns and cities for their everyday needs,” says Kahlon. “We need to make sure that they feel their community is a walkable community where they can simply go out on a walk or maybe on a bicycle to get something from a grocery store, if they need to visit the pharmacy or if they need to see a doctor. These are the things which we have been missing for quite some time now and we need to pause the development up until we make sure that these facilities are there for the residents.”

In addition to growth and infrastructure Kahlon is focused on helping to keep taxes low for residents. 

“We're going through tough economic times right now, and the one thing where a municipality can help their residents is keeping their taxes low, so that's why I will propose a two-year tax freeze, and we will not be increasing tax for two years on the residential properties,” says Kahlon. “And for those wondering why two years? It is because I feel that that's the ample time, and in two years we can review where the economy is at large on a macro level.”

Noticing the amount of crime in Ward 2, Kahlon is focused on making the area a safer place to live and wants to work with the OPP towards finding solutions, including having a full-time OPP station in Ward 2 and creating a police board. 

“We need to create a police board, which we [do] not have at the moment so that they can advocate on residents' behalf, and we need more resources from the provincial government because it is the province that is mandating us to grow,” says Kahlon.  “With that growth, the aforementioned issues have been brought to Caledon borders, and now we need province help to fix those.” 

Kahlon wants to be able to work together with not just the Town on finding solutions but also have residents become more involved, giving them a chance to have more of a say when it comes to making certain decisions. 

“What we need to do is, whenever we do anything for any community, we need to make sure we engage that particular community, rather than making decisions at Town Hall, sitting in office; we need to do the work on the ground,” says Kahlon. “If an issue concerns Valleywood, we need to discuss with Valleywood residents what they want and listen to their feedback, because different areas have different priorities. We need to engage the residents, especially where we are making any significant change.”

Kahlon says he has noticed that over the years one way of communication cannot always be relied on and he wants to make sure that all members have a chance to be heard and can give feedback. 

“We need to make sure that we are using everything at our disposal. We have to hold online meetings, we have to hold in-person meetings, and we have to try everything within our powers to make sure as many residents are engaged, and their feedback is taken and also considered,” says Kahlon. 

Kahlon wants to be able to not only earn voters' trust but also follow through on his promises and be a strong advocate for all residents of Ward 2. 

“There are a lot of promises made, and unfortunately, residents over the years have seen that those promises often are empty promises after the fact when people get elected and they tend to not deliver on those promises that they made. They made those promises just to get the votes, and for me, it is the commitment. It is not the title,” says Kahlon of becoming a Councillor. “This position will give me a seat at the table where I can take these concerns forward [and] make a meaningful difference.”