The Region Municipality of Peel, founded on Jan. 1, 1974, is composed of the cities of Brampton and Mississauga and the town of Caledon.

With a population of more than 1.1 million, according in census number from 2006, Peel Region is the second largest municipality in Ontario next to the City of Toronto.

The issues identified by Peel Region leaders as key to voters in the lead up to the provincial election on Oct. 6 are numerous and varied.

The region is a rapidly growing municipality, with population increase of more than 17 per cent from 1996 to 2001.

The area is also a hotbed for newcomers to Canada. According to the 2006 census, Peel had more than 560,000 immigrant, representing 48.4 per cent of the region's total population, with more than 10 per cent of region residents classified as low income.

There are however key issues that emerge as shared concerns across the region, particularly improved transit, environmental protection and increased access to social services.

In the lead up to the Ontario Provincial Election on Oct. 6, Peel Region created the Peel Asks Why campaign to allow residents to voice concerns on the issues that matter to them via a website, Facebook and Twitter page.

The campaign identifies four main points – child care, housing, special needs and mental health – as key issues to regional voters.

Emil Kolb, chair of Peel Regional Council since 1991, is quick to add traffic to the list of key issues, something he says he hears about on a daily basis, both from Peel residents and businesses.

"We know there's gridlock, and there's always going to be gridlock," Kolb said. "[We're] trying to make so that in the future it isn't any worse than it is today."

Caledon Mayor Marolyn Morrison agreed that traffic and transportation were vital issues.

"We need proper planning for transportation because, in my opinion, it's lacking," Morrison said. "We need the provincial government to have that long-range vision."

Similarly, in an Aug. 3 council report, Brampton Mayor Susan Fennell identified a transportation plan including public transit funding as one of "Brampton's priority municipal issues to promote to stakeholders, election candidates and the public during the election."

Related with the issue of public transportation, environmental concerns are also a high priority for Peel voters.

Earlier this week, Mississauga mayor Hazel McCallion and council identified six key issues impacting the city, including air quality, and specifically "regarding the Clarkson Airshed and Loreland Site."

Greenfield South Power Corporation is currently in the process of building a 280-megwatt natural gas power station at 2315 Loreland Ave. The project has been met with strong opposition from area residents and various environmental groups.

While taking a slightly different form, the environment is also a critical issue to Caledon voters, the mayor said.

"Agriculture is suffering," Morrison said. "And we need to come up with a strategy to make agriculture sustainable into the future."

"Any provincial government needs to recognize agriculture as the leading economic driver in the province of Ontario. They need to step up to the plate, whatever government it is, and recognize that, and start putting policies and strong ministers in place that fight for the agricultural community."

A wide variety of social services have also been identified by residents as a key issue to the region.

"Poverty is one of my big issues that I took on," Kolb said.

According to the Peels Asks Why campaign, there are more than 3,500 children on the wait list for subsidized child care in Peel. Similarly, over 15,000 households are on Peel's wait list list for social housing.

"Access to provincially funded community services has not kept pace with with our growing population, posing some real challenges for our communities," the Peel Asks Why campaign concludes.

In Brampton, residents identified a second hospital and a post-secondary education institution as two specific social service priorities.

"Brampton residents need the provincial government to commit to full funding for the revitalization of the Peel Memorial Hospital site and to provide a second hospital in this community," Fennell's Aug. 3 report states.

And like many of the issues they share, Peel region politicians seem to agree that they will not throw support behind a specific party leader or platform.

"My position has always been, as regional chair, that we're elected to work with the government that the people elect," Kolb said. "And it shouldn't matter to us, politically, what party it is."

"In my opinion I represent all the people," Morrison agreed.