Aruna Anand

To be the voice of Ward 5 at City Hall

About Me

Hi, my name is Aruna Anand, I’m a mother, professional, entrepreneur, community builder, Vice Chair for Community Around Family Table, founder of Fuelling healthy minds, and now running to be your voice at City Hall as Councillor for Ward 5.

My story is the story of any aspiring woman who sleeps with hope and wakes up with the dream of doing better every day for herself, her family, and the community.

I immigrated to Canada in June 2000 and embarked on my professional journey with RBC in 2001. It was a leap into the unknown, a path of challenges. Still, with the support of my family, the strength of the community and inspiration from many mentors, every challenge empowered me to stand strong and serve the community I believe in.

As the COVID-19 pandemic swept through our lives, the mother in me got hit hard with the struggle of many, especially children. I know hungry kids are angry kids. To help as many children as I can, I started the Fuelling Healthy Minds program to support children who are in need of a healthy breakfast. With the blessings of many community organizations and volunteers, we have served over 550,000 meals.

Beyond my professional life, I’m a proud mother of two amazing children; their dreams and goals serve as a daily reminder of the world we are shaping for the next generation. I’ve completed my Master's in Public Administration from Panjab University, Chandigarh, India. I’ve also graduated from Toronto Film School and have filmed documentaries on a variety of topics, such as the immigrant experience in the 1970s and the state of education during the 2010s. My education has taught me how to work together with others to create a safer and better world for everyone.

Why I'm Running

We are living in times of massive challenges. The world has been disrupted, and there is a heightened sense of uncertainty that we have not seen in over a generation. These challenges must be tackled head-on. I strongly believe just like how a house needs every brick to be strong and play its part, our country can only get through these challenges when each neighbourhood stands together and plays its part.

Throughout my community advocacy work and professional life, I learned our community and neighbourhoods require stronger unity when it comes to getting through this uncertainty and building a better future.

Currently, Ward 5 is struggling with ensuring its streets are safe and clean, navigating government bureaucracy is impossible, and youth unemployment is the highest in the city. In a nutshell, reaching the prosperity which every resident deserves is still just a dream.