The further I get away from Renison and UW the prouder I am that I went there. It gave me a foundation and some direction that I could run with.
Politics. It’s something that has been of particular interest to Canadians in the past few months due to a change in the Canada-US trading partnership, and the recent federal election in April 2025. What is it that draws someone into politics? For Renison alum Martin Reid (’98), it was a deep connection to his community and a desire to enact positive change. Reid is currently the Councillor for Mississauga’s Ward 9, and his style of politics is linked to his time as a Renison student, where people are the focus.
Let’s back up for a minute. Reid began his university career at Renison and the University of Waterloo after being recruited to play for the Warriors football team. Architecture and Urban Planning appealed to him initially, but Martin found a fit with Social Development Studies that aligned with his interest to a career in social work. Following graduation, Reid moved on to complete a Master of Divinity at Tyndale University in Toronto, specializing in marriage and family counselling.
From there, Reid worked for the Salvation Army in downtown Toronto, before moving back to his hometown of Mississauga to work at The Dam, a youth drop-in centre. Here he worked as a Housing Coordinator, while at the same time building a personal training and wellness business, which he started in 2002.
Working at The Dam first sparked Reid’s interest in politics; he saw how the local councillor could make a direct and visible impact in the community. The retirement of Ward 9 Councillor Pat Saito after 31 years presented Reid with an opportunity. Already involved in the community as part of the Mayor’s Black Caucus, Reid sought Saito’s mentorship and entered the municipal political arena with her endorsement. His successful campaign in 2022 centred on the mission to “Support, Amplify, and Connect”- values that continue to guide his work in public service.
Since becoming Councillor, Reid has been working to make his ward a welcoming and safe place for his constituents. One of his greatest achievements, according to Reid, has been getting the first Black man onto the Board of the Police Services Board in Peel. An advocate for representation in under-represented groups, Reid says that the lack of representation in Black and racialized communities is a particular area of focus for him.
Reid’s path has been shaped in no small part to his time at Renison studying Social Development Studies. The program, he says, sparked his interest in the field of social work and exposed him to many different aspects of community work and made him realize the breadth of social work and its impact. “The further I get away from Renison and UW the prouder I am that I went there,” explains Reid. “It gave me a foundation and some direction that I could run with.”
2025 Renison Reports
This is part of the 2025 Renison Reports publication. Return to the Renison Reports page for other articles.