WoEgypt
June 1, 2023

Photographer: Cole Burston/Bloomberg

MONTREAL— Olivia Chow won election to become the first Chinese-Canadian mayor of Toronto, vowing to pursue a more progressive approach in Canada’s largest city after ending more than a decade of conservative rule.

Hong Kong-born Chow, arrived in Canada as a 13-year-old immigrant. Now 66, Chow is a veteran progressive politician. She won her first election in 1985 for a seat on the Toronto Board of Education. Then in 1991, she became the first Asian-born woman elected to the Metro Toronto Council. Chow served as a Member of Parliament from 2006 to 2014.

In the mayorship election, she emerged victorious from a record field of 102 candidates after promising to raise the city’s low property taxes and do more to support tenants facing a housing affordability crisis.

Chow won with 37.2 per cent of the vote, ahead of Ana Bailao on 32.5 per cent. Former city police chief Mark Saunders came in third with 8.6 per cent.

Chow takes charge of Toronto at a time when the city of 2.7 million is struggling with a surge in rents, a massive budget deficit and public safety concerns.

The previous mayor of Toronto, John Tory, resigned in February after admitting to having had an extramarital affair with an employee.

In her acceptance speech, Chow highlighted “the mandate for change” voters in Canada’s economic capital had given her.

“If you ever doubted what’s possible together, if you ever questioned your faith in a better future and what we can do with each other, for each other, tonight is your answer,” she told supporters shortly after the announcement of her victory.

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