Toronto elects Chow as mayor on affordable housing pledge

Former federal politician Olivia Chow will be Toronto’s first Asian-Canadian mayor after earning a narrow victory in Monday’s municipal election.

Chow had 37 percent of the vote as of 9.48 pm Toronto time with nearly all polls counted, according to Canadian Broadcasting Corp., holding off a surge from former deputy mayor Ana Bailao, who had 33 percent.

A prominent voice in progressive politics, Chow marks a shift for Canada’s financial capital after eight years of rule by John Tory, a conservative-leaning mayor who resigned in February over an extramarital affair with a former staffer.

Chow, who was born in Hong Kong, is the first person of color to be elected mayor of Toronto, and the first woman to win the role since six municipalities were merged into one in 1997 to form the modern-day version of the city.

The rising cost of housing, in a city where apartment rents are soaring and home prices have risen to near-record levels, was a key talking point in Chow’s platform.

She plans to build 25,000 rent-controlled homes over eight years, create a fund to transfer other dwellings to affordable housing providers, and increase taxes on luxury homes and vacant properties. She has also indicated she’ll increase property taxes.

“Our work to build a city where everyone belongs starts right now,” Chow said in her victory speech. “A healthy and liveable Toronto is essential to a strong Canada.”

“It’s a city where a immigrant kid from St. James Town can be standing in front of you as your new mayor,” Chow said, in reference to a high rise immigrant community downtown.

Chow spent 13 years on Toronto’s city council and represented a downtown district of Toronto at the federal level for eight years.

She ran for mayor in 2014 but finished third behind Tory and Doug Ford, who’s now Ontario’s conservative premier.

The city has over 3 million residents and its mayor presides over a C$16.2 billion ($12.3 billion) operating budget.

Chow was opposed by Ford, who had endorsed former police chief Mark Saunders. During the campaign, he called Chow an “unmitigated disaster,” but on Monday he congratulated her. “As I’ve always said, I will work with anyone ready to work with our government to better our city and province,” he said on Twitter.

The special election triggered by Tory’s departure attracted a diverse pool of 102 candidates, including one running on behalf of his dog, in a race that cost just C$200 to enter. In addition to housing, public transportation and crime were also key election issues.

(Bloomberg and AP)