Olivia Chow facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Her Worship
Olivia Chow
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鄒至蕙
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Chow in 2024
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| 66th Mayor of Toronto | |||||||||||||||
| Assumed office July 12, 2023 |
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| Deputy | Jennifer McKelvie Ausma Malik |
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| Preceded by | John Tory | ||||||||||||||
| Member of Parliament for Trinity—Spadina |
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| In office January 23, 2006 – March 12, 2014 |
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| Preceded by | Tony Ianno | ||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Adam Vaughan | ||||||||||||||
| Toronto City Councillor for Ward 20 Trinity—Spadina (Ward 24 Downtown; 1992–2000) |
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| In office January 1, 1992 – November 28, 2005 |
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| Preceded by | Dale Martin | ||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Martin Silva (2006) | ||||||||||||||
| Other roles | |||||||||||||||
| 1985–1991 | Toronto Board of Education Trustee | ||||||||||||||
| Personal details | |||||||||||||||
| Born | March 24, 1957 British Hong Kong |
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| Nationality | Canadian | ||||||||||||||
| Political party | Independent | ||||||||||||||
| Other political affiliations |
New Democratic | ||||||||||||||
| Spouse | |||||||||||||||
| Children | 2 stepchildren, including Mike Layton | ||||||||||||||
| Residences | Toronto, Ontario, Canada | ||||||||||||||
| Alma mater | University of Toronto University of Guelph Ontario College of Art |
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| Occupation |
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| Chinese name | |||||||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 鄒至蕙 | ||||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 邹至蕙 | ||||||||||||||
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Olivia Chow (Chinese: 鄒至蕙; Cantonese Yale: Jāu Ji-waih; born March 24, 1957) is a Canadian politician. She has been the 66th mayor of Toronto since July 12, 2023. Before becoming mayor, Chow was a New Democratic Party (NDP) Member of Parliament (MP) for Trinity—Spadina from 2006 to 2014. She also served as a city councillor on the Metro Toronto Council from 1992 to 2005.
Chow was born in British Hong Kong. She was first elected as a Toronto school board trustee in 1985. She then became a city councillor in 1991. She stayed active in Toronto politics until she was elected to the House of Commons in 2006. Her husband, Jack Layton, was also an MP. He was the leader of the NDP from 2003 until his death in 2011.
Chow left Parliament in 2014 to run for mayor in Toronto. She placed third in that election. After her campaign, she became a visiting professor at Toronto Metropolitan University. In 2015, she ran for MP again but was not elected.
In 2023, Chow was elected mayor. This happened after the previous mayor, John Tory, resigned. She is the first woman of colour to be mayor of Toronto. She is also the first Chinese-Canadian mayor of the city.
Contents
Olivia Chow's Early Life and Education
Olivia Chow was born in British Hong Kong. Her mother was a schoolteacher and her father was a school superintendent. Her family moved to Canada in 1970 when she was 13 years old. They settled in Toronto.
In Toronto, her father worked different jobs. Her mother became a seamstress and a maid. Olivia attended Jarvis Collegiate Institute. She studied fine arts at the Ontario College of Art. She also studied philosophy and religion at the University of Toronto. In 1979, she earned a degree in fine art from the University of Guelph.
After finishing university, Chow worked as an artist. She had her own sculpture studio. She still paints sometimes. Later, she taught at George Brown College for five years.
Starting Her Political Journey
Becoming a School Board Trustee
Chow first got involved in politics in the early 1980s. She worked in the office of a local NDP Member of Parliament, Dan Heap.
With Heap's support, Chow ran to become a school board trustee. She won the election in November 1985. As a trustee, she worked on the school board's race relations committee.
Serving on City Council
Chow was very popular on the school board. She was easily elected to the Metropolitan Toronto Council in 1991. She was re-elected several times to city council by large numbers of votes.
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As a city councillor, Chow supported the homeless. She also championed public transit. She worked on many other city issues that help with sustainable development. She was also against the plan to expand the Toronto Island Airport.
After the different parts of Toronto joined together in 1998, Chow and her husband, Jack Layton, were important members of the city council. They worked with other councillors to make positive changes for the city. Chow was known for riding her bicycle to Toronto City Hall every day. Her bike was decorated with flowers and bright colours.
Working in Federal Politics
In 1997, Chow ran to become an NDP Member of Parliament. She ran in the Trinity—Spadina area. She did not win that election.
In 2004, Chow ran for MP again in Trinity—Spadina. She had strong support from Jack Layton. She came in second place, losing by a small number of votes.
Chow resigned from her city council seat in November 2005. She decided to run for MP a third time. On January 23, 2006, she won the Trinity—Spadina seat for the NDP. She defeated the previous MP. She and Jack Layton became only the second husband-and-wife team to serve in the Canadian Parliament at the same time.
In November 2007, Chow helped pass a motion in Parliament. This motion was about human rights. Chow said, "This isn't crimes against 200,000 women. It's crimes against humanity." She believed everyone should speak out against such acts.
In 2008, Chow supported a motion to allow people who objected to wars not approved by the United Nations to stay in Canada. This motion got attention from news around the world. It passed in Parliament but was not legally binding. Chow brought the motion back in 2009, and it passed again.
In the 2011 Canadian federal election, the NDP became the Official Opposition. Chow was re-elected easily in Trinity—Spadina. She was given the role of critic for transport and infrastructure. She was also the first spouse of a leader of the Opposition to be an MP.
However, her time in this role was short. Jack Layton died of cancer just three months later. Chow was in the public eye as Layton's widow. She was praised for her strength and grace during this sad time. She decided not to run for the leadership of the NDP.
On March 12, 2014, Chow resigned from her seat in Parliament. She decided to run for mayor of Toronto.
Attempted Return to Federal Politics in 2015
On July 28, 2015, Chow announced she would try to become an MP again. She sought the NDP nomination in the new area of Spadina—Fort York. This area was similar to her old riding. She ran against Liberal MP Adam Vaughan. Chow lost to Vaughan in the election.
Running for Mayor of Toronto
2014 Mayoral Election Campaign
Chow entered the 2014 Toronto mayoral campaign. She hoped to win against the current mayor, Rob Ford. Many polls suggested she had a good chance to win. She was the main candidate from the centre-left. Her main opponents were from the centre-right.
Chow's campaign focused on three main areas: transit, children, and jobs. She supported more buses and building light rail lines instead of subway expansion. She also wanted to expand after-school programs for children. She aimed to create 5,000 jobs and training opportunities for young people.
Chow started as the favourite in the polls. However, she ended up placing third in the election.
2023 Mayoral By-election Campaign
On April 17, 2023, Chow announced she would run for mayor of Toronto in the 2023 by-election.
Chow spoke out against the provincial government's plan to change Ontario Place into a spa and waterpark. She also disagreed with moving the Ontario Science Centre. She suggested the city could stop these plans by holding back city-owned land.
For housing, Chow proposed building 25,000 homes with controlled rent on city-owned land. She wanted the city to act as a developer. She also suggested increasing the tax on empty properties to 3 percent. This money would help support affordable housing. She also wanted to increase the land transfer tax on expensive homes. These funds would help people experiencing homelessness. Chow also promised to open 24/7 respite spaces and create 1000 rent supplements.
For transit, Chow proposed turning the Line 3 Scarborough corridor into a busway after it closes. She also wanted to reverse cuts to the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) budget. She aimed to expand cell phone service on the subway to all networks.
Chow promised to create a team to reduce 9-1-1 wait times. She also wanted to expand the Toronto Community Crisis Service across the city.
On June 26, 2023, Olivia Chow was elected as mayor of Toronto. She won with 37.2% of the votes. She defeated Ana Bailão, who came in second with 32.5%.
Mayor of Toronto
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Olivia Chow was sworn in as the 66th mayor of Toronto on July 12, 2023.
Key Appointments as Mayor
As mayor, Chow can choose or remove the deputy mayor. She can also appoint heads of city departments. She selects the chairs and vice-chairs of council committees.
About a month into her term, on August 10, 2023, Chow made several changes. Ausma Malik was named the new deputy mayor. Chow also appointed new chairs for important committees. These included the budget committee and the planning and housing committee. The new appointments showed a shift towards more progressive councillors.
In December 2024, she removed Brad Bradford from his role as vice-chair of the City’s Planning and Housing Committee. She replaced him with Frances Nunziata.
City's Financial Plans
"New Deal" for Toronto's Funding
During the 2023 by-election, Toronto's budget problems were a big topic. The city's 2023 budget had a $1.5 billion shortfall. This meant the city needed financial help from other levels of government. In her first speech as mayor, Chow asked the provincial and federal governments for a "new deal" to fund the city.
After meeting with Premier Doug Ford in September 2023, Chow and Ford announced a plan. They would form a group to discuss Toronto's long-term finances. Chow noted that the city was paying for $1.1 billion in services that should be covered by other governments. Ford promised to avoid new taxes. In October, Chow and Ford asked Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to join their working group. The federal government agreed to participate.
On November 27, 2023, Chow and Ford announced a "new deal." The province would take over responsibility for the Gardiner Expressway and Don Valley Parkway. It would also give $300 million for transit operations and safety. If the federal government also provided funding, Ford promised $758 million for new subway trains. He also committed $600 million over three years to help with homelessness. The province would also give up to $342 million if Toronto built many new homes. In total, the deal included $1.2 billion in operating funds and $7.6 billion in capital relief. As part of this deal, Toronto agreed not to stop the province's plans for Ontario Place.
2024 and 2025 City Budgets
On January 10, 2024, city staff presented their proposed budget. It suggested a 10.5 percent property tax increase. This was if the federal government provided $250 million for refugees. Without that funding, the increase could be 16.5 percent. The city later lowered the proposed tax increase to 9.5 percent. This would be the largest tax increase since Toronto's amalgamation in 1998.
The 2025 budget proposes a 6.9 percent tax increase for homeowners. This money would help fund $18.8 billion in city services. These services include feeding 8,000 more students through school food programs. It also includes a 5.4 percent property tax increase and a 1.5 percent "city building fund" levy. In January 2025, Chow announced that TTC fares would not increase for the second year. She also planned a 5.8 percent increase in service hours for the TTC. Chow stated that "this proposed budget will mean change in Torontonians' lives today."
Renaming City Landmarks
Dundas Street and Square Renaming
After her 2023 election, Chow supported the plan to rename Dundas Street and other city landmarks. In 2020, people signed a petition to rename the street. This was because Henry Dundas had a role in delaying the end of the Atlantic slave trade. The city council approved the renaming in 2021. The cost was estimated at $6 million, but later rose to $13 million.
In December 2023, Chow supported a motion to rename Yonge–Dundas Square to Sankofa Square. "Sankofa" is a Ghanan word meaning to reflect on past lessons. Council also voted to rename Dundas Station after Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU). Dundas West Station and the Jane/Dundas Library would also be renamed. The cost for renaming the square would be paid by developers. TMU would fund the renaming of Dundas Station. The renaming of the street itself was put off due to budget issues.
The name "Sankofa Square" was not popular with most Torontonians. A poll in January 2024 showed that 71 percent of people did not like the new name.
Centennial Park Stadium Renaming
Chow also supported a motion in December 2023 to rename Centennial Park Stadium in Etobicoke. The stadium would be named after former mayor Rob Ford, who died in 2016. Some people were against this because of Ford's controversial time as mayor. However, Chow defended her support. She said she understood "the pain of losing a loved one" for the Ford family. The stadium was officially renamed Rob Ford Stadium on May 28, 2024. Chow attended the ceremony with Ford's family.
Public Approval of Mayor Chow
Weeks after becoming mayor, Chow had a 73% approval rating. After the 2024 budget was released, her approval rating dropped to 55%. This was linked to the property tax increase in the budget. A year after she took office, Chow's approval rating was similar, at 59% among Torontonians.
Life Outside of Politics
After losing the 2014 mayoral election, Chow was appointed a distinguished visiting professor. This was at Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University). She started this role on March 1, 2015. Her focus was on community involvement and democratic participation. In July 2015, the university granted her a leave of absence. This allowed her to run for MP again.
Chow's personal story, a memoir called My Journey, was published on January 21, 2014.
In 2016, Chow started the Institute for Change Leaders. This organization is connected to Toronto Metropolitan University. It teaches skills for political campaigns and organizing.
Personal Life and Family
Olivia Chow was married to Jack Layton from 1988 until his death in August 2011. On August 20, 2012, she unveiled a statue dedicated to Layton. It is located in Harbour Square Park at the Jack Layton Ferry Terminal.
Chow is the stepmother to Layton's two children from his previous marriage. One of them, Mike Layton, was a Toronto city councillor from 2010 to 2022.
In 2005, she shared that she had surgery for thyroid cancer in 2004. She spoke out to help others learn about the disease. In 2013, she was diagnosed with Ramsay Hunt syndrome type II.
Chow speaks Cantonese, Mandarin, and English.
She was played by Sook-Yin Lee in the 2013 CBC Television film Jack. Lee won an award for her acting.
Chow is a big fan of Star Trek.
Awards and Recognition
In May 2012, Chow was named one of the top 25 Canadian immigrants. This was by Canadian Immigrant magazine.
Chow was voted "Best City Councillor" many times. This was by Toronto's alternative weekly newspapers, Now Magazine and Eye Weekly.
Images for kids
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Chow speaks at an awards event in 2003.
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Chow speaks at a campaign event.
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Olivia Chow at the Bastille Day 2023 celebration in Toronto.
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2023 by-election results by ward
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Chow arriving at City Hall for Swearing-in ceremony
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Chow at the 2024 Toronto Pride parade
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Chow (right) with the President of Ecuador Daniel Noboa (left), March 2024
