(Toronto) Olivia Chow on Wednesday encouraged residents to envision a more compassionate and affordable Toronto as she officially took office as mayor in a city facing major housing and financial problems.
Posted yesterday at 10:20pm.
Jordan Omstead The Canadian Press
The 66-year-old former NDP MP and former city councilwoman, the first person from a visible minority to lead Canada’s most populous city, drew on familiar themes from her campaign in her first speech as mayor, presenting Toronto as a resilient city poised for change.
“Let’s build a more affordable, safer, more inclusive Toronto, where everyone belongs,” Chow said to cheers and applause from a packed city council chamber.
She alluded to a lack of affordable housing and a transit system overwhelmed by cuts in services, while also poking fun at the city’s “reluctant partners” in provincial and federal governments who are refusing to bail out Toronto’s pandemic-ravaged finances.
This year, the city budget is nearly $1 billion short, largely due to falling public transit revenues and rising housing costs.
Ms. Chow’s rise to power is the culmination of a long political career. She was first elected school administrator in 1985 and served on the Toronto City Council for 13 years until 2005. She was then elected MP for the New Democratic Party for Ottawa, along with her late husband, former federal political party leader Jack Layton.
She emigrated to Toronto from Hong Kong at age 13, settling with her parents in a high-rise in St. James Town, an inner-city neighborhood familiar to many middle-class newcomers. factory girl.
“Toronto’s story is mine, too,” she said, prompting those present to imagine a young family coming to the city today with dreams of a better future.
Ms Chow beat out 101 other candidates last month to win the mayoral by-election to succeed John Tory.
Their win brings a progressive to the top of town for the first time in more than a decade.
Since the June 26 by-election, Ms. Chow has met with city government, finalized her team and held transitional discussions with public sector and nonprofit organizations on priority issues including housing and responding to community crises.
Ms Chow has promised local government to reinvest in public housing and spend millions on acquiring and maintaining affordable housing.
“We can and must start addressing the housing crisis. We can and must because the suffering is real,” she said.
Financial turmoil
Ms. Chow’s tenure ends in 2026. She will soon be tested by the city’s financial turmoil.
A city employee report said the COVID-19 emergency fund is sufficient to sustain this year’s budget, but without more money, the safety net would not be enough to cover the shortfall, which could total 927 million next year.
The city’s housing crisis and record-breaking homelessness are also likely to quickly test Ms. Chow’s tenure.
Adding to the sense of urgency, Toronto is at an impasse with the federal government over requests to allocate more money to house asylum seekers, though the city recently instituted a transfer policy into federal programs. the applicants whose accommodations are fully occupied.
Ms Chow on Wednesday did not promise to reverse the controversial policy, even as critics claim it violates the city’s own standards, which prohibit turning people away based on their immigration status. She urged Ottawa for an additional $160 million to house the refugees, saying it was the federal responsibility.
A number of issues could also test Ms Chow’s relationship with Prime Minister Doug Ford.
During the election campaign, Mr Ford supported former police chief Mark Saunders and said Mr Chow’s tenure would be a “complete disaster”.
Mr. Ford toned down his speech after Ms. Chow’s victory, highlighting a number of issues for possible cooperation, such as expanding public transport and affordable housing.