What Can Olivia Chow Do About Climate Change?
24 days in—How a city mayor can tackle a global problem, a literal train wreck in Scarborough, and what’s next at Toronto City Hall.
Tracking Olivia Chow’s First 100 Days as Toronto Mayor
9 days in—a shelter and homelessness crisis reaches city hall, Olivia Chow's first council meeting, and drinking in (some) parks.
Olivia Chow is Mayor
Chow becomes the first progressive mayor in 13 years, the first female in the role since amalgamation, and the first non-white leader in Toronto history.
Results from Toronto’s Mayoral By-Election
Real-time results from every ward, starting at 8 p.m. on election night.
How the Election Looks From the Suburbs
Toronto mayoral elections are often decided far from the downtown core. Here’s what matters to voters in three key suburban wards where the race could be fiercest.
Where Toronto’s Mayoral Candidates Stand on Public Safety
It's one of the city's most complex policy problems, and a political lightning rod. Here's what the platforms of frontrunners in the mayoral race—Olivia Chow, Mark Saunders, Josh Matlow, Mitzie Hunter, Brad Bradford, and Anthony Furey—say about making Toronto safer.
Where Has Olivia Chow Been?
After almost a decade out of public life, years spent training grassroots organizers, the former NDP MP is leading the polls for Toronto mayor. What does Chow’s time out of government say about what she might do if she finds herself back in?
How Toronto’s Mayoral Candidates Plan to Address the Housing Crisis
From staying the course, to supply-based approaches, to getting the city back in the business of building, here’s how Toronto’s mayoral hopefuls promise to fix housing.
The Chief Concern with Mark Saunders
Toronto’s former police chief has run his campaign for mayor almost exclusively on a law and order platform. In a city grappling with its relationship with the police, does Saunders’ service record help or hinder his chances?
Toronto Needs a Mayor Who Can See Through the Smoke
Climate change is an urgent municipal issue. Here are the mayoral hopefuls taking it seriously, the deniers posing as delayers, and the long-shot candidate with the best environmental platform.
The Transformation of Josh Matlow
Once an ardent centrist, the midtown councillor has tacked a course to the left in recent years and is now running as progressive truth-teller. Can a politician change? Can a city?
Who is Ana Bailão? Depends Who You Ask
The former councillor has been criticized for her allegiance to John Tory and a career of political compromise. But some housing advocates see something different: a savvy, effective consensus-builder. Is Bailão's brand of pragmatism enough for voters looking for bold change?
Post-Tory Toronto: What Happens Next?
A by-election, an interim mayor, uncertainty around the budget, and the first real race of the “strong mayor” era—what John Tory’s resignation means for Toronto politics.
Understanding John Tory’s Proposed Budget
The first budget of the “strong mayor” era doesn’t do enough to address the city’s long-standing problems.
After a Voided Election, A Surge of Interest in a French School Trustee Race
Last fall, a French school trustee election imploded when it emerged that no one running actually spoke French. Now the by-election in Viamonde Ward 3 — Centre has a crowded slate of eager candidates and an increase in voter enrollment.
A John Tory Landslide, and New Faces on Council
With dismal voter turnout and a third term for Tory, the city’s election presented some expected results—and a few big surprises.
The Deadly Inequality of Toronto’s Vision Zero Rollout
An investigation by The Local using FOI requests, city-wide speeding data, and analysis of council minutes, reveals a system that makes wealthy downtown neighbourhoods safer while leaving lower-income inner-suburban communities to fend for themselves.
Ward Profile: In a Tight Race in Willowdale, All Questions Lead to Housing
A controversial supportive housing project on Cummer Avenue has become a point of contention between the three lead candidates hoping to lead Ward 18.
The Mysterious French School Trustee Candidates Who Don’t Speak French
When parents at the Viamonde school board became suspicious of the only two trustee candidates running in their ward, they investigated. Now one candidate says he’s ready to resign, as the controversy threatens the legitimacy of the entire election.
New Downtown Councillors Will Have a Tough Job from Day One—Managing Development
With an exploding population, constant building, and wards the size of small towns, the candidates who win Toronto’s downtown seats will inherit problems, and possibilities.