In this issue
Candidate Tracker: Toronto Election 2026
The only place to find reported, fact-checked biographies and platform summaries for every candidate running in the 2026 Toronto municipal election. No AI, no campaign talking points, just a team of journalists double-checking candidate records and analyzing policies.
Candidate Tracker: Brampton 2026
The only place to find reported, fact-checked biographies and platform summaries for every candidate running in the 2026 Brampton municipal election. No AI, no campaign talking points, just a team of journalists double-checking candidate records and analyzing policies.
Candidate Tracker: Mississauga 2026
The only place to find reported, fact-checked biographies and platform summaries for every candidate running in the 2026 Mississauga municipal election. No AI, no campaign talking points, just a team of journalists double-checking candidate records and analyzing policies.
The Biggest Winner of This Election: The Toronto Police
Despite being rocked by one of the biggest scandals in its history, the city’s police force is getting nothing but support from major candidates in the municipal election.
Has Olivia Chow Been an Effective Mayor?
I followed Olivia Chow over a summer of announcements and events to try to understand how she's fared as a leader. I came back with a more fundamental question about what it means to be mayor of Toronto when real power lies elsewhere.
In York South-Weston, Old Opponents Face Off for a Third Time
Frances Nunziata, Toronto’s longest serving city councillor, is ready for another term in office. Do her constituents feel the same?
North of the Tracks: The Election From Main and Danforth
With thousands of new units coming, Danforth Village in the corner of Beaches-East York is a microcosm of a changing city. In today’s sprawling wards, can voters make their local issues heard?
Dianne Saxe Needs to Convince Danforth Voters She’s No Outsider
A walk through Toronto-Danforth with the former environmental lawyer, who jumped into the ward race just minutes before registration closed.
Brad Bradford Seems Angry—He’s Betting Torontonians Are Too
Former staffers say he drove them to tears. Colleagues say he’s a bully. The Bradford campaign says his passion is just what this city needs.
The Incumbent Is Under OPP Investigation. In Scarborough Southwest, Voters Are Focused on Other Issues
In a rematch of a close 2023 by-election, incumbent Parthi Kandavel and Kevin Rupasinghe offer very different visions of a growing suburb.
The Battle Over Sixplexes in Scarborough North
Last year, the ward became the first suburban ward to legalize the construction of sixplexes as-of-right. Now, in a race between incumbent Jamaal Myers and former Liberal MPs Shaun Chen and Han Dong, it’s become the defining issue of the election.
Carolyn Parrish Loves a Fight—Now She’s Up Against Her Fiercest Opponent
The Mississauga mayor has never backed down from a battle—not from Hazel McCallion, George W. Bush, or the Peel police budget. In the heated rematch against Bonnie Crombie, however, some wonder if all the scrapping has become an end in itself.
In Mississauga’s Ward 2, Candidates Spar Over Crime, Housing, and Property Taxes
With popular incumbent Alvin Tedjo stepping aside for a mayoral run, 14 candidates present their vision for one of the busiest, and wealthiest, wards in the city. Photos by Chloë Ellingson / The Local
Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow: What She’s Done and What She’s Promising in 2026
Olivia Chow’s platform for re-election is all about building on her achievements, like a renovictions bylaw, TTC fare freeze, and new funding deal with the provincial government.
Brad Bradford, Toronto Mayoral Candidate, Campaigns For Change
Mayoral hopeful Brad Bradford’s platform for 2026 revolves around crime, congestion and cost of living.
How a Suburban Strip Mall Became a Buzzing Community Hub, and a Political Flashpoint
Mississauga’s immigrant communities made Ridgeway Plaza one of the city’s most vibrant cultural spaces—and also one of its most contested. This municipal election could decide its future.
Is Toronto Ready for Its First Openly Trans Councillor?
Toronto has a history of dismissing trans politicians as fringe candidates. In Toronto Centre, Nicki Ward is fighting for a fair shot.
Debate Tracker
Every mayoral and ward-level debate across Toronto, Mississauga, and Brampton—all in one place.
The Data Centre Backlash Has Come to Mississauga—and It’s Swallowing the Municipal Election
Ahead of this week’s vote on whether to freeze data-centre development for a year, city councillors seeking re-election are suddenly taking a firm stance in response to public outcry
Toronto’s Most Well-Known Defender of the Unhoused Runs for Council
As a teenager, Diana Chan McNally was briefly homeless. She’s since worked in drop-in centres and become a prominent advocate for unhoused Torontonians. In the race for Parkdale-High Park, she’s going to need to win over homeowners too.
Doug Ford vs. Toronto
Good news: your community elected a councillor and even a mayor who share your vision for the city. Then the province steps in.
The ‘Shadow Parties’ That Could Swing the Toronto Election
The rise of rival non-profits ABC Toronto and Progress Toronto marks a new era of behind-the-scenes political organizing at City Hall—and this October's election is their first real test.
Who Wants to Be a Toronto School Trustee?
The Ford government has cut their pay, disempowered them, and taken over the board. But some candidates say vying to represent their community’s education concerns is more important than ever.
Fewer Candidates for Peel School Trustee Following Changes by the Ford Government
This municipal election there’s a steep decline in candidates for trustee at the Peel District School Board and Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board.
How to Vote in the 2026 Toronto Election
Everything you need to know about voting for mayor, councillor, and trustee in October’s municipal election
How to Vote in the 2026 Mississauga Election
Everything you need to know about voting for mayor, councillor, and trustee in October’s municipal election
How to Vote in the 2026 Brampton Election
Everything you need to know about voting for mayor, councillor, and trustee in October’s municipal election