As the two leading candidates to be mayor fanned out for the last weekend of campaigning, they described contrasting perspectives of Toronto: one where a new dawn is breaking and one where a city is broken.
asserted
city → lead → Toronto
With the rising sun painting the eastern skyline in golden light, incumbent Mayor Olivia Chow stood in the Port Lands and spoke of a city that cares for its neighbours, where residents of homeless encampments now live in transitional housing, thousands of units of affordable housing are being built and fare-capped transit will soon ease traffic.
“Our city has changed a lot.
asserted
city → rise → traffic
But in all the important ways, I have not.
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I → have → ways
I am still the kid from St. James Town,” she said.
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she → say → Town
“And that’s behind my vision for Toronto’s future … A more caring, more affordable and safer city where everyone belongs.”
asserted
everyone → ’ → future
Across town at Humber Bay Shores in Etobicoke, the waterfront skyscrapers were cast in a different light by leading challenger Brad Bradford, who commiserated with people who feel the city has become less affordable and less functional.
asserted
city → cast → people
“We’re stuck in traffic.
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We → stick → traffic
We’re stuck waiting for the bus that doesn’t show up.
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that → ’re → bus
We’re stuck feeling less safe.
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We → ’re → ?
We’re stuck on wait-lists.
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We → ’re → lists
We’re stuck paying more and getting less,” he said.
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he → ’re → less
“If you wanna change the city, you have to change the mayor.”
asserted
you → change → mayor
Six months ago, Chow held a commanding 18-point lead over Bradford, a two-term city councillor whom she soundly defeated during the mayoral byelection in 2023.
asserted
she → hold → 2023
Since then, Bradford has closed the gap and, according to multiple polls, sits in a statistical tie with Chow in the final stretch before election day on Monday.
uncertain
Bradford → close → Monday
But huge numbers of early voters could blunt the impact of that late momentum.
uncertain
numbers → blunt → momentum
More than 222,000 people voted between Oct. 6 and 11 — a record number for the city, and an increase of more than 70 per cent over the number of early voters in the last municipal election.
asserted
people → vote → election
While there is no consensus on which candidate benefits more from early voting, in 2023, Chow built up such a commanding lead with advance voters that she was able to win even though she didn’t get the most votes on election day.
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she → be → day
Inflation, which has driven up the cost of groceries, gas and other household basics, has put electorates in a bad mood, and incumbents have been paying the price across Canada.
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incumbents → drive → Canada
Earlier this month, Quebec Premier Christine Fréchette’s CAQ went from a majority to not winning a single seat.
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CAQ → go → seat
Last week, Vancouver mayor Ken Sim was soundly defeated after a single term in office.
asserted
Sim → defeat → office
On Saturday, B.C. Premier David Eby lost his bid for re-election only days before Ontarians were set to vote for new mayors on Monday
asserted
Ontarians → lose → Monday
In an interview with the Star, Chow acknowledged the growing difficulties in Toronto, but cautioned against quick fixes.
asserted
Chow → acknowledge → fixes
She said her solutions may take time, but they provide lasting results.
uncertain
they → say → results
On homelessness, one strategy is to clear encampments with riot police, as was done under previous mayor John Tory, but the tents popped back up shortly afterward.
asserted
tents → clear → Tory
By contrast, Chow’s approach employed hundreds of outreach workers who spent time with the people in the tents, getting them into transitional housing and treatment programs.
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who → employ → programs
It took longer than a police operation, but now 98 per cent of parks are tent-free.
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cent → take → parks
“We’ve been kicking the can down the road for so long — moving people from parks to libraries, and then we just end up putting security guards in libraries and then security guards into parks.
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we → kick → parks
You spend more money having security guards everywhere, when you could have just housed them,” she said.
uncertain
she → spend → them
On transit, previous mayors promised new lines, but never delivered, she said, pointing to Tory’s vaunted SmartTrack, which has run over budget, been pared back and still isn’t open.
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which → promise → budget
Chow’s approach has been to freeze fares and introduce a cap that means no one will pay for more than 47 fares per month.
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one → freeze → month
If re-elected, she has proposed bringing in a 10-fare-per-week maximum.
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she → re → maximum
On housing, Chow boasted of her administration’s ability to build modular housing in months, rather than years, and to provide funding to community organizations to purchase existing buildings that are transformed into affordable housing much more quickly than building new.
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that → boast → new
Pointing to Dunn House, a transitional housing project built on the grounds of the University Health Network, she said she’s met residents who spent years on the street battling addiction and are now clean and sober, cooking in common kitchens and sharing meals, growing vegetables and pickling their extra cucumbers.
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who → point → cucumbers
“They are people that have had a rough life and now found community,” she said.
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she → have → community
“It is a work in progress, and it has in fact housed more people in shelters.
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it → house → shelters
We have put 4,000 people into permanent homes that used to be homeless.”
asserted
that → put → homes
Bradford highlighted crime, homelessness, inflation
At a rally on Sunday morning, Bradford said Chow’s solutions haven’t worked and that the city isn’t living up to its potential, describing Toronto as “a city that relies on 4.1 million visits to the food bank every year.
asserted
that → highlight → bank
“A city that has the worst gridlock in North America, where residents lose 100 hours a year in traffic jams.
asserted
residents → have → jams
A city where folks turn their deadbolts at the end of the night, and they lie up waiting, concerned that somebody might break in …
uncertain
somebody → turn → night
A city where parents feel like they’re competing in the Hunger Games to register their kids for swimming lessons.”
asserted
they → feel → lessons
…and 13 more, not listed.
The Aporia
