Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow, despite their stark political differences, have developed an unusual partnership characterized by mutual support and cooperation. During a recent news conference, Ford praised his relationship with Chow as "phenomenal," though he stopped short of officially endorsing her re-election bid for October 26th against two main competitors: Brad Bradford and Chris Alexander. This unique collaboration is seen as rare cross-party co-operation in the current polarized political climate. Their partnership has weathered past tensions, including disagreements over projects like Ontario Place and bike lane removals, but Chow acknowledges the practical need to work with Ford given Toronto's reliance on provincial funding and approvals.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-19,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
And yet they have found a way to get along and to work together.
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they → find → way
“The mayor and I have a phenomenal relationship, phenomenal,” Mr. Ford said when the two appeared at a news conference this week.
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two → have → conference
He was responding to a reporter who asked him where he stood on the coming municipal vote in Toronto.
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he → respond → Toronto
Ms. Chow is running for re-election on Oct. 26 against two main competitors: Brad Bradford and Chris Alexander.
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Chow → run → competitors
“We’re going to continue supporting the mayor, so read between the lines,” the Premier replied.
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Premier → go → lines
Though (as the Premier’s office felt compelled to point out later) it fell short of an official endorsement, the remark was the latest evidence of the unusual partnership between the two, a rare example of cross-party co-operation in polarized times.
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remark → compel → times
When Mr. Ford’s younger brother Rob was elected to Toronto city council in 2000, Ms. Chow and her husband Jack Layton were his fellow councillors.
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Chow → elect → 2000
Mr. Layton had a seat next to him and took him under his wing.
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Layton → have → wing
Rob appreciated the kindness and spoke of it when Mr. Layton, then the popular head of the federal NDP, died of cancer in 2011 (a fate that Rob himself would suffer five years later).
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Rob → appreciate → that
He said Mr. Layton told him to look for votes on both sides of the council divide.
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Layton → say → divide
“He taught me never to take things personal,” he recalled.
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he → teach → things
Doug Ford jumped into the 2014 race for mayor after his brother fell ill.
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brother → jump → mayor
He found himself running against Ms. Chow.
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himself → find → Chow
The two of them ended up coming second (Mr. Ford) and third (Ms. Chow) to John Tory.
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two → end → Tory
In 2023, Ms. Chow ran for mayor ran again in a special by-election triggered by the resignation of Mr. Tory over an affair with a much younger staffer.
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Chow → run → staffer
Mr. Ford, by then Premier, said then that a Chow mayoralty would be an “unmitigated disaster,” nothing less.
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mayoralty → say → ?
“God forbid Olivia Chow gets elected – your taxes are going up at an unprecedented rate,” he said.
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he → elect → rate
“Companies will leave.”
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Companies → leave → ?
He backed one of her rivals, former police chief Mark Saunders.
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He → back → rivals
As soon as she was elected, though, he struck a different note.
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he → elect → note
The two had a meeting the day after the vote and the Premier said all the trash talk was just something that happens during election campaigns.
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that → have → campaigns
“We’re going to find common ground when we sit down because she’s actually quite a nice person,” he said.
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he → go → ground
The two have clashed over his plans to put a waterpark and spa at Ontario Place on the waterfront, his decision to rip out some downtown bike lanes and his desire to expand the Billy Bishop airport on Toronto Island to accommodate jet planes.
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two → clash → planes
But Ms. Chow has had the sense to pick her battles, acknowledging the fact that Mr. Ford leads the senior government and that Toronto depends heavily on Queen’s Park for funding and approvals.
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Toronto → have → funding
There is a reason, she said, practically, that Ontario Place is called Ontario Place.
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Place → be → ?
The provincial government created and controls it.
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government → create → it
Mr. Ford, on his side, has done a lot to help Toronto pay its bills.
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Toronto → do → bills
Under a “new deal” between the city and the province, Mr. Ford agreed to take over the Gardiner Expressway and Don Valley Parkway and assume billions in city costs.
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Ford → agree → costs
As he put it, in classic Fordian terms, this week, “we’ve given the city of Toronto more money than they’ve ever seen in their lives.
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they → put → lives
Of course, politicians often put on a show of bonhomie after fighting like alley cats behind closed doors.
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politicians → put → doors
Mr. Ford and Ms. Chow may be cursing each other silently as they smile for the cameras.
uncertain
they → curse → cameras
It doesn’t matter in the end.
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It → matter → end
They both care a lot about Toronto.
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They → care → Toronto
Despite their different political views, they both want a lot of the same things: better roads, better transit, cleaner streets, more housing.
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they → want → things
Their partnership is working – even if they sometimes vehemently disagree.
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they → work → ?
When city council voted earlier this year to explore the idea of creating not-for-profit, city-run grocery stores, Mr. Ford went off.
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Ford → vote → stores
“She wants city-run grocery stores?
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She → want → stores
You’d be subsidizing it huge, because it’s just, it’s crazy.
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it → subsidize → it
That’s socialism.”
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That → ’ → ?
“I love you, mayor,” he added.
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he → love → you
The Aporia
