Oliva Chow was elected as the mayor of Toronto on June 26th. As Toronto’s first female and visible minority mayor, Chow is one of the city’s most important figures. Her nationality is also foreign.
Her family emigrated from Hong Kong to Canada when she was 13 years old. While she was in her teen years, she lived in a Toronto neighborhood called St. James Town. Since she was a child, she has lived in Toronto all her adult life.
As a member of the Toronto Board of Education, Chow served a six-year term from 1985 to 1988. As the first Asian woman to serve on the Metro Toronto Council in 1991, she was the first woman of Asian descent to hold that position. After serving in this position for a period of 14 years, she was selected as a member of parliament for the NDP in 2006.
Furthermore, she assumed the role of spokesperson for immigration for the NDP from 2006 to 2011. During this time, her responsibilities included highlighting the shortcomings of immigration policies and ensuring that the governing party was held responsible for them.
Following Tory’s resignation, over 100 individuals vied for the opportunity to replace him. Ana Bailao, an immigrant like Chow, emerged as Chow’s primary competitor, while Mark Saunders, former head of the police force, secured the third position.
Chow captured 37% of the total votes cast. Notably, the voter turnout stood at 40%, surpassing the usual figures. A mere 29% of eligible voters participated in the October 2022 elections.
The top priority is housing
Instead of the usual six-week period, Chow expressed her desire to assume office immediately, emphasizing her main priority as “housing, housing, housing, housing.”
Chow stated that it is crucial to secure housing, particularly considering the availability of social housing offered by nonprofit organizations, which has been pending approval for two years.
Her proposal involves the construction of 25,000 rent-controlled residences over the next eight years on city-owned land. This gradual increase in housing supply will alleviate the strain on Toronto’s housing crisis and make it more affordable for immigrants to live in the city.
During the first quarter of 2023, the average cost of a single detached home in Toronto amounted to $1,270,000, with a one-bedroom apartment surpassing $2,400 per month in rental fees.
Aside from providing more transit options for city residents, she intends to roll back recent service cuts to the TTC, including expanding cell coverage in all stations.
Toronto embodies a rich tapestry of immigrant communities
Olivia Chow personifies the current composition of Toronto in terms of its population. The city of Toronto houses the largest number of immigrants in Canada. As per the 2021 Census, immigrants constitute 46.6% of Toronto’s inhabitants. Moreover, a census report compiled by the city of Toronto reveals that women account for 53.9% of the immigrant population in Toronto.
Furthermore, refugees comprised 15.7% of non-permanent residents and 17.6% of immigrants entering Toronto in 2021.
Moreover, individuals born in Asia form 55% of Toronto’s immigrant community. According to census data, the Philippines, China, and India are the primary places of origin for immigrants relocating to Toronto.
