Torontonians have a new leader to guide their city.
Olivia Chow bagged the city’s top job in the heated mayoral by-election after maintaining a strong lead in the polls throughout her campaign.
And as Toronto gets familiar with its new leader, we thought we’d speed up the process by listing off some things you might not have known about her.
READ MORE: Olivia Chow to officially become Toronto mayor on July 12
She was born in Hong Kong and moved to Toronto as a teen
The 66-year-old was born and raised in Hong Kong and moved to St. James Town in Toronto with her parents when she was 13 years old.
The move was a difficult transition for the family as Chow’s mother went from having a maid back home to being a maid in Toronto to support her family.
Her father was abusive
Chow’s father struggled to create a working life for himself in Canada and became bitter and frustrated when he failed, according to her 2015 memoir “My Journey.”
He worked odd jobs, such as delivering Chinese food and driving taxis.
As a result, he lashed out at Chow’s mother and became abusive towards her. This would in turn cast a dark shadow on Chow and the first few years of her life in a new country.
READ MORE: Olivia Chow wins Toronto mayoral by-election
She went from being an artist to an activist
Chow was known for being a rebellious yet playful child. She discovered self-discipline and became an “excellent” student in Canada.
She studied fine art and philosophy in university.
Once a graduate, she took a gig as a sculptor. However, her desire for social change pushed her to take a leap from being an artist to becoming an activist.
She is the first Asian-born elected, but not for the first time
Chow is officially the first racialized leader in Toronto’s history and the first progressive mayor in over a decade.
Although we are seeing many firsts here, it’s equally cool that this isn’t Chow’s first rodeo when it comes to being the first Asian-born elected official during her political career.
In fact, in 1991 Chow became the first Asian-born woman elected as a Toronto City Councillor.
She has been a supporter of the 2SLGBTQ+ community for decades
Chow is no stranger when it comes to being an ally for the 2SLGBTQ+ community. From supporting an anti-homophobia curriculum in the 1980s to showing up and showing out during the Pride parade lastSunday, she’s made it clear that she supports people’s human right to express their identity and love for whomever.
She married Jack Layton in 1988 and it was a political love story
Chow and her late husband Jack Layton were a force to be reckoned with in the realm of politics.
The two tied the knot in 1988 while he was a Toronto City Councillor and she was a school board trustee.
A few years later in 1991, Chow was elected to city council in the same election where Layton lost his bid to become mayor.
Her husband would later be elected as Member of Parliament for Toronto-Danforth in 2004, a year after being elected leader of the New Democratic Party.
To the surprise of no one, Chow joined the love of her life as an MP after winning her seat in 2006.
Five years later, Layton would die fighting cancer.Twelve years after his passing, Chow would become the mayor of Toronto by making a major comeback to politics and securing the seat her soulmate dreamed of.
She’s been undermined by Doug Ford
Ontario’s premier is already starting off on the wrong foot after admitting he’s not a fan of Chow and didn’t want to see her win the mayoral election.
Last week, Doug Ford let everyone know that he did not want to see Chow secure the city’s top job, and said if she won it would be an “unmitigated disaster.”
Chow went on to beat out Ana Bailão and Mark Saunders, two candidates who were backed by strong political figures with major influence: former Toronto Mayor John Tory and Ford, respectively.
Chow received 37 per cent of the vote, while Bailão came in second place with 32 per cent and Saunders came in third with 8.5 per cent.
She doesn’t have a driver’s licence
Chow is reportedly expected to be a “champion for transit” as well as for people who like to get around by walking or riding a bike.
She apparently doesn’t have a driver’s license either and is frequently seen biking around the city.
