What to know
- Mayor Olivia Chow will skip a Sept. 8 mayoral debate on antisemitism hosted by the Jewish Lawyers of Canada, citing her no-event stance before her campaign launch.
- Her spokesperson said Chow considers Jewish community safety a “top priority,” while acknowledging “there is more work to do.”
- Mayoral candidates Brad Bradford and Chris Alexander are expected to attend; the debate will be moderated by Canadaland’s Jesse Brown, who has criticized Chow’s handling of antisemitism.
- Toronto Police said anti-Jewish incidents accounted for more than 80 per cent of religion-motivated hate crimes in 2025; Chow is expected at a Sept. 14 Daily Bread Food Bank debate.
Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow has reportedly opted out of attending a mayoral debate next week focusing on antisemitism.
The debate is scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 8, and is hosted by the Jewish Lawyers of Canada (JLC). The event would allow Toronto’s mayoral candidates to discuss how they would address antisemitism, as well as the safety of the public and community institutions.
In an email to Now Toronto, Chow’s team confirmed the mayor would not be attending, adding that the decision is based on her no-event stance prior to her re-election campaign officially launching on Wednesday, Sept. 9.
Despite Chow’s plan to skip Tuesday’s debate, her spokesperson Shirven Rezvany made the mayor’s stance clear on the topics expected to be discussed.
“Mayor Chow believes it is unacceptable that Jewish community members need police presence to go to Shul, to a community centre, to drop their kids at child care, or to take part in any aspect of Jewish cultural life,” Rezvany stated.
He added that Chow made the safety of Toronto’s Jewish community “a top priority” and has condemned antisemitism, increased police presence in communities, and met with Jewish community leaders and law enforcement in the past.
Rezvany added that Chow believes “there is more work to do.” She is expected to engage with the Jewish community on antisemitism and safety once her campaign begins.
The JLC had been communicating with Chow’s campaign about the event since Aug. 7, according to the Toronto Star. Chow’s team shared her decision on Thursday.
The debate was initially formatted by the JLC to feature Chow along with her main mayoral opponents, Brad Bradford and Chris Alexander. Both Bradford and Alexander confirmed to the JLC that they expect to attend.
The event was to be moderated by Jesse Brown, editor and founder of Canadaland. Brown has previously criticized Chow’s handling of antisemitism, including accusing her of failing to adequately protect Toronto’s Jewish community.
The decision comes amid concerns about antisemitism in Toronto. Toronto Police statistics said that while overall hate crimes in the city fell in 2025, anti-Jewish incidents accounted for more than 80 per cent of religion-motivated hate.
Chow has faced criticism from some Jewish organizations and residents over her response to antisemitism and her stance on Israel, calling their actions in Gaza a genocide.
Despite declining the Sept. 8 event, Chow is expected to participate in a mayoral debate hosted by the Daily Bread Food Bank on Sept. 14, also along with Bradford and Alexander.
Now Toronto contacted the mayor’s team for comment but did not hear back by publication.
Toronto’s municipal election is scheduled for Oct. 26.
