What to know
- Olivia Chow, Brad Bradford and Chris Alexander faced off in a one-hour Toronto mayoral debate hosted by the Toronto Star and Toronto Region Board of Trade.
- Bradford announced a promise to freeze residential and commercial property taxes for one year if elected.
- The candidates discussed how Toronto should respond to U.S. tariffs, support economic development and regulate data centres.
- Chris Alexander defended his proposal to raise TTC fares, while Chow promoted her plan to cap fares after 10 weekly rides.
- Housing remained a key issue, with all three candidates outlining different approaches to increasing housing supply and affordability.
Ahead of the mayoral elections this fall, Toronto’s three leading candidates faced each other over a debate hosted by the Toronto Star and the Toronto Region Board of Trade on Tuesday.
Olivia Chow, Brad Bradford, and Chris Alexander debated housing, data centres, public transit measures and other important issues during the latest debate.
While several topics were addressed over the one-hour long discussion, here are some of the main highlights Toronto voters should be tapped on.
Bradford promises property tax freeze
Bradford made a new campaign promise during the debate, announcing he would freeze property taxes for both residential and commercial properties during one year if elected.
According to the candidate, he would also conduct a full review of every city division, agency and program to determine potential unnecessary, redundant, or outdated promises, while protecting affordability and frontline services.
“Families need relief. They can’t afford more of Olivia Chow’s tax increases. I told you on the debate stage last time she was going to increase your taxes by 20 per cent. She did… People can’t afford that. Families can’t afford that, and they’re leaving the City of Toronto,” he said.
“I’m going to provide immediate affordability relief, and then I’m going to go through diligently, thoroughly, and do that line-by-line review that I’ve been calling for for years.”
The candidate’s campaign says the tax freeze would be funded by what it claims to be recurring room in the city’s budget. According to the campaign, the city’s tax-supported spending fell $100 million below the budget in 2025. Meanwhile, it says a two per cent property tax increase generates about $100 million.
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Chow previously increased property taxes by a combined 9.5 per cent in 2024, which was the largest hike registered in the city since amalgamation. Chow’s 2025 budget also included a 6.9 per cent increase, and a 2.2 per cent increase in 2026.
The mayor’s campaign has previously revealed she now plans to maintain property taxes at or around inflation moving forward.
What is the mayor’s role when it comes to tariffs?
While Canada goes through a significant economic shift while facing newly-imposed tariffs from U.S. President Donald Trump, candidates were also asked how they would support economic development during the trade war.
First answering the question, Alexander said the mayor could have a crucial role to play in dealing with tariffs, including securing investments in the city. The candidate said the mayor should have been present during the Canada Investment Summit, a controversial event organized by Prime Minister Mark Carney that attracted major international institutional investors to explore Canadian market opportunities.
“We have to find projects that actually work for the future, for advanced manufacturing, for AI, for technology. The mayor of Toronto has a leadership role to play within Team Canada,” Alexander said.
“We haven’t heard or seen Olivia [Chow] playing that role. Investment is down in this city. The formation of small businesses is down in the city. Our profile within the country is missing.”
In response to Alexander’s criticism, Chow pointed out that the unemployment rate has decreased to 6.7 per cent in August, after reaching a record-high of nine per cent in July 2025.
“There is a lot of optimism in our city. I met with the top manufacturing teams that were at least 15 [or] 16, brought them together as the mayor Economic Action Team, and we met for a good hour and a half. You know what they told me? They said this is the time for unity,” she said.
Data Centres
Another issue that has become a topic of heated debate in Ontario over the past few months is the development of data centres, with Mississauga and Oakville pausing projects and Ontario releasing new ground rules to help municipalities navigate them.
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Data centres also appeared as a topic on Tuesday’s debate, with candidates revealing their takes on how to regulate the developments.
Alexander said that while he believes data centres to be important infrastructures for the city’s future, he believes more resident consultation needs to be done before a decision is made on these projects.
“We need to consult deeply with the provincial government, the federal government, as that regulatory framework is extended for data centres. But it’s part of our sovereignty. It’s part of this response to tariffs and a changing geopolitical landscape, we need to be able to keep and process our data here. It’s part of our AI future, our quantum future, our technology future,” he stated.
Bradford shared a similar perspective, speaking about the importance of cultivating Toronto’s tech industry.
“It would be irresponsible to blindly oppose infrastructure projects that create jobs, support the internet and email, things that we use and rely on every day, and there’s an opportunity for Toronto to gain a competitive advantage, and that’s where we need to shift the conversation,” he said.
Chow did not have a chance to speak on the issue.
TTC increased fares and more revenue
Last week, Chris Alexander announced that he would hike adult TTC fares to $3.40 if elected, in addition to including a rush hour surcharge that would bring adult fares to $3.50 between 6:30–9:30 a.m. and 3:30–7 p.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.
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The mayoral candidate reinforced the promise during Tuesday’s debate, claiming that the fare hike could help raise revenue to improve public transit service.
“TTC reports that they are on budget to start next year with lower ridership, lower revenue, with a $390 million shortfall in their operating budget. Olivia’s proposal to lower the cap, to have a regressive fare structure, is going to add much more to that,” he said.
“We’re not even talking about safety and reliability. We’re not even talking about that capital budget shortfall. These are measures that are running down our TTC. We will never get people to come back if the service is impaired, if it’s threadbare.”
Meanwhile, Olivia Chow emphasized her plan to introduce a cap on TTC fares after 10 weekly rides, saying the measure would support affordability and encourage ridership. Chow also criticized Alexander’s fare hike idea, saying it would make it harder for transit riders to afford everyday costs.
“Working families right now need help. If you up their fares, then… some of them may probably have to have trouble paying rent and feeding their kids. Under my watch, I’m not going to do that
Housing continues to be a pressing issue
Housing continues to be a pressing issue during this election, with both Chow and Bradford naming it as one of the top issues of their campaigns.
Pointing to a recent poll that found 80 per cent of Torontonians believe home ownership is out of reach, Bradford said the city needs to make more options available to those living in Toronto, including focusing on building different types of housing in all neighbourhoods.
“Housing’s my life work. I’m trained as a professional urban planner. That’s my background. I’ve dedicated my entire career to this. That’s why I ran for council in the first place, and I know that we can make it better,” he said.
The candidate also pointed to his property tax freeze campaign promise, which he said could help with affordability.
Claiming her administration has been able to remove development charges and begin construction of 15,000 housing units, Chow shared the commitment to increase housing starts.
“I wake up every day thinking about how we tackle the need to build more affordable housing, and which is why it’s my top priority,” she said.
Meanwhile, Alexander said he would work with the federal government to build more co-op affordable housing.
Toronto’s mayoral election will be held on Oct. 26.
