Olivia Chow: A Year in Toronto's Top Seat, and the Unspoken Question of What Comes Next

It feels, honestly, like just yesterday. And yet, somehow, a whole year has spun by since Olivia Chow captured the hearts—and the votes—of Toronto, ascending to the mayor's chair. You'd think, perhaps, that such a milestone would be marked with a grand pronouncement, a definitive statement about the future. But this is politics, isn't it? And for our city's leader, the one-year anniversary of her election victory arrived with a familiar, almost playful coyness when it came to the biggest question on everyone's mind: 2026.

“I didn’t even know that election is one year today,” she said, almost too perfectly, with a smile that hinted at more than just forgetfulness. It’s a classic move, you could say, keeping everyone guessing, especially when you’re barely past the first lap of a marathon. For Chow, in truth, this past year has been nothing short of a political tightrope walk, balancing inherited crises with ambitious progressive goals.

Think about it: she stepped into a city facing a colossal budget shortfall—a staggering $1.8 billion, if memory serves—a legacy, let's be frank, that would make any incoming leader wince. Yet, through diligent, perhaps even painstaking, negotiations, her administration managed to chip away at that deficit, securing crucial new funding tools and, yes, navigating a residential property tax increase that, while unpopular with some, felt unavoidable to many others.

But it wasn't just about balancing the books. Her early tenure has seen what many might call a diplomatic triumph: restoring some much-needed warmth to Toronto’s relationships with both Queen’s Park and Ottawa. And why does that matter? Well, because those warmer ties have translated into tangible gains for the city, unlocking significant federal and provincial dollars earmarked for the very issues that keep Torontonians up at night: housing, transit, and critical infrastructure.

Her approach, by all accounts, has been less about the grand, confrontational gesture and more about patient, collaborative work. She's a details person, you see, a leader who seems to thrive in the trenches of policy, building consensus rather than dictating terms. This style has certainly been tested on a city council that, let's just say, isn't always on the same page. Yet, she's managed to steer a progressive agenda, focusing on things like affordable housing initiatives and public safety, without alienating too many factions, at least not completely.

Which brings us back to 2026. The next municipal election, an event that seems impossibly far away to some and disturbingly close to others, inevitably hangs in the air. When pressed, Chow’s response was characteristically circumspect. “We’re still working every single day. I’m just focused on getting the job done,” she offered. It’s a standard politician’s answer, for sure, designed to defer, to keep options open, and perhaps, to let her work speak for itself.

And why wouldn't she be coy? There’s an art to political timing, after all. Announcing a re-election bid too early can feel presumptuous, or worse, distract from the current mandate. By waiting, she keeps potential challengers on their toes, forcing them to guess, to speculate, to perhaps even stumble. It's a smart play, one that allows her to continue building her record without the immediate pressure of a campaign.

Still, the rumour mill churns. Names like Ana Bailão, who came in second last time, and council colleagues such as Brad Bradford and Josh Matlow are often whispered in conversations about potential contenders. Mark Saunders, too, is never far from the political periphery. But for now, Olivia Chow is simply Olivia Chow, Toronto’s mayor, navigating her complex, often thankless role with a steady hand, and leaving us all to wonder—just for a little while longer—what her next chapter might hold.