Olivia Chow

Olivia Chow is a leftist Canadian politician and city councillor in Toronto.

Born in Hong Kong, Chow emigrated to Canada when she was thirteen years of age. This has given her the benefit of fluency in two of her constituency's dominant languages, Cantonese and English.

Ward 20, Trinity-Spadina, has long been home to a diverse group of communities in the core of Canada's largest urban centre. Olivia's Socialist values have helped elect her to city council since 1991.

In 1997, she ran as New Democratic Party candidate for the Canadian House of Commons in Trinity-Spadina, a riding with the same boundaries as the municipal ward she then represented. The NDP won no seats in Ontario, but Chow placed a strong second to Liberal Party incumbent Tony Ianno.

Chow has been an advocate for the homeless, public transit, and many other urban issues which promote Sustainable Development. She has also been a vociferous opponent of the proposed Toronto Island Airport expansion, a controversial plan by the Toronto Port Authority that would increase air traffic over Ward 20.

She has recently been criticized by former mayor John Sewell for her failure to prevent rampant condo and high-rise development in her ward.

In the years since the amalgamation of Metropolitan Toronto, she and husband Jack Layton, were among the most prominent members of the council. While sometimes critical of more right-leaning mayor Mel Lastman and other suburban councillors, they came to focus on working with councillors across political lines to achieve practical progressive measures. Layton has since left his seat on council to become federal leader of the NDP.

Chow was forced to resign her position on the Toronto Police Services Board after interferring with police as they attempted to quell a riot. Some argue, however, that she was ousted for her outspoken attitude towards police misconduct.

Chow is renowned for her trademark bicycle, decorated with flowers and bright colours. She rides every day to Toronto City Hall, and carless commuting is consistent with her environmentalist values.

Chow has been voted "Best City Councillor" on numerous occasions by Toronto's alternative weeklies Now Magazine and Eye Weekly.

In 2003 and 2004, it has been very strongly rumoured that Chow would run again for Parliament under the NDP banner in Trinity-Spadina.