Olivia Chow – Hope and A New Kind of Politics

Patrick Gossage • December 6, 2023

Recently I watched a bold Bonnie Crombie accept the leadership of the sad Ontario Liberal Party. I’d been catching up on the winning ways of new Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow and listening to her interviews and speeches, and I could not imagine two more contrasting political styles.

Crombie used every classic speech trick to drum up applause from the partisan crowd. Pointing out forcefully she repeated “it’s you who will rebuild the party. We’ll do it together” – and together was used many times. This was addressed to partisans and was light on policy. No mention of the real concerns of Ontarians – especially housing. Brash, loud, she is considered a real threat to Ford – a strong “retail politician”. She accused Ford of not being in touch with the people of Ontario (without saying why she was).   


What a contrast with the calm, authentic, more connected and emotional Chow in her first speech after becoming mayor: “Toronto’s story is my story…imagine a young family arriving here today with the same dreams (as my family had) for their children, for a better future. I think we all know what they’re up against. So, let’s imagine what could be possible, when we meet our challenges with the boundless potential of our ideas and the strength of our collective action. Let us imagine, a newcomer family has just moved into a nice, affordable, secure apartment in a friendly neighbourhood with trees and parks, schools and libraries, restaurants, galleries, and shops. They can rely on the TTC to get to work on time.”

“On a hot evening, even in May, they can enjoy the local swimming pool. On a winter’s evening they can go to their local skating rink or local park and their daughter feels safe riding her bike to school or taking the subway and has many after school activities — mostly very, very affordable. And when one of her friends is having a mental health issue, she knows the number to call to get the care and support.”

“It’s a good life. A better life in a city where they feel they belong. Right here. Toronto. That’s a city worth imagining. A city worth building together, all of us.” 


This is not a speech of honest hope, heart and understanding of real people that John Tory could ever have made. Or few politicians for that matter. Much of her recent campaign strategy to sell Olivia’s own immigrant story and its message of change and hope was built on her role founding the Institute for Change Leadership (ICL) at then Ryerson University in 2016. In this strategy of political organizing, power is not a thing you wield. It’s created through relationships, when people with different but overlapping goals marshal their talents towards a common purpose. And these relationships are built by sharing your “public narrative” with others—why are you doing what you’re doing, and why should I join you? The narrative is what binds. Platforms and policies are secondary. Chow's campaign used this strategy and mobilized more than 2,500 volunteers on election day. They used the story telling technique at the door. "Organizing is bringing people together, building strong relationships with each other, looking at what we have in common. And that strong relationship is really what power is all about," Olivia said.


This is how it worked on the campaign trail. Chow would tell the story of her mother returning from the hospital after being beaten up by her father. A way of illustrating a policy issue: “Because I had a basement apartment (in Kensington market), she was able to stay with me,” she said. So there you have it: affordable housing is needed, for cases just like these, and she would be the one to make sure it was built. Or, as in ICL teaching, she turns the personal story into a “story of us.” And her deep immigrant story resonated in a city where more than half of all residents were born abroad and many more grew up with immigrant parents.


I worked on Olivia’s 2014 losing mayoral campaign. In that campaign she started strong and lost support as it marched on and she came in third. This time, she again began as a front runner, but her support grew. A lot had to do with her unique approach to politics for sure but also with her finding her own true voice, which was pretty well absent in 2014. I and others produced well-intentioned speeches she had trouble delivering authentically. As she told a reporter this time: “I just want to say what I want to say and do what I want to do, and trust my 30 years of experience.” 

How many times have I worked for candidates, including those running for Premier, and found them over scripted and inauthentic. “Let so and so be her or himself,” I’d say. You must believe in what you are telling the electorate and if you don’t, it shows. This is a problem the over-scripted Justin Trudeau appears to be suffering from right now. Not Olivia. She was seen giving aides material back before stepping on stage and instead going from her gut, or more likely, her heart. 


The hyper partisanship and polarization that is threatening democracy in Ottawa was pretty well eschewed by Chow during the campaign. She did not go after Premier Ford or her opponents personally, but instead talked about contrast of ideas. 

Her planks were based on principles. Those with established interests – from Premier Ford to former Mayor John Tory – did all they could to try to defeat her. They attacked her and tried to bait her into arguments. Premier Ford even stated that a Chow victory would be “an unmitigated disaster.” The John Tory establishment tried to paint a tax and spend picture of her, and they divided their support to the candidates that would support the status quo he so fiercely defended. 


Fast forward to today. Just a few months since being elected, she has arguably accomplished more in getting a better deal for Toronto than John Tory did in his almost nine years in office. She has made a mutually beneficial deal with Premier Ford that included some compromises of her own promises. She gave up the small municipally owned land adjacent to Ontario Place, ending the City’s only legal potential roadblock. In doing so, she secured a wider agreement for Toronto and was honest in accepting that it is Ontario Place, and that the fight belonged in the Ontario legislature, not at City Hall. As part of this deal, Premier Ford agreed to upload the expensive Gardiner Expressway and Don Valley Parkway – something he outright rejected when one of Olivia’s opponents raised it during the election. 


To me, what was most notable was the tone and the friendly atmosphere when the two emerged to announce Toronto’s new deal. The two beaming unlikely friends met the media and “focusing on what unites us” (as Ford said) did the deal which could save the cash strapped city $7.6 billion as well as $1.2 billion in next two years for priorities Chow ran on like fighting homelessness and building housing among other things – things that her opponents said could never happen because of cost. At that press conference, Chow opened her remarks starkly describing high food bank usage and the underinvestment in Toronto, the gaping budget hole she inherited, and the fact that there was so little hope until today. She then quickly shared the spotlight, thanking the Premier for partnering in providing hope for so many families that were having a hard time getting by. Also saying that the federal government must join the Province and the City in this. “We are stronger together – to build a city more affordable, more caring and safe for everyone.” Classic Chow.


Her newest target for relationship building is Hon. Sean Fraser, the Federal Minister of Housing. She readily accepted the conditions attached to his $500 million Housing Accelerator Fund grant that is in final negotiation with the city. 


The Mayor’s ambitious housing strategy calls for Toronto to build 65,000 affordable rental units by 2030. Doing so will require tens of billions of dollars. Ottawa and the Ontario government would need to provide low-cost loans, as well as between $500 million and $800 million each, in each of those seven years. Chow knows that building housing must involve an engaged and cooperative federal government. Already, the City has inked several deals under federal programs to build affordable and rent geared to income housing. Leveraging existing programs, the City is partnering Indigenous and not-for-profit organizations to broaden the mix and deliver housing first to those who need it most. is off to a good start, and we can expect to see her form more strong and positive relationships with the federal government. 


Olivia has been called shrewd by several observers because of this early success. But she is more than that. She has a lifetime of service to the disadvantaged and misunderstood, and years teaching groups how to organize to achieve their political ends. This formed a suite of beliefs that would be well for all politicians to study. She believes in empathy and recognizes that division and polarization leads to anger and hate. She advocates for taking the time to hear each other out. The Canadian trait to say you’re sorry when someone jostles us is a good start. She reflects on a Toronto with so many different nationalities and beliefs. “We have to find the common ground among our differences. But we have so many people living in harmony we should be a beacon of hope,” she says. 


“During the campaign she synthesized her beliefs this way to a reporter: “What Jack (Layton, her late husband) wanted, what I want, is an engaged society. Anything with the words ‘community-based’ in front of it is bound to be good. With engaged citizens, you get better decisions. When there is common purpose, a deadline and a good facilitator, democracy works fine. Lately I see a drift towards less participation—in part because families have less money, less time, more debt. Together, this means that there’s less time to participate. Some people in power want that, but it’s not healthy.” 


More participation in democracy is a big ask after decades of the city being run by businessmen and the establishment. Change is happening all around. She’s holding very public pre-budget consultations and only then will she decide to raise taxes by how much to whom, and for what purpose - an illustration of how tough and practical she can be.. 


I believe she has the guts to bring the changes that are needed as well as the dedication to listening to those affected by city policies. A good combination. And if there was ever an approachable mayor, it is the small but mighty Olivia Chow. If Bonnie Crombie really wants to connect with the issues that concern average Ontarians, she might borrow a little heart from Olivia.  

Patrick Gossage Insider Political Views

Canadian Patriotism Then and Now

By Patrick Gossage • July 7, 2025
When I was at university in the sixties, it was easy to love being Canadian. Patriotism was easy in the era of Pearson, peacekeeping and his Nobel Prize. He introduced defining landmark social programs like the Canada Pension Plan and universal health care. He also was crucial in launching the new Canadian flag, promoting bilingualism, and fostering a more inclusive immigration policy. His government got into the business of Canadian cultural promotion with the establishment of Telefilm Canada in 1967 to fund Canadian filmmakers. (The crown corporation, the National Film Board, was established in 1939.) The Pearson era went out with a proud Canadian bang at Expo67. Canada was prosperous, our identities, either largely British and French, were secure. The writer and philosopher George Grant, put it this way: “English speaking Canadians have been called a dull and costive lot. In these dynamic days, such qualities are particularly unattractive to the chic. Yet our stodginess has made us a society of greater simplicity, formality, and perhaps even innocence than the people to the south.” This is the society in which most anglo seniors today grew up. Not chic, looking with some envy at the glamour of Hollywood and Broadway, but modest and content. But the seeds of change were there. In Toronto. Italian and Portuguese laborers were being brought in to build subways and suburbs. Canada was about to add to the core French and English culture, and value assumptions far more diverse, and multicultural influences. Multiculturalism became official government policy in 1988. In his speech to the House of Commons, Trudeau stated that no singular culture could define Canada, and that the government accepted “the contention of other cultural communities that they, too, are essential elements in Canada.” A policy of multiculturalism was implemented to promote and respect cultural diversity, and to in fact fund ethnic efforts to preserve and develop their cultures within Canadian society, the opposite of the US “melting pot” objective. Section 27 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms officially recognizes multiculturalism as a Canadian value. In a 1971 speech in Winnipeg to a Ukrainian audience, Trudeau said: “What could be more absurd than the concept of an “all Canadian boy or girl! “ Trudeau greatly enlarged the makeup of the body of immigrants by expanding the ‘family class’. In 1978 immigration act changes allowed new Canadians to sponsor their parents of any age. Those from less-developed nations found this particularly appealing. Trudeau senior’s major accomplishment which ensured the protection of all minority rights was the repatriation of our constitution woth the Charter of Rights and Freedoms Now In Canada, approximately 23.0% of the population are first-generation immigrants, meaning they were born outside of Canada. This figure represents the highest proportion of immigrants in Canada in 150 years and is the highest among G7 countries. Over half of our population are either of English or French heritage. The torch of openness to refugees and immigrants and “diversity is our strength” has been taken up by Justin Trudeau in a big way. He told the New York Times Magazine in October 2014 that Canada could be the “first post national state”. He added: “There is no core identity, no mainstream in Canada.” Many would argue that, yes, there is a core set of Canadian values. Often not recognized, they are regularly reflected in government policies. They set us apart from the United States, form part of our identity, and enrich our life experiences. Pearson and the Trudeaus have been instrumental in implementing Liberal values, ensuring equality of opportunity across the country and that no minority is trampled on. Foremost is universal publicly funded health care, whatever its problems. His son will be remembered for the Canadian Child benefit which today grants parents up to over $6,000 per child, which greatly reduced child poverty and $10 a day daycare. Justin Trudeau also launched publicly funded denticare and started a pharmacare program. Recipients of these programs obviously see them as essential parts of being Canadian. The generally shared values of Canadians include the importance of collective wellbeing, co-operation and social equality and a belief that active governments can improve our lives. Justin Trudeau’s self-declared “feminism” and his making cabinet one half women showed a dedication to equal rights for women which he tirelessly promoted. He was forever promoting the value of “diversity is our strength”. We genuinely welcome immigrants and show a high degree of tolerance for differences. Perhaps the best indication of this is the late seventies welcoming of over 60,000 Vietnamese boat people. As well, after 2015, over 44,000 government and privately sponsored Syrian refugees were settled and helped to establish themselves in Canada. Prime Minister Trudeau personally welcomed the first arrival in Toronto. While seemingly uncontrolled immigration of foreign students and refugees has become more controversial recently, it is accepted that we need immigrants, and the flow is now more rationally controlled. His father also ruled over a Canada that was very pro-Canadian and even anti American – not hard when the United States was immersed in the nightmare of Vietnam. He was well aware of the dangers signaled by George Grant in Lament for a Nation, which predicted the virtual integration of the Canadian and US economies. He established the Foreign Investment Review Agency to break the wholesale takeover of Canadian businesses by US firms. He established Petro Canada to get a window into the largely foreign owned oil and gas sector. And his government was very active in supporting and encouraging Canadian culture. The CRTC mandated Canadian content on our airwaves, spawning a healthy music industry. His son substantially increased funding for the public broadcaster CBC. Then in 1988 came a major shift in our identity and sovereignty. Prime Minister Mulroney wanted a free trade deal with the US and John Turner, the defeated Liberal leader, finally found his voice: “I will not let Brian Mulroney sell out our sovereignty. I will not let this great nation surrender its birthright. I will not let Brian Mulroney destroy a 120-year-old dream called Canada, and neither will Canadians”. But Turner lost, and a new deal sealed the situation we are in today with over 70% of our exports going stateside and Trump determined to wage economic warfare with a country he feels does not have a right to exist and should be the 51 st state: “Economically we have such power over Canada.” In fact, we have inadvertently given him “all the cards” as Trump likes to say. Turner might well say from the grave, “I told you so!” Sovereignty means more than building our own economy more independent of the United States. It means rebuilding the pride we have as Canadians and actually knowing and cherishing its values so different from those south of us. And this seems to be happening ironically, thanks to Trump’s trumpeting us as a 51 st state. Flags are everywhere and as we celebrate our 158 th birthday there is a new patriotism bursting out across the nation. The national anthem is being enthusiastically sung by audiences at all sorts of gatherings and performances. And worry as we may about the diverse cultures and beliefs of the hundreds and thousands of immigrant adults from every corner of the Globe, we know their children going to public schools will become knowledgeable, committed Canadians. There is a Canadian soul which will not be destroyed.
Doug Ford in a suit and tie is talking into a microphone

Would the Real Doug Ford Please Stand Up

By Patrick Gossage • June 11, 2025
Who is the is the real Doug Ford? Is it the smiling man walking beside Premier of Alberta Danielle Smith into the meeting of the Premiers with the PM intoning “love is in the air”(!) or the inept initiator of the Green Belt scandal which sold protected land to his developer friends – for which he apologized while reversing the order?
More Posts