With just two days left before voters head to the polls, the frontrunners in the Toronto mayoral race were out making their final pitches across the city Saturday. Olivia chow spoke to supporters in Scarborough, reiterating her story and vision for the city. “I will keep standing up for families across our city, and I will keep bringing costs down,” Chow told the crowd. She said she’s feeling “great” but acknowledged the race is “neck and neck” and said people in Scarborough could decide the vote. “So please vote on Monday, October 26. Bring a friend. Bring a neighbor, bring a coworker,” Chow said. Polls conducted for CP24 and CTV News Toronto have shown that Bradford has narrowed the gap with Chow and with just three percentage points separating them, the race now appears to be a statistical tie. Bradford was out speaking to supporters in Etobicoke Saturday morning alongside Ward 3 council candidate Ted Opitz, who is looking to unseat incumbent Amber Morley in Etobicoke-Lakeshore. “We are feeling the momentum and the energy of Torontonians who are desperate for change. And the good news is, change is almost here, because in two days Torontonians are going to have a choice about the future and the direction of this city that we love so dearly,” Bradford said. Both candidates have framed the election as a choice between competing visions. “This city is stuck,” Bradford said. “We’re stuck in traffic. We’re stuck waiting for the bus that doesn’t show up. We’re stuck feeling less safe. We’re stuck on wait lists. We’re stuck paying more and getting less. We’re stuck with NDP Mayor Olivia Chow’s 20 per cent tax increase, and if she’s re-elected, she’ll hike it by another 20 percent.” Chow has said she will keep property taxes at around the rate of inflation if re-elected, while Bradford has promised a property tax freeze in his first year and to scrap the land transfer tax on the first $1.1 million of a home’s purchase price. You can see a full comparison of what the candidates are promising here. Meanwhile Chow said her opponent would take the city “backwards” and that the election will “shape the city our children and our grandchildren inherit” for years to come. “We need to build an even more affordable and safer city, a city where people care and support each other, lift each other up. That is who we are as Torontonians,” Chow said. Polls will open across the city at 10 a.m. Monday, October 26 and will remain open until 8 p.m. You can find information on where and how to vote on the city’s website.
