Olivia Chow

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Her Worship Olivia Chow
鄒至蕙
Chow in 2024
66th Mayor of Toronto
Incumbent
Assumed office July 12, 2023
Deputy	Jennifer McKelvie Ausma Malik
Preceded by	John Tory
Member of Parliament for Trinity—Spadina
In office January 23, 2006 – March 12, 2014
Preceded by	Tony Ianno
Succeeded by	Adam Vaughan
Toronto City Councillor for Ward 20 Trinity—Spadina (Ward 24 Downtown; 1992–2000}
In office January 1, 1992 – November 28, 2005
Preceded by	Dale Martin
Succeeded by	Martin Silva (2006)
Other roles
1985–1991	Toronto Board of Education Trustee
Personal details
Born	(1957-03-24) March 24, 1957 (age 67) British Hong Kong
Nationality	Canadian
Political party	Independent[a]
Other political affiliations	New Democratic
Spouse	Jack Layton ​ ​ (m. 1988; died 2011)​
Residence(s)	Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Alma mater	University of Toronto University of Guelph Ontario College of Art
Occupation	Politician professor
Website	www.oliviachow.ca
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese	鄒至蕙
Simplified Chinese	邹至蕙
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Zōu Zhìhuì Wade–Giles Tsou1 Chih4 Hui4 Yue: Cantonese Yale Romanization Jāu Ji-waih Jyutping Zau1 Zi3 Wai6

Olivia Chow (Chinese: 鄒至蕙; Cantonese Yale: Jāu Ji-waih; born March 24, 1957) is a Canadian politician who has been the 66th mayor of Toronto since July 12, 2023. Previously, Chow served as the New Democratic Party (NDP) member of Parliament (MP) for Trinity—Spadina from 2006 to 2014, and was a councillor on the Metro Toronto Council from 1992 to the 1998 amalgamation followed by Toronto City Council until 2005.

Born in British Hong Kong, Chow was first elected in 1985 as a Toronto school board trustee. She ran in the 1991 Toronto election, where she was elected to Metropolitan Toronto Council and remained active in local Toronto politics until her election to the House of Commons in the 2006 federal election. Her husband, Jack Layton, was also an MP, serving as leader of the Official Opposition in 2011 and leader of the NDP from 2003 until his death in 2011. Chow resigned her seat in Parliament in 2014 to run for mayor in the 2014 election, placing third to John Tory and Doug Ford. Following her 2014 campaign, she joined Toronto Metropolitan University as a distinguished visiting professor. In the 2015 federal election, she unsuccessfully ran in Spadina—Fort York.

Chow was elected mayor in 2023 following Tory's resignation, defeating former deputy mayor Ana Bailão and former police chief Mark Saunders. Chow is the first Chinese-Canadian mayor of Toronto, the third female mayor after June Rowlands and Barbara Hall, and the first female mayor post-amalgamation.^[2][3]

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