Mayor Olivia Chow enjoys strong support one year into her term

One year into her time in office a new public opinion poll shows six in 10 Torontonians approve of Mayor Olivia Chow’s performance to date.

The latest Liaison Strategies poll for the National Ethnic Press and Media Council of Canada finds Chow’s approval rating sitting at 59 per cent, an increase of six percentage points from the last measurement, but far below the 73 per cent support she enjoyed 11 months ago.

“It’s a healthier rating, it’s a bit of a rebound and we’re seeing some healthy support from across the city, not in Etobicoke unfortunately where the majority disapproval of her job, but everywhere else – North York, Scarborough and downtown Toronto – she’s been a positive rating,” said David Valentin, chief of Liason Strategies.

According to the survey of 858 people taken this week, Chow scored high when it came to transit (74 per cent), managing the relationship between the provincial and federal governments (67 per cent), and affordable housing (62 per cent).

However, a majority of those asked disapprove of her performance when it comes to traffic congestion (54 per cent) and crime (52 per cent).

“Affordable housing, which is the top issue in the city, she’s doing really well. Crime, she’s not doing that well. But when you look at transit extraordinarily well, so I think some of this could be attributed to the fact that there was this TTC strike that was threatened. Ultimately, it did not happen and that looks like a good win for the mayor,” explained Valentin.

“The bad news for the mayor, of course, …she’ll have another budget to deliver and the question is what kind of hikes will be included in that budget and what kind of drama will surround city council.”

The poll also finds if an election were held today Chow would easily win a second term.

“In a rematch of the race from 2023, Chow scores 43 per cent to Bailao’s 24 per cent with councillor Brad Bradford in third at 8 per cent,” Valentin says. “To be sure, we don’t expect all contenders from 2023 to seek the mayor’s chair again so there will likely be some consolidation but that could work to Chow’s benefit as well.”