TORONTO – The race for mayor of Toronto is in full swing. Three more would-be first citizens have stepped forward in the past few hours: City Councilman Josh Matlow, former Toronto Police Chief Mark Saunders and former Toronto Sun columnist Anthony Furey have announced their nominations. 

Matlow, councilor for Ward 12 Toronto – St. Paul, said in an open letter published today on socials that Toronto City Hall’s leadership “has prevented this city from reaching its full potential. We’ve all seen that the snow is not removed in time, the public toilets are dirty and the rubbish bins are broken and overflowing, the subway and our buses are often late and overcrowded” Matlow wrote in the letter. “The last decade of [resigning John Tory’s] leadership has kept taxes artificially low by killing the services that made Toronto the incredible city I grew up in” he continued. If elected, Matlow said he would launch the City Works Fund, a property tax that will cost homeowners an average of $67 a year and raise more than $390 million over five years. it will be used for services such as public transport, libraries and road and park maintenance. “Another Toronto is possible” concluded Matlow.

Former city columnist for more than a decade, Furey said he will bring a “fresh perspective” to City Hall, noting that his past professional experience is a natural progression toward running for mayor. And he added that his goal is for hockey moms and small and medium-sized business owners to drive the city’s agenda instead of lobbyists, big corporations and fringe activists.

Former police chief Saunders also entered his name in the election “race” on Monday night after hinting last week that he was “strongly considering” taking up the race. Listening to various groups of citizens and communities, as explained by a spokesman, he realized that “the security of the city is the main problem at the moment. And he is worried”. Saunders served as Toronto Police Chief from 2015 until his resignation in the summer of 2020, when he joined the Covid vaccine task force set up by the Ford government.

The three new candidates therefore descend into an already rather crowded “playing field”, which includes former deputy mayor Ana Bailão, former city councilor Giorgio Mammoliti and urban planner Gil Penalosa, who had finished second after the victorious John Tory in the elections last October. Others have also said they are considering running for mayor of Toronto (or have assumed so), including Liberal MP Mitzie Hunter and current city councilors Brad Bradford and Stephen Holyday. And in any case, further names could appear in the next few hours. In the municipal elections last October, as many as 31 people had registered to run for mayor.

Toronto by-elections are scheduled for June 26. 

In the pic above, from the left: Matlow, Furey and Saunders (from Twitter)