‘Read Between The Lines’: Ford Signals Support For Chow Ahead Of Toronto’s October Election

Ontario Premier Doug Ford offered his clearest public backing yet for Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow on Wednesday, effectively endorsing her re‑election bid and highlighting what he called a strong working relationship between the two leaders as the city heads toward its October municipal vote.

Speaking at an unrelated event in Toronto, Ford praised Chow’s leadership and collaboration with the province, noting both the personal rapport they’ve built and the billions in joint funding that have flowed to Toronto during her term.

“The mayor and I have a phenomenal relationship,” Ford said. “We are going to continue supporting the mayor. She is doing an incredible job, so, read between the lines.”

Ford did not explicitly tell Torontonians how to vote, but his comments mark a notable shift in tone from earlier years, when the two leaders frequently clashed over transit, bike lanes, housing, and budget pressures.

The premier’s comments come with the Ford government pushing ahead with plans to remove bicycle lanes on major Toronto corridors — including Bloor Street, Yonge Street, University Avenue, Queen’s Park Crescent and Avenue Road — a move Chow and city council have strongly opposed.

Ford has defended the plan as part of a mandate to “fight gridlock,” while Chow has maintained that Toronto’s bike network is essential for safety, climate goals, and reducing congestion.

In contrast to the bike lane fight, Ford and Chow have worked closely on one of the largest provincial interventions in Toronto’s infrastructure in decades: the upload of the Gardiner Expressway and Don Valley Parkway (DVP).

In June, the province announced it would take ownership of both highways in fall 2027, a move framed as part of the “New Deal for Toronto.” The agreement includes a commitment that the Gardiner and DVP will remain toll‑free, $353 million for Toronto to continue operating and maintaining the highways until the transfer is complete and provincial oversight of capital decisions during the transition.

“This very uncertain, stressful time, in the global turbulence and disruptive trade conversations that’s happening, the team Canada approach, working together, united, we are stronger, and we’re proving it right now,” Chow said.

Toronto voters head to the polls on Monday, Oct. 26, with voting locations open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.