THE PROMISE RECORDTORONTO · CIVIC RESEARCH
The 2023 campaign, examined

Has Olivia Chow
fulfilled her
promises?

A promise is a starting point. The public record tells the rest. Explore what was committed, what changed, and what the evidence can — and cannot — establish.

Evidence through 21 October 20262023 pledges only

Implementation is not the same as impact. A bylaw can be passed without solving the problem it addresses. Our labels describe documented milestones, with shared responsibilities and evidence gaps made explicit. How we assess a promise →

2026 TORONTO MUNICIPAL ELECTIONWho can vote — and how?

What was delivered.
And when.

Completion, lateness and election timing are separate questions. A late delivery still counts as delivered; its delay stays in the record.

5/18

Documented implementation milestones

9

Partial delivery or work still underway

1

Changed direction from the commitment

3

Evidence incomplete or no measurable threshold

1 of the 5 milestones landed in the final 90 days before voting: the Scarborough Busway, 26 days before election day. The other four milestone dates fall earlier.

1 documented project-target delay: the Busway opened after the earlier Q4 2025 TTC expectation. This is an inherited project baseline, not a verified personal campaign deadline. A complete count of late campaign promises is not established.

See all five milestone dates and deadline qualifications
Documented milestones and timing
MilestoneDateBefore electionWas it late?
Open the Scarborough Busway2026-09-3026 days273 days after the end of the earlier Q4 2025 TTC target; later September 2026 target met.
Strengthen apartment-building enforcement2026-06-15133 daysNo specific campaign deadline established; do not assume on time.
Make non-police crisis response city-wide2024-07-08840 daysNo specific campaign deadline established; do not assume on time.
Raise land-transfer tax on expensive homes2024-01-011029 daysNo specific campaign deadline established; do not assume on time.
Negotiate a new fiscal deal2023-12-131048 daysNo specific campaign deadline established; do not assume on time.

Election day: 26 October 2026. The 90-day window is a disclosed descriptive choice, not proof of electoral motive. Dates represent the stated milestone (for example, tax coming into force or an agreement being approved), not equal measures of impact. Timing method →

Follow the record.

A representative selection, not a complete manifesto.
Status counts are navigation, never an overall grade.

18 of 18 promisesOpen a timeline to inspect the evidence ↓
Housing & affordability01
Underway

25,000 homes on city land

Housing activity is documented. A completed-home count matching the campaign’s city-land cohort is not established.

Full delivery date not establishedEight-year campaign horizon has not ended
Evidence timeline for 25,000 homes on city land
  1. A new City plan proposed a broader 65,000 rent-controlled-home approval target for 2030. That is not the same measure as completed campaign homes.

    City of Toronto: Proposed housing-system changes and approval targets ↗
  2. Housing Secretariat reports 700+ net new affordable/RGI homes opened in 2025 across 14 sites, within a broader programme.

    City of Toronto: 2026 Housing Secretariat budget notes — 2025 results, p. 7 ↗

Outcome check. Approvals, construction starts and occupied homes are separate stages. These figures cannot establish completion of the 25,000-home pledge.

Read the commitment & qualifications →

2023 campaignChecked 21 October 2026
Housing & affordability02
Partial

A $100m annual rental-acquisition fund

Acquisition funding expanded, but the evidence does not establish a sustained $100m allocation every year.

Full delivery date not establishedPartial actions and evidence gaps shown below
Evidence timeline for A $100m annual rental-acquisition fund
  1. The City reported $100m for the Multi-Unit Residential Acquisition programme over three years.

    City of Toronto: Housing action plans: 2024 progress update ↗
  2. Housing Secretariat reports more than $100m allocated to MURA, supporting more than 700 rental homes in 2025.

    City of Toronto: 2026 Housing Secretariat budget notes — 2025 results, p. 7 ↗

Outcome check. Allocations and homes supported are evidence of programme activity; they do not prove every purchase closed or measure long-term affordability.

Read the commitment & qualifications →

2023 campaignChecked 21 October 2026
Housing & affordability03
Partial

Expand rent and eviction-prevention support

More households received support. The precise campaign multipliers remain unverified against a consistent baseline.

Full delivery date not establishedPartial actions and evidence gaps shown below
Evidence timeline for Expand rent and eviction-prevention support
  1. The City reported more than 1,600 Rent Bank grants and 640 tenancies supported through EPIC.

    City of Toronto: Housing action plans: 2023 annual results ↗
  2. The City reported about 2,800 Rent Bank grants and more than 1,000 EPIC-supported tenancies.

    City of Toronto: 2026 Housing Secretariat budget notes — 2025 results, p. 7 ↗

Outcome check. These are service counts, not a measured reduction in city-wide evictions. 2023 is a comparison year, not a verified pre-promise baseline.

Read the commitment & qualifications →

2023 campaignChecked 21 October 2026
Housing & affordability04
Milestone met

Strengthen apartment-building enforcement

Council approved programme changes and colour-coded building signs were introduced.

2026-06-15 · 133 days before votingCampaign deadline not established
Evidence timeline for Strengthen apartment-building enforcement
  1. Council considered and adopted RentSafeTO programme improvements, including enforcement and tenant engagement measures.

    Toronto City Council: Council item PH11.8: RentSafeTO improvements ↗
  2. Colour-coded evaluation signs took effect, with tenant notices and compliance requirements described in the City’s current guidance.

    City of Toronto: RentSafeTO evaluations, audits and colour-coded signs ↗

Outcome check. The policy and disclosure milestone is documented. Improved building conditions across the programme are not established by adoption alone.

Read the commitment & qualifications →

2023 campaignChecked 21 October 2026
Housing & affordability05
Evidence incomplete

Create a renters’ action committee

Council direction is documented; an operational committee record was not established in this review.

Full delivery date not establishedPartial actions and evidence gaps shown below
Evidence timeline for Create a renters’ action committee
  1. Council requested a renters’ forum and proposed terms of reference for a Toronto Renters’ Action Committee, for early 2024.

    Toronto City Council: Council item MM11.34: renters’ forum and committee terms ↗
  2. A later RentSafeTO item refers to the committee. A reference alone does not show membership or meetings took place.

    Toronto City Council: Council item PH11.8: RentSafeTO improvements ↗

Outcome check. No conclusion about the committee’s influence is possible without operational records.

Read the commitment & qualifications →

2023 campaignChecked 21 October 2026
TTC & public transit06
Partial

Reverse TTC service cuts

Service investment and specific restorations are documented. Full route-by-route reversal is not established.

Full delivery date not establishedPartial actions and evidence gaps shown below
Evidence timeline for Reverse TTC service cuts
  1. The TTC budget proposed service recovery and additional operating hours.

    TTC: 2025 TTC budget: fares and service recovery ↗
  2. Line 2 service increased; the TTC described the change as a return to pre-pandemic service levels on that line.

    TTC: Line 2 service increase effective October 12 ↗

Outcome check. More scheduled service is not proof of reliable, uncrowded trips. A network-wide delivered-service comparison is still needed.

Read the commitment & qualifications →

2023 campaignChecked 21 October 2026
TTC & public transit07
Milestone met

Open the Scarborough Busway

Opened 30 September 2026: 26 days before election day, after the earlier Q4 2025 TTC target but ahead of the later 2027 schedule.

2026-09-30 · 26 days before votingAfter earlier project target
Evidence timeline for Open the Scarborough Busway
  1. TTC consultation records anticipated busway service in Q4 2025. This expectation predates Chow’s 2023 campaign.

    TTC: 2023 Annual Service Plan: June 2022 stakeholder meetings, Q4 2025 expectation ↗
  2. A TTC briefing extended design work and anticipated construction from Q2 2025 taking about two years. It cited environmental assessment, archaeology and barriers beside GO tracks.

    City of Toronto / TTC: 2024 capital briefing: revised busway design and construction schedule ↗
  3. TTC announced acceleration from the later 2027 schedule to service by the end of September 2026.

    TTC: Revised busway opening brought forward from 2027 to September 2026 ↗
  4. The four-kilometre Busway opened between Kennedy and Ellesmere, with stops at Tara Avenue and Lawrence Avenue East.

    TTC: Scarborough Busway opens ↗

Outcome check. Opening is documented. Forecast travel-time benefits are not treated here as an independently measured outcome.

Read the commitment & qualifications →

2023 campaignChecked 21 October 2026
TTC & public transit08
Partial

Expand subway cellular access

The TTC lists broad station coverage but only selected tunnels as of July 2026.

Full delivery date not establishedPartial actions and evidence gaps shown below
Evidence timeline for Expand subway cellular access
  1. The TTC’s coverage page lists stations on Lines 1, 2, 4, 5 and 6, alongside only some tunnel sections.

    TTC: 5G cellular coverage: stations and selected tunnels ↗

Outcome check. Coverage availability does not establish connection quality for every carrier, handset or journey.

Read the commitment & qualifications →

2023 campaignChecked 21 October 2026
Roads & cycling09
Changed course

Replace Gardiner East with a boulevard

The current City programme retains an elevated rebuild; the boulevard commitment has not been implemented.

Full delivery date not establishedPartial actions and evidence gaps shown below
Evidence timeline for Replace Gardiner East with a boulevard
  1. Council approved the Ontario–Toronto New Deal, including the planned transfer of the Gardiner and DVP to Ontario.

    City of Toronto: Council approval of New Deal and reallocation of highway funds ↗
  2. The City reported progress toward the highway transfer.

    City of Toronto: Progress on transferring Gardiner and DVP to Ontario ↗
  3. The rehabilitation plan still specifies reconstruction of the elevated Cherry Street–DVP section using the Hybrid design.

    City of Toronto: Gardiner rehabilitation plan: elevated East End reconfiguration ↗

Outcome check. “Changed course” is this tracker’s comparison of the commitment with the current plan. It is not a claim that all highway-transfer steps are complete.

Read the commitment & qualifications →

2023 campaignChecked 21 October 2026
Roads & cycling10
Partial

Expand safe cycling infrastructure

City investment continued, while provincial intervention threatens existing lanes.

Full delivery date not establishedPartial actions and evidence gaps shown below
Evidence timeline for Expand safe cycling infrastructure
  1. Council approved the 2025–2027 cycling programme.

    City of Toronto: Cycling Network Plan and 2025–2027 programme ↗
  2. The City’s year-in-review documents cycling projects and investment.

    City of Toronto: 2025 Toronto Cycling Year in Review ↗
  3. CityNews reported protests interrupting provincial removal work on Bloor Street West.

    CityNews: Bloor bike-lane removal work interrupted by protest ↗

Outcome check. Project delivery alone does not prove a net improvement in network safety, collision rates or congestion.

Read the commitment & qualifications →

2023 campaignChecked 21 October 2026
City finances & taxes11
Milestone met

Raise land-transfer tax on expensive homes

Council adopted the tax change, effective 1 January 2024.

2024-01-01 · 1029 days before votingCampaign deadline not established
Evidence timeline for Raise land-transfer tax on expensive homes
  1. Council enacted By-law 824-2023 setting graduated municipal land-transfer-tax rates.

    Toronto City Council: By-law 824-2023: graduated land-transfer tax ↗
  2. The City’s historical rate schedule confirms the higher bands took effect.

    City of Toronto: Historical MLTT rates, including January 2024 to March 2026 ↗

Outcome check. Tax implementation is established. Revenue yield and effects on housing affordability are separate questions not resolved here.

Read the commitment & qualifications →

2023 campaignChecked 21 October 2026
City finances & taxes12
Not measurable

Keep property-tax increases “modest”

The description is subjective. Actual combined residential increases are provided without assigning a pass or fail.

Full delivery date not establishedPartial actions and evidence gaps shown below
Evidence timeline for Keep property-tax increases “modest”
  1. The adopted 2024 budget included a 9.5% combined residential increase.

    City of Toronto: 2024 adopted budget summary ↗
  2. The 2025 increase was 6.9%: a 5.4% base increase plus a 1.5% City Building Fund levy.

    City of Toronto: 2025 budget adopted: tax and service changes ↗
  3. The adopted 2026 budget set a combined residential increase of 2.2%.

    City of Toronto: 2026 adopted budget: affordability and financial sustainability ↗

Outcome check. These annual rates do not determine every household’s final bill and do not include water or waste fees.

Read the commitment & qualifications →

2023 campaignChecked 21 October 2026
City finances & taxes13
Milestone met

Negotiate a new fiscal deal

A provincial New Deal was approved. It is not proof that Toronto’s financial pressures are solved.

2023-12-13 · 1048 days before votingCampaign deadline not established
Evidence timeline for Negotiate a new fiscal deal
  1. Council approved the Ontario–Toronto New Deal.

    City of Toronto: Council approval of New Deal and reallocation of highway funds ↗
  2. The City’s budget statement credited New Deal support while identifying continuing financial sustainability challenges.

    City of Toronto: 2026 adopted budget: affordability and financial sustainability ↗
  3. The City reported further progress toward the Gardiner/DVP transfer.

    City of Toronto: Progress on transferring Gardiner and DVP to Ontario ↗

Outcome check. An agreement is a verifiable milestone. Long-term fiscal sustainability requires a separate assessment of recurring revenues, costs and obligations.

Read the commitment & qualifications →

2023 campaignChecked 21 October 2026
Safety & homelessness14
Milestone met

Make non-police crisis response city-wide

The City dates city-wide operations to 8 July 2024.

2024-07-08 · 840 days before votingCampaign deadline not established
Evidence timeline for Make non-police crisis response city-wide
  1. The pilot began before Chow became mayor.

    City of Toronto: Toronto Community Crisis Service dashboard and rollout ↗
  2. City-wide service began, according to the City dashboard.

    City of Toronto: Toronto Community Crisis Service dashboard and rollout ↗
  3. The City held its city-wide launch announcement.

    City of Toronto: City-wide crisis-service launch ↗

Outcome check. Expansion is established. It does not by itself demonstrate a city-wide reduction in violence or improved health outcomes.

Read the commitment & qualifications →

2023 campaignChecked 21 October 2026
Safety & homelessness15
Evidence incomplete

Improve 911 through a transformation team

Recent 911 answering performance improved, but evidence establishing the specific promised team is incomplete.

Full delivery date not establishedPartial actions and evidence gaps shown below
Evidence timeline for Improve 911 through a transformation team
  1. Police reported average 911 answer time of six seconds in June 2026, compared with 57 seconds in June 2025; the daily standard was met on 17 of 30 days.

    Toronto Police Service: Police board remarks: June 2026 911 answering performance ↗

Outcome check. Answering a call is different from dispatching or arriving at an emergency. The improvement cannot be attributed solely to the mayor or to an unverified team.

Read the commitment & qualifications →

2023 campaignChecked 21 October 2026
Safety & homelessness16
Partial

Add 24-hour respite capacity

Additional temporary services operated. A sustained net increase over a comparable baseline is not established.

Full delivery date not establishedPartial actions and evidence gaps shown below
Evidence timeline for Add 24-hour respite capacity
  1. The winter plan proposed additional 24-hour respite and other emergency spaces.

    City of Toronto: 2023–24 winter services plan ↗
  2. The City confirmed Better Living Centre had served up to 300 people, but announced its closure by 15 March and temporary alternatives.

    City of Toronto: Better Living Centre closure and temporary replacement services ↗
  3. The City continues to list 24-hour respite services; this listing does not establish the net change since the campaign.

    City of Toronto: Current 24-hour respite services ↗

Outcome check. An emergency space is not a permanent home. Seasonal openings and closures prevent a simple cumulative count from measuring lasting capacity.

Read the commitment & qualifications →

2023 campaignChecked 21 October 2026
Climate & city services17
Partial

Open every library seven days a week

Sunday expansion is verified. The reviewed sources schedule the full seven-day rollout for July 2026, but do not conclusively confirm system-wide completion.

Full delivery date not establishedPartial actions and evidence gaps shown below
Evidence timeline for Open every library seven days a week
  1. All 100 branches were scheduled to offer Sunday service, excluding holiday weekends, under TPL’s announced expansion.

    Toronto Public Library: Sunday service at all 100 library branches ↗
  2. The approved budget provided for seven-day schedules at all 100 branches from July 2026.

    Toronto Public Library: 2026 library budget and planned seven-day opening ↗
  3. The City Librarian’s report repeated the upcoming July rollout.

    Toronto Public Library: City Librarian’s June 2026 report ↗

Outcome check. A funded future schedule is not a completion report. Sunday opening alone does not prove every branch also opens on every weekday.

Read the commitment & qualifications →

2023 campaignChecked 21 October 2026
Climate & city services18
Partial

Fully fund the city’s climate plan

Climate planning continued, but the reviewed financial analysis does not establish full funding.

Full delivery date not establishedPartial actions and evidence gaps shown below
Evidence timeline for Fully fund the city’s climate plan
  1. The 2026–2030 action-plan report tied implementation to future budgets and identified the need for other-government support.

    City of Toronto: TransformTO 2026–2030 action plan: funding and emissions outlook ↗
  2. The City’s current TransformTO page describes the ongoing action plan.

    City of Toronto: TransformTO: current climate action plan ↗

Outcome check. The 2025 report warned that the trajectory would miss the 2025 and 2030 emissions targets. A plan or funding announcement is not evidence of achieved emissions reductions.

Read the commitment & qualifications →

2023 campaignChecked 21 October 2026
01

Start with the commitment.

Preserve the 2023 scope and time horizon. New 2026 campaign promises are excluded from this tracker.

Scope & selection →
02

Trace a public record.

Prioritise council decisions, budgets and service records. Keep reporting, announcements and observed delivery distinct.

Explore all 47 sources →
03

Leave room for uncertainty.

Show missing evidence and other governments’ roles. A milestone label is not a verdict on the mayor’s entire record.

Read the evidence standards →