Former Toronto city councillor Mike Layton is running again to represent his old ward, University-Rosedale, following a four-year hiatus from city hall.
Layton filed the nomination papers at city hall on Monday morning, accompanied by his wife and two daughters.
“We’re at a really important point of development in our city,” Layton told reporters at city hall.
“I think that a lot of good can get done in the coming term of council. I want to bring my energy, my passion, my experience to the table to help advance some of these critical issues that we’re facing,” he said.
In a statement Monday, Layton said he would push for affordable housing and transit and put solar panels on rooftops to reduce reliance on fossil fuels.
Layton was previously councillor for University-Rosedale from 2010 to 2022, but announced he would not seek re-election in the last municipal election because he wanted to spend more time with his family.
He when asked why he decided to return to politics now, Layton said he wants to make a difference, with his daughters’ futures in mind.
“I want them to feel safe and, and travel the streets in whatever form they do and be able to get around in and live here in the future, regardless of what they’re able to afford,” he said.
In a statement posted to social media platform X Monday, Layton said the upcoming municipal election “is a chance to elect a progressive mayor and council who can effect meaningful change,” and he wants to help lead that movement.
“Together, we can build a city everyone can afford to live in and a city we can be proud to call home,” Layton wrote.
Public service in Layton’s DNA: Mayor Chow
During his time on council, Layton was a consistent advocate for environmental issues and road safety projects, including the Bloor Street bike lanes which Ford now has legal permission to rip out.
Toronto’s current mayor, Olivia Chow, is Layton’s stepmother. She was married to his father, the late Jack Layton, who was himself a Toronto councillor beginning in the 1980s before moving into federal politics and leading the New Democratic Party.
“Public service is in his DNA,” Chow told reporters when asked about Mike Layton’s candidacy Monday. “Local democracy matters. I wish him well.”
Layton said he and Chow have a close relationship, but he said he was able to get motions through council under mayors whose politics did not align with his own.
“I’m ready to work with any mayor that’s there. I think I demonstrated that in the last two terms of council,” he said, noting climate projects he championed under mayors Rob Ford and John Tory.
There are currently 10 candidates competing to be councillor for Ward 11, University-Rosedale, including the incumbent Dianne Saxe who won her seat following Layton’s resignation. You can read the full list of candidates on the city’s website.
Dana Fisher, a Ward 11 candidate, confirmed in an email Monday that she is dropping out of the race. Fisher said her goal is to elect a progressive city councillor for the ward. Fisher is chair of the Board of the Parkdale Queen West Community Health Centre, a staff lawyer with Legal Aid Ontario and a union leader.
“Mike was a great city councillor for us for 12 years; he was all the things I hoped to be: progressive, responsive, effective, and caring. I’m excited to think about what he can do for our ward and our city as part of a progressive administration, and I’m committed to doing everything I can to support him,” Fisher said.
“I believe Mike is our best chance to elect the compassionate, collaborative councillor our ward deserves.”
Voters want ‘action not talk,’ incumbent says
Saxe, for her part, said the voters of Ward 11 want “action not talk” and she believes she is the “better choice” because she is pragmatic, thorough and detailed oriented.
“Mike is a very nice guy. And we have similar objectives on many things. But I get stuff done,” Saxe said.
“I’ve got lifelong knowledge of University-Rosedale and a really detailed knowledge of what issues were left on my plate when I was elected and what I’ve done to address them and I think people care about that.”
Incumbent Dianne Saxe said she thinks the race for the ward seat is shaping up to be fierce because the ward is one of the most highly educated municipal wards in the country. (Chris Langenzarde/CBC)
Saxe said she helped to protect the bar and live music venue Sneaky Dee’s from development and is pushing for heritage protection for it. She has also been working to have supportive housing built in a parking lot at 35 Bellevue. And she is working to ensure there is a community recreation centre at Ramsden Park.
“I make things happen,” she said.
Saxe said she thinks the race for the ward seat is shaping up to be fierce because the ward is one of the most highly educated municipal wards in the country, with people from different backgrounds and points of view.
“We’re already working really hard, knocking on doors, talking to people, raising money,” she said.
News ‘unexpected,’ candidate says
Diana Yoon, another candidate, said Layton’s bid was a surprise. She said she found out before the news became public.
“I believed that I had Mike Layton’s support and the news is unexpected, but we respect each other,” Yoon said. “Regardless of what’s happening in the external circumstances, our campaign is still here to win this election.”
Yoon said, however, it’s a sign of a healthy democracy to have many candidates on the ballot.
Gabe Blanc, who is also running for office in the ward, welcomed Layton to the race.
“I think a more diverse field, a broader field, is a better thing for our democracy, certainly for generating new ideas,” Blanc said.