As Olivia Chow strolls out the wooden doors of Toronto City Hall and into the sunshine of the square, both her star and staying power remain clear.
“I’ve been your biggest fan,” a young woman tells her in earnest. “We’re so happy that you are our Mayor.”
The woman invites her to the Taste of Vietnam festival later this summer, saying the organizers have a custom costume for the mayor in the works.
You can bet Chow will be there. One year into taking office as Toronto’s 66th mayor, her daily itineraries tell the tale of stopping by nearly every festival in the city.
She was at the Taste of Lawrence three times in one weekend, Chow laughs — chatting with Torontonians about transit, taxes, and more.
It is these conversations that Chow so often references from her protocol lounge podium, offhandedly weaving the personal anecdotes of voters she meets …