John Tory wins

Oct 27, 2014 | News

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Story by Tiara Samosir with files from Patrick Valois, Jessica Laws and Ari Salas / Video by Patrick Valois and Jessica Laws.

John Tory is the new mayor of Toronto.

He captured around 40 per cent of the vote compared to approximately 34 per cent for Doug Ford and 23 per cent for Olivia Chow.

He was enthusiastic when he addressed the crowd gathered at the Liberty Grand Entertainment Complex at Exhibition Place.

“It is a victory for Toronto. All of us who love this city and care about its future,” he said.

He vowed to take Toronto “not left, not right, but forward.”

 

He congratulated Rob Ford for his win in Ward 2 and Doug Ford for having the courage to put his name on the ballot. Tory also had kind words for Olivia Chow for offering “a vision of Toronto that appealed to the best in a lot of us.”

He went on to thank his mother, sister and many other family members for their support throughout the campaign.

“The only reason I’m standing here tonight… was because for eight months I stood on your shoulders,” he said to the crowd.

He vowed to be “a mayor that sees you (the people of Toronto) not only as taxpayers but as citizens too.”

“Toronto is known once more as a beacon of respect for everyone,” he said.

Tory’s campaigned primarily on his SmartTrack transit plan, an $8 billion 22-stop rail line to connect major Toronto centres – downtown, Pearson International Airport and Markham.

From transit to cycling and environment, Tory’s proposal to build separated bike lines and $22 million investment to reduce energy consumption are also key features of his platform.

He has led in the polls since mid-summer, polling consistently five to 10 points ahead of Doug Ford.

Background

Tory was born in Toronto and went to Trinity College at University of Toronto where he earned a Bachelor of Arts. He then went to Osgoode Hall for his law degree and was called to the bar in 1980.

He worked in the office of premier Bill Davis in the early ’80s. Tory has worked on campaigns for Brian Mulroney and Kim Campbell. John Tory was the leader of the Progressive Conservative party of Ontario from 2004 to 2009. He ran in the 2003 Toronto mayoral election and lost to David Miller by 5 points.

Tory has also been commissioner for he CFL, held positions with Rogers Communications and was named to the Order of Ontario in 2012.