She ran in the Toronto election , where she was elected to Metropolitan Toronto Council and remained active in local Toronto politics until her election to the House of Commons in the federal election.
Chow resigned her seat in Parliament in to run for mayor in the election , placing third to John Tory and Doug Ford. Following her campaign, she joined Toronto Metropolitan University as a distinguished visiting professor. In the federal election , she unsuccessfully ran in SpadinaβFort York. Chow is the first woman of colour to be mayor of Toronto, [ 2 ] the first Chinese-Canadian mayor of Toronto, the third female mayor of the city after June Rowlands and Barbara Hall , and its first female mayor post-amalgamation.
James Town. Her mother became a seamstress and a maid, and worked in a hotel laundry. Chow was raised in a Chinese Baptist household. However, she soon started to excel academically and she later skipped grade 8. After graduation, she worked as an artist. She owned a sculpture studio and created art pieces for clients. She still paints occasionally. With Heap's support, Chow ran for school board trustee, and won in November This led to the introduction of what was believed to be Ontario's first sexuality school program, approved in May with support of director of education Ned McKeown.
Popular on the school board, she was handily elected to Metropolitan Toronto Council in the election for the Metro Toronto ward of Downtown this ward was abolished in the amalgamation. Chow was re-elected several times to city council by wide margins. As councillor, Chow was an advocate for the homeless , public transit , and many other urban issues that promote sustainable development.
She was also a vociferous opponent of the proposed Toronto Island Airport expansion, a controversial plan by the Toronto Port Authority. Following the amalgamation of Metropolitan Toronto , she and her husband Jack Layton were prominent members of the city council. While sometimes critical of pro-development Mayor Mel Lastman and other suburban councillors, they worked with councillors across political lines to achieve practical progressive measures.
