What do Regent Park residents think about Olivia Chow elected as Toronto’s new Mayor?

By Fred Alvarado Fred is a community journalist with FOCUS MEDIA ARTS CENTRE

Regent Park community members were interviewed by RPTV reporters Maria Sarrouh and Fred Alvarado to know their opinion about the recent Toronto Election results in terms of the issues that needs to be addressed in Regent Park by the new mayor.

Olivia Chow has promised to make “Toronto more affordable, safe and caring.” More concretely, the new Mayor has committed the City of Toronto to “build 25,000 rent-controlled homes on city-owned land. There will be a minimum of 7,500 affordable units, including at least 2,500 rent-geared-to-income units.” 

In Regent Park, where the cost of living is having a significant impact on residents, this is welcomed news.

In addition, the new Mayor Elect has indicated that she will focus on preventing renovictions, tackling homelessness, building more climate friendly buildings, and improving public transit.

Those interviewed had wide range of opinions from improving the housing situation and concerns about mental health. Some people said they knew very little about the mayor elect, others were informed and claimed to have voted for Ms. Chow. A key response seems to have been one of accountability; that politicians should keep their promises.

But before going to the streets, Focus Media Arts Centre launches a new collaboration with Maria Sarrouh a Toronto-based TV producer, writer, and international reporter. She kicks of her involvement with RPTV with a series of streeters gauging the opinions of Regent Parkers on the election of Olivia Chow as the new mayor of Toronto.