Toronto is the heart of Canada; the world is now waiting to know who is going to be the next Mayor of Toronto. Vying for the position of a Mayor in Toronto is like vying for the position of American President. The closer the date of the election day of October 27, 2014, the hotter the debates and interviews and the more we hear about programs coming from these contestants. In this interview, Oliver Chow one of the contestants talks to OASES NEWS details of her program for Toronto if she eventually becomes the Mayor. The interview is very short, detailed, technically oriented and backed up with financial plans. According to Olivia Chow; “the change is now not ten years’ time”
OASES NEWS: What is your first priority on the agenda if elected as the mayor?
Oliver Chow: Investing in children after school activities for kids so they could grow up and be smart and strong. Hire some young people to teach children basketball, soccer, music, art and so on. These children can learn skills after school at the home work club to improve their academic performance at school and keep them out of trouble and provide a good role model for them. This is a top priority for me and it is very important.
OASES NEWS: If elected as the Mayor of Toronto how you would solve the subway congestion that we are currently experiencing in the city of Toronto?
Oliver Chow: There are four things in terms of making people to move faster; I would ensure there is 10% increase in bus service, put shuffle in the ground to build the light rails on Finch, Sheppard and Scarborough from Kennedy to McCowan, build the subway relief line and also make sure everything runs well. All other candidates talk about 10years from now, Children and young people cannot wait for ten years, women waiting at the bus stop cannot get home and cannot wait 10 years. People need to get to work on time. The improvement needs to happen now not 10 years from now, we need to see the results in the first year not 10 years later.
OASES NEWS: We have two new candidates who just joined the race; will this change your plans and campaign strategies?
Oliver Chow: No, it won’t change my plans or strategies.
OASESNEWS: What are your plans to minimize poverty level in the City of Toronto?
Oliver Chow: The present poverty level is unacceptable, 29% of children are living in poverty, it is a national disgrace and it is unacceptable.
OASES NEWS: How would you tackle that?
Oliver Chow: By building 15,000 units of affordable housing would help families, right now a lot of people are spending most of their salaries/income in paying for housing cost and not much is left for groceries or for anything else, some cannot even afford to buy a pair of shoes for kids because not enough money is left and my plan is to build 15,000 housing units.
OASES NEWS: Do you have any special plan for the youths of Toronto?
Oliver Chow: The young people live upon jobs. 1 out of 5 young people cannot find a job now and we must develop young people we have to get companies that do business with the city to hire them.We can do that through Community Benefit agreement; that is those companies doing business with the city to hire young people. Corporation doing business with Toronto will employ youths and train them and give out 5,000 jobs.