Mayoral candidates clash over transit safety and funding at first 2026 debate

Toronto's first mayoral debate of the 2026 race took place Monday at Daily Bread Food Bank headquarters in Etobicoke, with incumbent Mayor Olivia Chow facing off against Councillor Brad Bradford and former MP Chris Alexander. Neil Hetherington, Daily Bread Food Bank CEO, moderated the event attended by over 300 people. The candidates debated housing, youth unemployment, affordability, homeless encampments, public transit, and public safety.

Transit emerged as a central flashpoint. Bradford and Alexander both called for increased TTC security. Bradford said the TTC under Chow is "defined by delay and dysfunction" and "not safe," pledging to bring in cleanliness standards. Alexander characterized Chow's transit approach as "unsustainable" and "irresponsible," calling for the system to focus on reliability and crack down on fare evasion. He asked the crowd: "Why do half of Torontonians still think it's unsafe?"

Chow responded by framing her approach as distinct from previous city councils. She said she bolstered TTC service while freezing fares, estimating frozen fares save a family $1,000 per year. She noted that fares rose while Bradford sat on the TTC board. Chow also highlighted securing combined federal and provincial funding of $15 billion over three years as mayor, including support for buying more subway cars and the Ontario Line. She cited funding for Scarborough East LRT and said work is underway on design.

Bradford challenged the weight of those announcements, saying funding "don't mean anything" to people relying on city services and that "Scarborough residents can't ride drawings" — referencing the LRT project still in planning stages.

On public safety, Bradford asked Chow why she won't take a seat on the police board. Chow replied that crime statistics in the city have gone down since she took office, drawing split response from the crowd — both heckles and cheers.