TORONTO — Brad Bradford's campaign to be Toronto's next mayor has, at several moments, captured the public's attention.
The city councillor, a regular and feisty presence on the debate stage, had to skip a high-profile June 6 debate for the birth of his second daughter.
The urban planner and chair of the city's planning and housing committee also made headlines after saying that his "best friend Paul" lives in his basement.
"He makes a good, middle class income, pays 1,000 bucks a month rent. He can’t afford to live anywhere else. He can’t afford to move," Bradford said during a May 15 debate.
He was attempting to make a point about Toronto's housing crisis but it partly backfired, with an avalanche of social media commentary accusing Bradford of both overcharging his friend and seeking political advantage by discussing Paul's financial situation.
Bradford told The Canadian Press that addressing the city's affordability crisis is a central part of his mayoral campaign, stressing that the cost of renting, let alone buying, in Toronto is out of reach for a growing number of families.
"If we want to continue to be a livable city, where you can build a business, raise a family and have a good quality of life, our future success depends on the ability for Toronto to support growth," he said. "That future success is not guaranteed right now."
Bradford is known for a direct style, highlighted by his campaign slogan: "We need less talk and more action from city hall."
It's unclear, however, whether his assertive style is winning over voters, with a series of polls putting him far behind apparent front-runner Olivia Chow.
Bradford said that since being elected to council in 2018, representing the eastern ward of Beaches-East York, he "saw that pervasive attitude that whatever doesn't get done today will get done tomorrow" – something he said he's pushing back against.
"The joke is at City Hall, best way to get re-elected is to do nothing at all," he said in an interview.
He said his short tenure heading the housing committee had already yielded progress, with council approving a change allowing single family homes to be converted into low-rise multiplexes. Some observers say the change could help address the housing shortage over the long-term.
In line with his emphasis on action to confront what he calls slow, municipal bureaucracy, Bradford has said he would embrace the so-called "strong mayor" powers granted by Ontario Premier Doug Ford, which allow the mayor to act on certain issues without majority council support.
He has a four-point plan to curb violence on the city's transit system, a program to boost small businesses and has called for allowing recreational drinking in city parks, which would lift a ban that some say discriminates against the many Torontonians who do not have a backyard where they can socialize in the summer.
"I'll be a strong mayor of action to deliver on the things that will make a tangible difference in Torontonians' lives," he said. "Because we can't afford to wait any longer."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 23, 2023.
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This profile is part of a series by The Canadian Press looking at leading candidates in Toronto's mayoral byelection. Candidates were chosen based on polling and their participation in mayoral debates.
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This story was produced with the financial assistance of the Meta and Canadian Press News Fellowship.
Kiernan Green, The Canadian Press
