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This ClimateFast Action Alert shares activist opportunities related to the Climate Crisis that may interest our readers, but that do not necessarily reflect the views of ClimateFast as an organization, nor the views of its members. 

 
It's time to VOTE!! Whether now through Sunday Oct 11 (advance voting) or Monday, Oct 26 (election day) - don't miss out. Check here https://www.toronto.ca/city-government/elections/voter-information/myvote/ for all you need to know re: advance voting locations, identification to take, opening hours, etc.
 
And this weekend only, while adults are casting ballots for mayor, city councillor and school trustee at 50 locations, kids can vote for Tree of the Year. 
 

When thinking about voting for mayor, check the Toronto Environmental Alliance (TEA) mayoral candidate survey. It speaks volumes that Olivia Chow was the only candidate to respond to TEA's survey ...

https://election.torontoenvironment.org/mayoral_candidate_survey_results_2026
 
Note: Olivia Chow was one of ClimateFast’s Climate Champions in the mayoral by-election in 2023. She has gone on record supporting a moratorium on data centres and is committed to supporting TransformTO, Toronto’s climate plan. She was also one of the top climate supporters in the last Council term - alongside Councillor Dianne Saxe (running in Toronto Danforth) and Councillor Paula Fletcher (not running). You can volunteer on Mayor Chow's re-election campaign at https://www.oliviachow.ca/volunteer.
 
LOOK CLOSELY: There are TWO mayoral candidates named Chow. Olivia is the second one on the ballot, i.e., candidate #9. If you make a mistake on your ballot you can request a new ballot. 
 
Voting for a councillor for your ward can be confusing. Several groups have assessed and/or endorsed councillor candidates:
 
ClimateFast’s Climate Voting Records team assessed all incumbent councillors based on the number of times they voted 'yes' on climate-positive actions. Report cards are green (best) or, if they were frequently absent or voted 'no,' their report cards are yellow or red. Check your councillor’s report card grades by clicking on their headshot here: https://votingrecords.climatefast.ca/
 
ClimateFast's The Wards Project teams met with candidates and had fulsome conversations to find out where they stand on climate and environmental policy. Teams also helped candidates see that most of the issues impacting their wards could be helped through investing in climate action including affordability, health impacts of extreme weather, transportation, and soaring energy costs. Through the summaries, voters will be able to see how a candidate plans to represent them at City Hall - and compare them (apples to apples) with the other candidates. Summaries of these climate-focused conversations are here: https://thewardsproject.com/elections. 
 
Others who assessed/endorsed candidates include:
  • Progress Toronto - https://www.progresstoronto.ca/media-release-sept-11-2026
  • Labour Council - https://www.labourcouncil.ca/municipal-election-2026-endorsements/
  • TTC Riders - https://www.ttcriders.ca/2026election
  • CycleTO - https://www.cycleto.ca/2026questionnaire
  • Ontario Clean Air Alliance (OCAA) - https://www.cleanairalliance.org/to-candidates/ 
Additionally, the Toronto Star has launched a voting advice tool called Vote Compass https://votecompass.thestar.com/ You answer a series of questions that explore your personal stance on civic issues, and the tool matches you with a candidate in your ward who has similar positions on those issues. You can then consider that information - or not!
 
This is your chance to support a climate champion for Council!  So volunteer to canvass, help on election day, or donate to a candidate - it could be a candidate in your ward, or in another ward where some extra support might make a difference. But most importantly - get out and VOTE!!  It's our democratic right and privilege and every vote counts!
 
From TEA's newsletter ...

Toronto Environmental Alliance (TEA) https://election.torontoenvironment.org/ asked mayoral and councillor candidates to pledge to fund planting more trees in hot neighbourhoods, along with four other environmental pledges. 

You can see the full list of pledges, and candidates who took the pledges, here:

  • TEA Pledge Results: Mayor
  • TEA Pledge Results: Councillors

Vote with a friend

Voting matters. It’s no secret that municipal elections have a low turnout. But a low turnout means that small groups of people can make a much bigger impact. During the last Mayoral election, the winner was decided by a margin of about the same number of people as TEA’s mailing list. Just imagine what we can do together if we all vote, and bring a friend along!

Join TEA for flyering

A lot of people might head to the voting booth with little information about who is running for their local Council seat. We can help make sure more people know who has stepped up to commit to environmental action. Join TEA staff to flyer key neighbourhoods with information about which candidates have taken our pledge - sign up here.

All-Star Election 2026 Throwdown - featuring TEA, TTCriders & CycleTO

TEA isn't the only group asking candidates to commit to environmental action. Join the campaign staff of TEA, TTCriders and Cycle Toronto to get a behind-the-scenes look at what we've asked candidates, why, where candidates stand, and what's different this election at our upcoming webinar on October 20. Register here.

 
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