Chow and Bradford clash on taxes and water at final CP24 debate
Olivia Chow and Brad Bradford held their final debate before election day on Thursday at CP24, trading challenges over affordability plans, a water system overhaul, and campaign promises.
Reported. A news outlet found this. voche.me names the outlet and links its report. Read the original report on cbc.ca.
Olivia Chow and Brad Bradford met for the last time on Thursday at the CP24 Toronto Decides debate, four days before Toronto votes on October 26. CBC reported that the two candidates went back and forth over property taxes, a plan to restructure the city's water system, and whether Bradford can pay for his promises.
Affordability
CBC reports that when asked how they would make Toronto more affordable in their first year in office, the two candidates gave different answers.
Bradford said he would freeze property taxes for a year and cut residents' water bills by 25 per cent. He said the water bill cut would come from turning Toronto Water into a separate company, similar to how Toronto Hydro is set up. The union representing Toronto Water workers and 15 sitting councillors have written a letter opposing that plan, according to CBC.
Chow focused on two programs she says are already running. She said she would provide free lunches to every grade school student in the city and cap TTC fares so riders pay for no more than 10 trips a week.
Paying for the promises
Chow challenged Bradford's ability to fund his proposals. "The councillor has promised billions of dollars of campaign promises that he'll have a hard time paying," CBC quoted her as saying.
Bradford's pledges, including cutting the land transfer tax on the first $1.1 million of all homes and the property tax freeze, amount to hundreds of millions of dollars, according to CBC. Bradford said Thursday his plan would involve no cuts to front-line services. He compared his approach to how federal and provincial governments operate, borrowing to pay for infrastructure over decades rather than saving up before spending.
Where the polls stand
CBC reported that a Liaison Strategies poll released Wednesday put Bradford ahead by two points, within that survey's margin of error. A Nanos Research poll from Tuesday put Chow ahead by three points, also within the margin of error. A Mainstreet Research poll from a couple of weeks earlier had Chow leading by six points. Earlier polls from this election are covered on the Toronto election news page.
What voters can do
Voting day is Monday, October 26, 2026. Polls open at 10 a.m. The City of Toronto's website at toronto.ca has a tool to find your voting place.
Questions this story answers
What happened at the final CP24 Toronto mayoral debate on October 22?
CBC reports that incumbent mayor Olivia Chow and challenger Brad Bradford debated Thursday night at CP24 and CTV News Toronto, four days before the October 26 election. They covered affordability, housing, and transit. Chow questioned whether Bradford could pay for his promises without cutting services. Bradford said his fiscal plan involves borrowing for infrastructure over time, similar to how provincial and federal governments operate.
What did Brad Bradford promise at the CP24 debate?
According to CBC, Bradford said at the debate that he would freeze property taxes for a year and cut residents' water bills by 25 per cent. He said the water bill reduction would come from restructuring Toronto Water into a separate company, similar to how Toronto Hydro operates. He also said his campaign promises would be paid for through a new fiscal framework with no cuts to front-line services.
What did Olivia Chow promise at the CP24 debate?
CBC reports that Chow focused on everyday costs at the debate. She emphasized her promise to provide free lunches to every grade school student in Toronto and to cap TTC fares after 10 rides a week. She also said Bradford's campaign promises amount to hundreds of millions of dollars that he would have difficulty paying without cutting services.
What did Olivia Chow say about Brad Bradford's campaign promises?
According to CBC, Chow said at the debate: 'The councillor has promised billions of dollars of campaign promises that he'll have a hard time paying.' Bradford's pledges, which include cutting the land transfer tax on the first $1.1 million of all homes and freezing property taxes for a year, add up to hundreds of millions of dollars. Bradford responded that his plan would involve no cuts to front-line services.
Who has criticized Bradford's plan to restructure Toronto Water?
CBC reports that the union representing Toronto Water workers and 15 sitting city councillors wrote a letter criticizing Bradford's plan to restructure Toronto Water into a separate company. Chow has also challenged the plan throughout the campaign. Bradford says the change would cut water bills by 25 per cent.
Where do the polls stand before the October 26 Toronto election?
According to CBC, a Liaison Strategies poll released Wednesday put Bradford ahead by two points, within the survey's margin of error. A Nanos Research poll released Tuesday put Chow ahead by three points, also within the margin of error. A Mainstreet Research poll from a couple of weeks earlier had Chow leading by six points. The race is too close for any single poll to name a clear leader.
When is voting day for the Toronto municipal election?
Voting day is Monday, October 26, 2026. Polls open at 10 a.m. You can find your voting place on the City of Toronto's website at toronto.ca. Both Olivia Chow and Brad Bradford are running for mayor. Profiles of both candidates are at /on/toronto-2026/candidates/olivia-chow and /on/toronto-2026/candidates/brad-bradford.
Where can I read more Toronto election news?
The Toronto election news page at /on/toronto-2026/news has coverage of both mayoral candidates throughout the campaign, including their housing, transit, public safety and affordability commitments. The debate on October 22 was the last scheduled televised debate before voters go to the polls on Monday, October 26, 2026.
Sources
The pages this story draws on. Open one to check a claim yourself.
Found an error? Tell the editors with the corrections form. A correction is noted on the story it changes. Read our standards.
Topics
More from voche.me
Chow and Bradford face off in CP24 Toronto Decides debate on October 22
