---
title: "Toronto's new council takes office with seven new faces and an expiring provincial deal to renegotiate"
description: "Seven new councillors join Mayor Olivia Chow when the new term starts November 15. Experts say the council will push back harder on the province while Chow negotiates a second Ontario-Toronto New Deal."
canonical_url: "https://voche.me/on/toronto-2026/news/toronto-city-council-new-composition-november-2026"
last_updated: "2026-11-02T14:26:18.846Z"
---

Toronto's new City Council takes office on November 15, 2026, with seven new faces and a key provincial funding deal set to expire next year.

Mayor [Olivia Chow](/on/toronto-2026/candidates/olivia-chow) won re-election on October 26 with a record 500,000 votes. Canada's National Observer reported on November 2 on the new council's composition and its expected relationship with the provincial government.

The new councillors include [Mike Layton](/on/toronto-2026/candidates/mike-layton) in Ward 11 University-Rosedale, [Chiara Padovani](/on/toronto-2026/candidates/chiara-padovani) in Ward 5 York South-Weston, [Diana Chan McNally](/on/toronto-2026/candidates/diana-chan-mcnally) in Ward 4 Parkdale-High Park, [Nate Erskine-Smith](/on/toronto-2026/candidates/nate-erskine-smith) in Ward 19 Beaches-East York, and [Shaun Chen](/on/toronto-2026/candidates/shaun-chen) in Ward 23 Scarborough North. Layton is a former councillor returning to City Hall after a four-year absence.

Myer Siemiatycki, professor emeritus of politics and public administration at Toronto Metropolitan University, told National Observer the new members will support Chow's overall vision. "Especially in the early stages of her four-year term, she's got a lot of momentum behind her to take policy and positions that she thinks are in the best interest of the city, confident that they'll be supported at city council," he said.

## The provincial deal

The Ontario-Toronto New Deal, negotiated during Chow's first term, provided about $1.2 billion in provincial operating support and $7.6 billion in capital relief including the provincial takeover of the Gardiner Expressway and the Don Valley Parkway, according to National Observer. Chow's staff confirmed to National Observer that she is working to negotiate a second deal, as the current one expires next year.

Siemiatycki told National Observer that the expiring deal "makes it a pretty awkward time for her to go in full guns blazing" against the province.

## Bike lanes

On October 31, the provincial government finished removing bike lanes on a stretch of Bloor Street in Etobicoke under Bill 212, which is still being challenged in court. Layton told National Observer he planned to look for compromise on remaining lanes, while acknowledging the city is "in a position of relative weakness compared to where Ford sits."

Matt Elliott, a Toronto Star columnist and author of the City Hall Watcher newsletter, told National Observer that Bradford's exit left an "initial power vacuum on the opposition side of council."

## What comes next

The first meeting of the new council is November 18, set by section 27-5.1 of the Toronto Municipal Code. Residents can follow the commitments Chow and each councillor made during the campaign at [/on/toronto-2026/tracker](/on/toronto-2026/tracker).

## Sitemap

See the full [sitemap](/on/toronto-2026/sitemap.md) for all pages.