Mayor Resigned Over Extramarital Affair... 'Gae' Candidate Running in Toronto Election

Toronto New Mayor Race Competitiveness 102 to 1 Including Dogs
Promise: "Prevent Overuse of Salt-Based Deicers"
Excessive Deicers Harm Animals' Paws

A dog has become a hot topic by running as a candidate in the election for the new mayor of Toronto, Canada's representative city.

On the 25th (local time), the British BBC reported that 'Molly,' a 6-year-old Siberian Husky, along with her owner Toby Heaps, has thrown her hat into the ring for Toronto mayor.

According to the report, a record number of 101 candidates have entered the race for Toronto's new mayor. Including Molly, the competition rate reaches an astonishing 102 to 1.

The Toronto mayoral election has a relatively low barrier to entry, requiring only the recommendation of 25 citizens and a fee of 250 Canadian dollars (about 250,000 KRW). As a result, a wide range of citizens from teenagers who just graduated high school to prominent politicians have declared their candidacy.

Dog Molly running for Toronto mayor.
[Image source=Toby Heaps Twitter·Yonhap News]

Molly's owner Heaps has pledged to ban the excessive use of salt-based de-icing agents during winter. Heaps argued that excessive use of de-icing agents can harm the paws of dogs like Molly. If elected, he stated he would prevent the overuse of salt-based de-icing agents.

He also pledged eco-friendly policies such as stabilizing housing prices, increasing taxes on large-scale businesses, and banning fossil fuel heating in new residential and commercial buildings.

Heaps said, "If there were animals in City Hall, better decisions might be made," and he is considering appointing Molly as Toronto's first honorary dog mayor." He added, "This election is an opportunity that must not be missed."

Meanwhile, the Toronto mayoral election held on the 26th follows the sudden resignation of John Tory, who had served as mayor for a long time, after admitting to an extramarital affair with a female aide.

Mayor Tory said at a press conference in February, "During the pandemic, I developed a relationship with an employee who worked in my office in a way that did not meet the standards I should uphold as a mayor and a man with a family." He continued, "I have reflected on my mistakes and decided to step down from the mayoral position to take time to rebuild trust with my family."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.