- published: 21 Jan 2014
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Olivia Chow (Chinese: 鄒至蕙; Mandarin Pinyin: Zōu zhìhuì; Jyutping: zau1 zi3wai6; born March 24, 1957) is a Canadian New Democratic Party Member of Parliament and former city councillor (1991–2005) in Toronto. She won the Trinity—Spadina riding for the New Democratic Party on January 23, 2006, becoming a member of the Canadian House of Commons. Most recently, she was re-elected in her riding for her third straight win. Chow is the widow of former NDP and Opposition Leader Jack Layton; they were married from 1988 until his death at their home in 2011. She speaks Cantonese, Mandarin and English.
Chow was born in Hong Kong and immigrated to Canada with her family (mother Ho Sze) in 1970 at the age of 13. She attended Jarvis Collegiate Institute. She was a Chinese Baptist before, but is now a member of the United Church of Canada. Chow first became active in politics working with local NDP MP Dan Heap. With his support, she ran for school board trustee, and won in 1985. Popular on the school board, she was elected to Toronto city council in 1991 in Ward 20 (Ward 24 from 1997–2006) in the riding of Trinity—Spadina. The area has long been home to a diverse group of communities in the core of Canada's largest urban centre. Chow was re-elected several times to city council by wide margins.
Actors: Victoria Snow (actress), Zachary Bennett (actor), Laszlo Barna (producer), Tanya Mazur (miscellaneous crew), Christina Buchli (miscellaneous crew), Wendy Crewson (actress), Laszlo Barna (producer), RoseAnna Schick (miscellaneous crew), Judah Katz (actor), Rick Roberts (actor), Sook-Yin Lee (actress), Andrew Gallinger (miscellaneous crew), Neal Baksh (miscellaneous crew), Neal Baksh (miscellaneous crew), Erin Karpluk (actress),
Plot: NDP Leader Jack Layton was fluently bilingual, glib, sometimes flashy, full of energy and always media-friendly. He loved to entertain and uplift his co-workers with a strum on his guitar and spirit in his voice (which wasn't particularly good but he sang with gusto). Growing up in a political family, Layton was a left-wing Toronto city councillor for 17 years and spent a year as head of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities. He became leader of the federal New Democratic Party in 2003. In his first election as leader the NDP won 20 seats and in the 2008 election the NDP was up to 37 seats. Jack was a happily married man, with wife Olivia Chow who stood by his side, and together they were a political dynamo couple very much in love to the end. Things changed late in the 2011 federal election when a surge in polls in Quebec held and the NDP won 103 seats, 59 of them in Quebec. The NDP became the Official Opposition for the first time in history. Going into the 2011 federal election, Layton had been dealing with prostate cancer for a year, and had surgery on his hip a few weeks before the campaign. In July 2011, Jack Layton faced a bigger challenge. He announced that he had been diagnosed with a new form of cancer, and would step down as NDP Leader temporarily to get treatment, hoping to resume his job in September. Jack Layton died on Monday, August 22, 2011, at his home in Toronto. Before he died, he wrote an inspirational letter to all Canadians.
Genres: Biography, Drama,