Jennifer Keesmaat, former Toronto chief planner, running for mayor

Jennifer Keesmaat, former chief planner for Toronto, has decided to run for mayor.

“I am running for mayor because I believe we need bold ideas in this city. We need bold leadership. Bold cities can make our city even more livable, even more open, even more equitable, and even more prosperous,” Keesmaat told reporters at city hall on Friday shortly after registering.

“In changing times, we need changing leadership. My commitment to this city is to work incredibly hard and to be incredibly collaborative.”

Keesmaat filed her nomination papers minutes before the municipal election deadline Friday afternoon.

Get daily National news

Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day.

Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up

By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

The move comes hours after Premier Doug Ford announced the provincial government will table legislation to reduce the number of Toronto city council wards to 25 from 47. Keesmaat was asked if that announcement was a factor in her candidacy.

“It was a very impromptu decision, but one that comes deeply from my heart and passion for this city,” Keesmaat said before walking away, adding she would have more to say in the coming days and weeks.

4:17 Toronto mayoral candidate Jennifer Keesmaat backtracks on secession talk

• Toronto mayoral candidate Jennifer Keesmaat backtracks on secession talk
• Jennifer Keesmaat registers to run for mayor of Toronto
• Major changes potentially coming to Toronto City Hall
• Ford chuckles at Tory saying he thought he wasn’t serious about cuts
• Ford chuckles at Tory saying he thought he wasn’t serious about cuts
• Ford says he consulted with ‘thousands of people’ on government cuts
• Ford says he was ‘pretty clear’ on reducing the cost of government
• Taxpayers to save $25 M over cuts to Toronto city council
• Ford putting pause on legislation by Liberals in municipalities
• Doug Ford introducing legislation to reduce size, cost of government
• Mayor John Tory says plan to cut council in half ‘not right’
• Tory ‘angry at the process’ over Ford proposal to cut TO city council
• Tory ‘angry at the process’ over Ford proposal to cut TO city council
• Tory said Ford had mentioned cutting of Toronto’s city council
• ‘Just not right’: Tory wants a legal opinion on Ford city council cuts
• Tory had ‘animated’ conversation with Ford over cuts to city council
• ‘Absolutely not right’: Tory slams Ford cutting Toronto’s city council
• Horwath slams Ford says he’s ‘dragging Ontario into the past’
• Horwath says ‘public engagement’ needed for cuts to city councillors
• Toronto MP and former councillor Adam Vaughan rips Ford plan on reducing council seats

Previous Video

Next Video

Keesmaat is the most high profile of the 34 candidates running against first-term Mayor John Tory.

After Keesmaat filed her nomination papers, Tory said in a statement that he is looking forward to a “spirited” campaign.

“We have moved the city forward. We are keeping the city affordable, including keeping taxes low, and we’re getting on with building transit and housing,” he wrote.

“I’ve proudly been running on my record since May 1.”

She left her role as chief planner last September after spending five years in public service.

Before joining the city in 2012, Keesmaat worked as a planning consultant on projects in both North America and Europe.

Election day is Oct. 22.