Mike Layton


Michael "Mike" Layton is a Canadian politician, who was elected to Toronto City Council in the 2010 city council election to succeed Joe Pantalone in Ward 19. He was re-elected in 2014 and 2018.

Background

Layton is the son of former federal New Democratic Party leader and former city councillor Jack Layton and his first wife Sally Halford and step-son of Layton's second wife, former NDP Member of Parliament for Trinity—Spadina and city councillor Olivia Chow. He is the great-great-great-nephew of William Steeves, a Father of Confederation.
Layton married his wife Brett Tryon, a program coordinator for the charity Environmental Defence Canada, on Toronto Island in 2012 near the location where Jack Layton and Olivia Chow were married in 1988.
Layton has a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and environmental management from the University of Toronto where he was a member of the Kappa Sigma Fraternity, and a Master of Arts in environmental sciences from York University. After graduating, he worked for Environmental Defence, a national environmental charity eventually becoming deputy outreach director. He was also the coordinator for the Green Energy Act Alliance. He worked as a bartender and manager at a restaurant on King Street West for six years.
In the 2013 CBC Television film Jack, he is portrayed by Conrad Sweatman as an adult and Mitchell Kummen as a child.

Politics

In 2010, he ran as a candidate in Ward 19 to replace Joe Pantalone who retired to run for mayor. Layton won the election with more than double the vote total of his closest rival, Karen Sun.
In 2011, Layton opposed spending cuts by Mayor Rob Ford. He worked to preserve a women's shelter and a community pool in Stanley Park.
In 2011, Layton took issue with an advertisement for the Toronto Argonauts. Layton claimed that it condoned domestic violence. The football team subsequently replaced the advertisement.
Layton was a critic of plans to build a casino resort in downtown Toronto in 2012. His motion opposing the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Commissions casino expansion plans passed 40–4 at Toronto City Council.
Working with residents in the Liberty Village neighbourhood in Toronto, Layton worked to try to get cheaper fares on the regional transit system Go Transit to improve public transit in downtown Toronto.
For the gold medal hockey game in the 2014 Winter Olympics, Layton gained passage of a motion to allow bars to open earlier to serve alcohol during the game.
In March 2019, Layton has put forward a motion, which was seconded by Mike Colle, to study the idea of suing oil companies over climate change.

Election results

2014 Toronto election, Ward 19--
CandidateVotes%
Mike Layton21,01483.66%
Scott Bowman2,4909.91%
Albina Burello9643.84%
George Sawision6492.58%
Total25,117100%

2010 Toronto election, Ward 19--
CandidateVotes%
Mike Layton9,12545.387%
Karen Sun4,20720.925%
Sean McCormick3,65018.155%
Jim Likourezos1,3136.531%
David Footman5182.576%
Karlene Nation4172.074%
Rosario Bruto3981.98%
George Sawision3561.771%
Jason Stevens1210.602%
Total20,105100%