Doug Ford: Toronto election 'a dead heat'

Doug Ford says the mayoral race is far from over, saying Friday that internal polls are showing him exactly how close things are.

"We're in a dead heat here, I feel it on the streets," he told reporters, while campaigning outside a Wal-Mart store on Eglinton Avenue East. "Everywhere we're going, I'm getting a positive response."

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The councillor is crisscrossing the city, as he tries to make the leap to the mayor's chair, after his brother was forced to drop from the mayoral race due to illness.

"We're hitting one end of the city to the other — north, south, east west," he said.

John Tory, meanwhile, said that no matter what the polls are saying, he plans to keep on pounding the pavement to talk to voters.

"I think that I'm going to work as hard as I can between now and Monday and I’ve always run on the assumption that I’m five points behind," he said Friday.

Tory said he believes voters want to see more from city hall in the next term.

"People want to see the city pull together, they want to see the city council function better, so that it gets results," he said. "They're really tired of all the sort of division and bickering and lack of productivity down there in terms of just getting simple things done."

3 days to go

Olivia Chow was also out meeting with voters on Friday, including in St. James Town — the neighbourhood where her family lived when they first came to Canada.

Talking a bit about her early life in Toronto, Chow spoke about the kinds of challenges she faced back then and the services that others who are new to Canada will need — including better transit and access to affordable housing, both of which she plans to invest in, if elected mayor.

"Holistically, I have the best ideas, the best platform, all costed out, for newcomers and new Canadians in this city," she said.

"I hope I count your support — those that are now citizens — that I can count on your support this coming Monday so I can be your new mayor."

The polls will open at 10 a.m. on Monday, which means Chow and her fellow candidates are running short of time to make their pitch to voters.

About 1 in 10 eligible Toronto voters took the opportunity to cast their ballot early, during a six-day period of advance voting last week.

'He'd be honoured to have it, too'

Also Friday, Ford was dismissive of a formal endorsement rival Tory received from Mississauga Mayor Hazel McCallion.

"I like Hazel, but [she's] just another political person," Ford said.

When Tory heard about Ford's comment on McCallion’s endorsement, he told reporters: "I think if Mr. Ford was put under a little bit of truth serum, he’d be honoured to have it, too, but that’s fine."

McCallion is retiring from politics, following an unprecedented 36-year run as the mayor of Mississauga.

The 93-year-old believes Tory is the best choice to lead Toronto over the next four years.

"If the Toronto residents elect John Tory, I know he will make every effort to provide the leadership that is lacking at the present time by the mayor of Toronto in providing that co-operation [in the Greater Toronto Area]," McCallion said in a statement released Friday.

In a statement, Tory said McCallion is a "legend" who has served her city well for decades.

"It is an honour to have the support of Mayor McCallion," he said in a statement.

McCallion has also made an endorsement closer to home in recent weeks.

Earlier this month, she endorsed Bonnie Crombie, a former Liberal MP running to succeed her as mayor in Mississauga.

In Toronto, voters will have a chance to decide if they agree with McCallion on Monday. Chow, Ford and Tory are among dozens of candidates seeking to be the city's next mayor.