It’s election day Toronto, and all eyes are on a tight mayoral race. Follow live results and analysis here

Sage Neptune Miracula, a Grade 2 student, would use their power as mayor to help cheer people up.

“If we make Toronto a funner place … be creative, then we could have a fun, beautiful city,” Sage said.

Grade 8 student Ellis Torres’s vision is inspired by his experience getting around Toronto with his family.

“Every time we’re on the 401, or just any highway … it’s always just packed and we’re late for appointments and anything really,” he said.

Grade 9 student Erich Tigcal pitched her winning idea after thinking about her time with friends outside school.

“I noticed that there are a lot of artistic people everywhere and they should be encouraged,” she said. “Sometimes I can’t really do anything but go to the mall.”

Grade 10 student Umme Habiba’s ideas were inspired by the conversations around her.

“I was seeing all these good ideas that young people had, so I wanted to create a system where they could all be heard,” Habiba said.

Here are the four winning student essays:

If I was mayor, I would paint every TTC bus and subway and streetcar pink to make our city look extra special and to cheer people up if they were having a crummy day.

There should also be changing screens on the TTC instead of ads. The changing screens could change depending on the weather.

On a hot day, it would be a sun and on a cold day, it would be snowflakes or pictures of ice, I think this art would make the TTC look really nice. At night it could show phases of the moon.

My second plan is for the Canadian National Exhibition (the CNE) to stay open all year round at the exhibition. In winter we can put up a giant dome over it like they put over tennis courts.

We could invite small businesses to come as well as hot tub shops where people can buy hot tubs. There can also be themes for different holidays or special days so that there is something for everyone.

The food can also change all during the year, for example pumpkin foods in fall and warm soup in winter. It would not be expensive for small businesses to have a store down there so that we get lots of things for Toronto.

For me it is important for Toronto to be fun and beautiful for all.

If I were mayor of Toronto for a day, my first priority would be solving the city’s congestion crisis.

As a 13 year old, I’ve observed that my family and I have missed numerous opportunities for school and work.

According to my sources, one of the major reasons why we have this problem is because our transit system is outdated. As more people move into Toronto, we need to improve and renew our system.

To solve this, I would make transit faster by adding more dedicated bus and streetcar lanes so they would not be constantly stuck behind cars. Additionally, I would give TTC vehicles priority at traffic lights.

If the city’s transit system was more reliable, quick and safe, citizens may have a reason to leave their cars at home to use the TTC, resulting in less traffic congestion and more clear roads.

Second, another main reason why there is an abundance of traffic in our city is because of construction projects. These projects are essential, however, they block multiple streets, slowing down and preventing people from travelling to places.

I would solve this by stopping multiple major road projects from closing nearby streets at the same time. Furthermore, to achieve this, they would need to share a city wide schedule.

In conclusion, if I were given the chance to be the mayor of Toronto for a day, I would prioritize fixing our city’s congestion crisis. I would improve our transit system and improve the organization of our construction.

When was the last time you’ve seen an opportunity (e.g., competitions, fairs …) for the youth to pursue the arts in person?

For me, it has probably been months since I’ve seen artistic opportunities for the youth, aside from competitions. We need more opportunities for the artistic youth to learn AND bring Toronto’s community TOGETHER.

Youth is one of the most IMPORTANT times to develop skills and pursue passions. There are a significantly large number of individuals that are extremely passionate for art, and have the talent within the flick of a wrist.

Around Toronto, I notice that some areas lack accessible opportunities that are free and near a person’s area OUTSIDE of school for the youth, especially for the arts, which is why many are unsure on where to start or improve.

If it were up to me, I’d participate in art events, and give speeches on behalf of the importance of art.

If possible, I’d also create more art programs around branches of the Toronto Public Library and host art festivals where youth can volunteer!

There’s three important things about art. Art is a beautiful thing and can be found within every culture. Art preserves memories and expresses emotions that people can connect with.

Most importantly, art has been a major part of Toronto’s community. If we can all come together and work towards this to be a reality, we’ll make Toronto one step better. It starts with you, and the flick of a wrist!

I can’t breathe. Our potential suffocates each minute that passes by in a crowded bus, a rushed school hallway, and a city that never slows down.

I am so impressed by the classmates I surround myself with everyday. The youth mind is so fresh. So open. So absorbent. We underestimate how powerful it is.

If I were the mayor, I would amplify youth voices and design a future that revolves around the geniuses of the young mind.

I would create an entire parallel youth-frameworked jurisdiction where there is our own voting system, representation and decision-making power.

A haven where young people can be in charge of prototyping solutions to stop root civic causes rather than civic issues. Where they don’t punish the outcomes or pick up the droppings but totally reinvent the ecosystems that created them.

As youth, we haven’t accepted the saying that “life isn’t fair” yet, and that is a valuable asset we must weaponize before it is too late.

Alongside this, I would establish a worldwide initiative called “The Toronto Pause,” a city-wide movement with implemented zones focused on slowing down, reflecting and brainstorming.

Our mortal moments are fleeting, but we can overcome this with The Toronto Pause. The little things will finally matter; the greenness of the grass, the softness of the lighting, the quietness of the corners, and the fullness of the bookshelves.

Instead of counting seconds, we can make the seconds count. It will be a future where we can finally breathe again.

Eight student submissions, four each from the primary and secondary school level, were selected as honourable mentions in the contest.

Free TTC rides for those under 18, a universal food program for students and themed days of the week — think puppies and other animals visiting schools on Wednesdays — are key items for students at Toronto elementary schools. They also have proposals on creating more affordable housing.

Creating more job opportunities for youth is a focus for students in high school, with proposals like partnering with local businesses for part-time jobs and coaching, and a citywide internship guarantee.

High school students say they would also invest more in gathering spaces like community centres and fight homelessness and discrimination.

I love Toronto for all the people and the multicultural faces. In class, we talked about how our class, Room 326, is like a wildflower garden: all different shades and colours.

I think that’s also a great metaphor for our city and as mayor I would work as a gardener, helping our city grow more beautiful.

As a gardener I have to pick out the weeds as well, not ignore them — and one of the weeds in our city is the high TTC and other transportation fares that students have to pay.

I estimated that an average student would have to pay nearly a thousand dollars annually just to get to and back from school during the academic year.

This puts lots of pressure on families and might even prevent young people from exploring beyond their neighbourhoods. We are always hearing about how our generation is on their screens too often.

If it’s so expensive to go to places in Toronto like High Park or the Toronto Islands, they might just stay home on their screens, making them more addicted to their devices.

If I was Mayor, I would simply increase the age for free transportation on the TTC to 18.

This solves many of the problems above and might help parents support their children’s education and development by using that money for lessons, equipment or school supplies.

Also, the environmental benefits of this are well understood and would help all in Toronto.

If I were mayor for the day, I would want to help people who don’t have a lot of money. I would help them by making food cheaper so that it could be easier for everyone to buy — there would even be some items for free!

I would make jobs easier to get, so that we could provide more money for everybody no matter who they are.

I would make housing cheaper so people could get into housing without having to go through a lot of stress.

I would also have days of the week. Thursday is a planting day so there would be more plants. Friday would be a clean up day where we would pick up garbage no matter where you are.

Monday would be a berry picking day (from when you planted all those plants on Thursday!), Tuesday could be a cheap day at the Blue Jays game (Toonie Tuesday!), and Wednesday could be where a bunch of puppies come to school and you can feed them and pet them. (If you are allergic, there could be other animals, like cats or hamsters or sugar gliders.)

It would be amazing if I was mayor.

If I were mayor I would solve many problems in our city, but the main problem in Toronto that I would like to solve are, to create more affordable housing and renting.

For the government that would mean they need to expand rent control. This could help low income people who are struggling to provide every day needs to their family, and housing is just one of the big problems that everybody is facing.

The city of Toronto needs to have better rent control, which means lowering prices for people who are struggling on earning money.

Buildings built after Nov. 15, 2018, are not rent controlled by the government, which means that the landlord can raise the price by as much as they want. Buildings that are rent control, the landlord can only increase the price by 2.1%.

In this situation I would first start by creating rental town houses for larger families on unused land, or tearing down unused buildings in the city to use.

These townhouses would be located in many neighbourhoods of Toronto, so that low income people will have many options to choose from.

In conclusion, renting problems will not be entirely solved immediately. Over time the amount of low income people in Toronto will decrease.

This will help low income families and people all over Toronto who are struggling at earning money.

This solution will help people get one problem off their back. It will also create better housing and renting opportunities in Toronto.

If I were the mayor, I would focus on improving the city by making it a better place to live, improving parks and helping to improve student learning.

In order to make Toronto a better place to live, I would make housing more affordable. I would buy abandoned properties like warehouses or old factories and renovate them into small affordable units.

These units could be rented out by the city to people at an affordable rate. They can get further discounts for helping out within the community. For example, these people can help to clean community parks.

Next I will focus on the beautiful city parks. Parks are supposed to be beautiful and not trashy.

I would improve the parks by having city workers visit weekly to maintain and check to see if everything is working properly, and fix the things that don’t work.

I would also make sure that when people have parties at the parks they must clean up their messes, otherwise they will be given a fine.

Lastly, I would help improve student learning by starting nutrition programs at schools for all students. This would improve student learning by not having them be hungry and allow them to be their best.

Students complain about stomachs feeling empty or not having much to eat. I myself have sometimes thought my lunch was too little for me.

These are just a few of my ideas that I would put in place as the mayor.

If I were mayor for a day, I would focus on two things that matter to me: youth jobs and safe spaces for teenagers.

Toronto has over 300,000 young people between thirteen and nineteen, and too many of us have nowhere to go after school and no way to make money.

We hang out in malls until security kicks us out. We sit in fast food spots holding on to one drink for three hours. We walk around with nothing to do and nobody caring about us, then adults ask why youth crime keeps going up.

My first move would be starting a city funded program that works with local businesses to give paid part time jobs and coaching to students fourteen and older.

Not unpaid “volunteer hours,” but real pay for real work. Coffee shop training, office skills, learning a trade. Give us a reason to show up and a paycheque that tells us our time actually matters.

Second, I would turn empty city buildings into free youth spaces. Places with WiFi, study areas, basketball courts, music rooms, and adults who actually want to help.

Every part of the city gets one. No fees, no locking out younger teens, no closing at four when school is done.

If I was the mayor of Toronto, I would use my power to improve community centers and add more art into the city.

As someone who has grown up going to my local community center for programs and camps, I can see clearly how fun it is to have those centers available to use, as well as how much of a difference they make in people’s lives.

I think having a strong community center reflects on the entire atmosphere of your neighbourhood for the better.

If I was mayor, I would invest more money into those programs, from the youth to senior classes, to make them more affordable and well-run so that everyone in Toronto could enjoy what they have to offer.

Secondly, I would swap plain gray or black buildings with ones made colourfully or in an interesting architectural design.

During a time where dark, boring colours are trending, I have always admired big murals and bright buildings. They add life and spirit to an otherwise desolate landscape.

A city without colour feels empty and cold, and that is why I would add murals and colour instead of more gray.

Though there are many technical issues in the city surrounding housing, transit and parks and recreation, I would use my term as mayor to make the city more accessible and beautiful, so that Toronto could be a diverse city in not just its people, but also its art and what it has to offer.

If I were mayor, I would make Toronto safer by addressing homelessness and discrimination.

As stated in a recent report, the number of homeless individuals in our city has risen to over 76,000 people. This is predicted to soar to 89,000 by 2028.

While unaffordable housing and rapid population growth are responsible, it is also worth noting that funding for homeless programs is expected to decline.

To mitigate this, I would use said funding to properly invest in more services providing basic needs. This means more shelters, food banks, and mental health centers, because our city should prioritize human welfare by ensuring its citizens receive the bare minimum for survival.

Subsequently, a study conducted in 2023 found high rates of racial discrimination in Toronto. Survey results of 4,163 Black adults showed that 76% experience racism multiple times per month, as well as 25% of South Asians who are twice as likely to receive poorer customer service than whites.

As someone of South Asian descent, I can empathize with the fear of being a minority. That is why I would address this issue by creating harsher penalties for hate crimes and discrimination, as well as celebrating BIPOC individuals in Toronto by promoting cultural spaces.

This will protect the city’s multiculturalism and show that our differences should be embraced rather than feared.

Overall, Toronto can become a safer place for our community once homelessness and discrimination are addressed and dealt with.

If I was elected as mayor of Toronto, I would focus on two main problems in our city: cheaper housing and the lack of job opportunities for young people.

First, housing in Toronto is way too expensive, and many families are struggling to live here in Toronto.

To fix this, I would use city owned land to build mixed income housing where rent is tied to what people actually earn. I would also charge higher taxes on investors who buy apartments just to leave them empty or turn them into short term rentals.

This would free up more homes for real families and make renting affordable for essential workers and young adults who want a sense of freedom.

Secondly, it’s way too hard for teenagers and young adults to get their first jobs and gain real work experiences. The city can fix this by expanding youth employment programs and creating a citywide student internship guarantee.

I would also partner with local businesses with community centers to offer paid, part time jobs, resume workshops, and trades training for students and for it to not be incredibly expensive.

I would also save a percentage of city entry jobs like working at community centers, parks and libraries specifically for high school and college students.

By making housing affordable for families and giving young people real job opportunities to build their futures, Toronto will become a much better city.