In case you didn’t know, Feb. 23 marked Jamaican Patty Day in Toronto.
But if you follow Mayor Olivia Chow on social media, then she already let you know in one of her infamous videos.
From getting to know members of snow removal crews, meeting vendors at St. Lawrence Market and chatting up TTC riders, Chow shares videos and photos of herself around the city, but many Torontonians find the clips cringeworthy, given some of the bigger issues Toronto is facing.
Over the weekend, Chow paid tribute to Jamaican Patty Day, where video on Instagram shows the mayor heading into Bathurst station to get patties for herself and staffers along with footage of TTC users.
While inside the shop, Chow debates what to get and decides on chicken and vegetarian, before she is later seen outside the station, taking out a “hot” and “yummy” patty to try.
“I can’t wait to enjoy this.”
Notably, Chow doesn’t actually take a bite of her patty, at least not on camera.
The mayor’s caption breaks down the “complicated story” behind “Toronto’s favourite snack,” noting how “40 years ago, the federal government tried to ban them. Or at least force them to change their name. It took a lot of pressure from folks to get them to back down.”
She continued: “Back then they thought folks would confuse patties for hamburgers. Well there is no confusion anymore.”
That said, what people in the comments were confused by was Chow’s videos and that she appeared to be more concerned with “trying to be an influencer” than with the issues that matter to Torontonians, from removing the snow from last week’s storm to the homeless and drug crises.
“You know she would not have dared to go to Dundas station because, God forbid, she had to see the opioid epidemic in the city,” one person commented.
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“Hell, she doesn’t even have to go far from her office; if she goes down to 4K in the underground City Hall parking garage, she can literally witness people dying of opioids,” they continued.
“Stop trying to be an influencer and clean up this city; you were elected to do a job.”
A second user suggested she “spend the day at criminal court offices or immigration court offices and see how much crime and Liberal asylum seekers voters are costing us,” adding, “Why don’t you start a Toronto expenses investigation committee to cut our unnecessary expenses, we don’t need videos of you buying patties.”
A third commented sarcastically: “Leadership these days — roads are a mess, crime is up, rent is impossible, but don’t worry, the mayor is fearlessly tackling the real issues … like where to get a good Jamaican patty. Truly, an inspiration.”
Another noted how Chow’s “incredibly tone deaf” videos “are basically satire at this point.”
They added: “You have to be joking with how you’re choosing to spend your time running a city that is on the brink of collapse on your watch. It’s honestly pathetic, embarrassing, and unbelievable — it’s almost laughable, except it’s too painful to laugh.”
Another declared: “Please spend less time wearing costumes and eating foods on camera, and clean up the snow on the goddamn streets and sidewalks!!!”