Toronto's youngest residents are getting their own ballot box this weekend. The City of Toronto announced Friday that Kids Vote Weekend runs October 10 and 11, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., at 50 advance voting locations across the city — and children under 18 can cast a vote for Toronto's 2027 Tree of the Year.
The contenders are five homegrown heavyweights: the Basswood, the Paper Birch, the Red Oak, the Sugar Maple, and the White Pine. Young voters get to weigh in on which tree best represents the city, turning a civic election season into a hands-on lesson in democracy for the next generation.
The winning tree won't be revealed until after the October 26 municipal election, keeping the suspense alive alongside the grown-up races. To kick off the weekend, the city is holding a media event at 11:30 a.m. Saturday at the Warden Hilltop Community Centre, 25 Mendelssohn Street.
It's a small, joyful addition to the election calendar — and a reminder that civic pride in Toronto can start with something as simple as a favorite tree.
