Chow is a former Canadian politician who served as federal New Democratic Party Member of Parliament for Trinity-Spadina from 2006–2014, and Toronto city councillor from 1991 to 2005. Chow is the widow of former NDP and Opposition Leader Jack Layton; they were married from 1988 until his death from cancer in 2011. She was a candidate in the 2014 Toronto mayoral election, where she placed third behind winner John Tory and runner-up Doug Ford.
Chow won the Trinity—Spadina riding for the New Democratic Party on January 23, 2006, becoming a member of the House of Commons of Canada. In 2011, she was re-elected in her riding for her third straight win. She speaks Cantonese, Mandarin and English. In May 2012, Chow was named one of the top 25 Canadian immigrants in Canada by Canadian Immigrant magazine. Chow's personal memoir, titled My Journey, was published January 21, 2014. Chow resigned her seat in parliament on March 12, 2014, to run in the 2014 Toronto mayoral election. Following her mayoral election loss, Chow became a distinguished visiting professor at Ryerson University from 2015 to 2018.

George Woodcock was born May 8, 1912 in Winnipeg, Manitoba. His family moved back to England shortly after his birth. He worked as a farmer, railway administrator and a freelance writer. In the 1940s he founded and edited the literary magazine "Now" and worked for the anarchist publisher Freedom Press. He moved back to Canada in 1949 with his wife. He took a teaching position at the University of Washington - Seattle between 1954-1955. He moved to the University of British Columbia, becoming an Associate Professor. He stopped teaching in 1963 to concentrate on writing and editing.
He published more than 100 books during his career including poetry, books on canadian literature, travel books, and social histories. He died January 28, 1995 in Vancouver, British Columbia.