About Rachel
Rachel Chernos Lin is the City Councillor for Ward 15 – Don Valley West. At City Hall, she is Chair of the City-School Boards Advisory Committee and sits on the Infrastructure and Environment Committee, Film, Television and Digital Media Advisory Board, and North York Community Council. She also serves on the Board of Directors for the Toronto Hydro Corporation, the Association of Municipalities of Ontario, Leaside Memorial Community Gardens Arena, and the Canadian Film Centre.
Prior to her election as City Councillor, she served as an elected Trustee for the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) for six years, including two years as Chair. At the TDSB, she made significant contributions, including expanding French immersion programs, securing $169 million for schoolyard renewals, and advocating for improved access to technology with a 1:1 computer-to-student ratio for grades 5 and up.
Over her tenure as Chair of the TDSB Board, Rachel was responsible for overseeing the passage of annual budgets of over $3.4 billion. She led the charge to restrict cell phone usage in classrooms, helped oversee the creation of the TDSB’s 2024-2028 Multi-Year Strategic Plan, and secured over $1.8 million of multi-level government funding for youth violence prevention initiatives.
As the City Councillor for Ward 15 – Don Valley West, Rachel is focused on investing in public infrastructure, improving transit, strengthening community safety, and ensuring responsible and progressive growth supporting complete communities. Rachel is a strong believer in the power of people, fostering strong neighbourhoods through a focus on community connections, support for local businesses, and creating new parks and public spaces.
A published historian and active speaker on education and governance issues, Rachel holds an Honours BA from the University of Toronto and a Master’s degree in History from Brown University.
Rachel is a long-time resident of Don Valley West, where she lives with her husband, Ken, three daughters and golden retriever, Edy.