New Democrat Leader Thomas Mulcair gave the biggest hint yet that Olivia Chow is leaning strongly toward running for a federal seat in the newly created riding of Spadina-Fort York in downtown Toronto.

“There are discussions and I’m just grateful that they will be positive, because I think Olivia Chow brings a great deal to the political game in our country,” Mulcair told reporters Tuesday after touring the Woodlogix Interior Inc. plant in Mississauga on the second day of his eight-day swing through Ontario.

The Star revealed last month that Chow, who resigned her seat in the old riding of Trinity-Spadina to run unsuccessfully for Toronto mayor in 2014, was not ruling out a return to federal politics to run against Liberal MP Adam Vaughan.

On Tuesday, asked directly whether he had spoken to Chow about the possibility, Mulcair said he was hopeful that she would go through with it.

“It’s an exciting election campaign and nothing would make me happier than having someone with Olivia’s extraordinary depth and experience decide to come back on board,” Mulcair said.

“I know that Olivia has had occasion to speak with a lot of people who are close to me over the past couple of years, and yes it has come up a couple of times when I have met her at different occasions across the country and it would be, for us, great if Olivia would throw her hat back in the ring,” Mulcair said.

A well-placed NDP source told the Star he heard Chow was almost certainly running and to expect a July 28 announcement. New Democrat officials would only confirm that talks with Chow are ongoing.

In a short conversation with the Star on Monday, Chow would not comment on any comeback plans.

Laughing when pressed, she talked about a recent canoe trip and her busy but rewarding duties at Ryerson University.

Ryerson told the Star one week ago that students were still registering to be taught by Chow in September — classes that won’t happen if she is on the campaign trail.

Ryerson spokeswoman Suelan Toye noted Chow was appointed earlier this year as a distinguished visiting professor for a three-year term.

“This fall Chow will be focusing on student mentorship, initiating a program on community engagement and democratic participation in association with the ARTS+ student experience model,” Toye wrote in an email.

With files from Betsy Powell

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