Rob Ford

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Robert Bruce Ford (May 28, 1969 – March 22, 2016) was a Canadian politician and businessman who served as Toronto's 64th Mayor from 2010 to 2014.

Ford was a city councillor representing Ward 2 of Etobicoke North before and after his term as mayor.

He was first elected to Toronto City Council in 2000 and was re-elected twice to his council seat. A number of personal and professional disputes as a result of his political career, particularly his mayoralty, culminated in a slew of personal and work-related scandals and court suits.

He was embroiled in a substance abuse case in 2013 that was widely distributed in national and international media.

Ford refused to resign following his appointment, but City Council handed over specific mayoral authority and office personnel to Deputy Mayor Norm Kelly for the remainder of Ford's term.

Ford took a sabbatical and underwent medical treatment for his alcoholism and heroin use.

Despite the scandal, Ford initially opposed the upcoming mayoral election, which was set to be held in October 2014.

On December 1, 2014, John Tory took over as mayor, though Ford restored his former position.

Ford received chemotherapy for the disease and was able to return briefly to City Hall, but was unable to return to City Hall in March 2016.

Early life

Ford was born in Etobicoke, Ontario, Canada, in 1969, the youngest of Ruth Diane (née Campbell) and Douglas Bruce Ford's four children (Doug, Kathy, Randy, and Rob) of Ruth Diane (née Campbell). His paternal grandparents, who immigrated from England, were from England. His father, as well as Ted Herriott, was co-founder of Deco Labels and Tags, which produces pressure-sensitive labels for plastic-wrapped grocery products, and was a founding member of the Provincial Parliament from 1995 to 1999.

In Etobicoke, Ford attended the Scarlett Heights Collegiate Institute. He aspired to be a professional football player, and his father paid for him to attend special camps of the Washington Redskins and the University of Notre Dame. Ford transferred from high school to Carleton University in Ottawa to study political science. He was drafted into the football team but did not participate in any games. He left Carleton after one year to return to Toronto but didn't complete his degree. At Deco, he began working as a sales rep. The Ford family retained debo Labels after Doug Ford Sr.'s death in 2006 through the Doug Ford Holdings corporation. Ford, along with their brothers and mother, was a director of the corporation.

Renata Brejniak, who had attended high school at All Saints Roman Catholic Church in Etobicoke, married her in August 2000. They had been dating since Brejniak's separation from her first husband in February 1996. Ford lived in Etobicoke with Renata and their two children, Stephanie and Doug, until his death in 2016.

Personal life

Ford donated his time to coach high school football. Ford began coaching at Newtonbrook Secondary School in 2001 before being suspended due to a player controversy. He taught at Don Bosco Catholic Secondary School from 2001 to 2013, when the Toronto Catholic District School Board ruled against him after a contentious television interview prompted a inquiry into his teaching. Ford had donated $20,000 to upgrade the Don Bosco team and established the Rob Ford Football Foundation to help teams at other underprivileged schools that are unable to field football teams.

To honour Ford's instruction, Toronto Mayor John Tory, along with Councillor Stephen Holyday and the Ford family, suggested renaming Centennial Park Stadium to Rob Ford Memorial Stadium in September 2017. In a vote on October 5, 2017, the city council rejected the plan 24–11.

He was charged with assault and trying to murder his wife in 2008 after a 9-1-1 call from his Ford home. "There was no credible chance of conviction" under Ford's wife's allegations due to inconsistencies in her statements, according to the Crown Attorney, who said "there was no legitimate intention of conviction" due to "credibility problems" with her allegations. At the time, Ford said he was relieved that the ordeal had ended and that he and his wife had sought marital assistance.

Police were reportedly called to Ford's home in two separate incidents on October 25, 2011, and then again on December 25, 2011. During the Christmas Day shooting, his mother-in-law called 9-1-1 between 4:00 – 5:00 a.m. local time, as she was worried that Ford had been partying and was going to take his children to Florida against his wife's wishes. There were no charges for either incident. In 2012 and 2013, there was another domestic attack. No charges were filed, and no charges were lodged.

For many years, Ford suffered from alcoholism and heroin use. Ford's abuse grew and culminated in public intoxication episodes and later public denials after his father's death in 2006. His episodes, which were symptomatic of alcohol and heroin use, were widely distributed in the media and attracted widespread condemnation. Ford's abuse left him stripped of a large portion of his powers as mayor of Toronto, and he later began heroin rehabilitation.

Ford was at the Air Canada Centre on April 15, 2006, for the Toronto Maple Leafs' hockey game. Ford was intoxicated, using profanity, and insulting people, according to a couple nearby. The couple then filed a lengthy complaint to the City of Toronto. Ford initially denied being at the game when confronted three days later by a National Post reporter, but later admitted it. "I'm going through a few personal challenges, but it doesn't justify, you know, being inebriated in public and behaving like an idiot."

Doug Ford Sr., Rob Ford's father, died in September 2006 as a time when Ford switched to crack cocaine rather than alcohol. Kathy, a homeless heroin dealer who used to supply Ford's sister Kathy, recalled a party with Ford around the same time. Ford will go home at night and drink heavily, use hard drugs or prescription pills, according to reporter Robyn Doolittle.

When the Toronto Star revealed information of the arrest, a 1999 arrest of Ford in Miami, Florida for DUPE and marijuana possession became an election issue. Ford denied the charge of driving without consent, though the marijuana charge was dismissed. Ford was fined. Ford denied it at first glance. When presented with the arrest papers, Ford apologized and said he had forgotten about it. He then confirmed at a press conference that he had been charged with failure to disclose a breath sample before being arrested and found guilty of impaired driving.

Ford was "very intoxicated" at City Hall and a downtown restaurant during Saint Patrick's Day festivities in March 2012. He held a "wild party" in his office, according to those attending. Ford knocked down a workerer, insulted others, and then went to a restaurant. According to one server, Ford did cocaine in a private room at the restaurant. He returned by cab to City Hall after "flailing around" on the restaurant's dance floor, yelling out racial terms to the driver. After 2:00 a.m. with a bottle of brandy, Earl Provost, began to talk profane at his workers, before security arranged for him to be taken home. The incident was confirmed in November 2013 after a City Hall security guard's e-mail describing the incident was discovered by a request for information retrieval.

Ford's workers tried to get Ford to see alcoholism for the first time, but he refused. In a shopping plaza parking garage, Ford was discovered smoking marijuana. Ford was rumored to be incoherent at the Garrison Ball in February 2013. After an event promoter told him to leave, his employees escorted him out. At a social gathering in March 2013, Ford was accused of groping former Mayor Sarah Thomson, and Thomson said she was high on cocaine. Ford was caught on video smoking crack cocaine, a drug that the dealerships attempted to sell to the Toronto Star and other media outlets around the time.

Ford was involved in another incident at the Air Canada Centre in April 2014. Ford, as well as city budget chief Frank DiGiorgio, were refused access to the Director's Lounge at the Air Canada Centre. During a dispute with the security force, he was caught on taped emitting profanities. He denied being intoxicated and blamed the incident on BMO Field expansions, which ultimately led to the failure of a $10 million contribution to MLSE's decision to expand BMO Field. Ford was described as "somewhere between sober and binge."

After the extortion charge against Sandro Lisi was dropped, Rob Ford's original video of him smoking crack cocaine was released from publication ban by the Toronto Police Service on August 11, 2016. Mohamed Siad's cellphone video was shot "surptitiously" in February 2013. Ford appears to be smoking crack cocaine from a glass pipe in the video. During the discussion, his words were slurred and mostly inaudible. "Whatever this video shows... Toronto residents should see it," Ford said shortly before he admitted to smoking crack cocaine. "People are entitled to see it, and Toronto people should decide for themselves what they see on this video."

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Political career

Ford served three terms as city councillor from 2000 to 2010, representing Ward 2 Etobicoke North in Ward 2 Etobicoke North. Ford was a vocal critic of councillors' spending during his time as councillor. Ford is well-known for his inflammatory remarks and vehement arguments in council.

In Ward 3 Kingsway-Humber, Ford first ran for Toronto City Council in 1997, finishing fourth to Gloria Lindsay Luby in Ward 3. In the 2000 election, Ford ran for councillor in Ward 2 Etobicoke North, receiving the endorsement of the Toronto Star. In what was seen as one of many upsets in Etobicoke, Ford defeated incumbent Elizabeth Brown. "People said they wanted change, and they wanted change," Ford says.

Ward 2 is located in Etobicoke's north-west corner. The ward's population, which was 53% made up of immigrants, with the largest group being South Asians. It is mixed in terms, with 40% of dwellings being single-family detached homes and 35% being high-rise apartments. It is also known as a place of gang violence, with six murders in 2000.

Ford had previously lived in the ward but changed to Ward 4 in 2000, following his marriage. Ford was re-elected with 80% of the vote in Ward 2, defeating two candidates from the local Somali population in 2003. Ford gained again in the 2006 election, defeating Somali-Canadian candidate Cadigia Ali this time with 66% of the vote.

Ford gained a reputation for vivacious speeches during the 2001 budget deliberations. After the Government of Ontario shifted the delivery of services from Toronto to Toronto, the City of Toronto was facing a multiple hundred million dollar budget shortfall, enough to warrant a 32% tax increase. Mel Lastman, the mayor of Toronto, was pleading with other governments for financial assistance. The other councillors began to dread when Ford rose to speak, according to Don Wanagas, a National Post City Hall columnist. "I have to shake my head because some of the jargon that comes out of some of these councillors' mouths boggles my imagination," I swear." ... Get the government out of our backyards. It's absurd. This is the government's red tape. Here is a bureaucrat. All this government makes it absurd. It's nonsense. It's so ridiculous. If you don't like what the province is doing, there's going to be an election in June of '03 – way before our election. Anne Johnston suggested a "neo-con award of the day" for Ford, but Councillor Joe Pantalone recommended that Ford take Prozac. Ford argued that rather than investing money on the Prince Edward Viaduct's suicide prevention fence, it should be focused on rounding up child molesters "who are the primary reason for people jumping off bridges."

Ford suggested a cut to each councillor's $200,000 office budget, funds for travel to conferences, and ending the use of limousines and club memberships. "We'd eliminate the perks for council members, we'd save $100 million straight," Ford says. Ford was one of the only four councillors in the United States to vote against a 5% increase in property taxes for 2001. Ford made a point of not using his allotted city funds for his office expenses by paying for the salaries from his salary. He claimed $10 for his first year and $4 for his second year. "All this office spending stuff is self-promotion to help yourself," Ford says. Why do taxpayers have to pay for it? "Itboggles my mind."

Ford and Councillor Giorgio Mammoliti engaged in several tense discussions during the 2002 municipal budget elections, where Mammolitti called Ford a "goon" and Ford called Mammolitti a "scammer" and Ford called Mammolitti a "scammer." The argument erupted to the point where Ford called Mammolitti a "Gino-boy." Mammolitti branded the remark a "racist remark" and filed a lawsuit with the city's human-rights office. Three councillors said they had been told by Ford, who denied it. Ford dismissed the councillors' argument by implying that they were liars if they had made a racial remark. "I'm a conservative, and the vast majority of people are left-wing and cannot accept my politics." Pam McConnell, a councillor, was prompted to write about "testosterone poisoning" in the chamber after the exchanges. "I am not a bigote," Ford continued his debate outside the chamber with columnist John Barber of The Globe and Mail: "I am not a racist." Anyone who calls me a bigote is going to suffer the consequences! "You are a bigote," Barber said, "You are a racist."

Ford endorsed twelve political candidates on a platform of fiscal responsibility to face fellow councillors in the 2003 municipal election: "We just need to get rid of these lifelong politicians who give out money to special interest groups and don't represent the people." I'm really excited about this. If this city is going to go down the drain, we need to get a new council." Brian Ashton, Maria Augimeri, Sandra Bussin, Olivia Chow, Pam McConnell, Howard Moscoe, and Sherene Shaw were all targets. Shaw was defeated by Ford's new budget chief Michael Del Grande, while the majority of the candidates were re-elected.

Ford made a priority of responding to local constituents' needs, with many calling back calls or meeting with city workers to discuss problems. In 2005, local radio station AM 640 tested councillors on their reaction after a reporter was called into report a pothole after a journalist was out late. Within a day, Ford was one of only three councillors to call back in person. His zeal in tending to constituents' problems became a competitive rivalry with fellow councillors Howard Moscoe and Gloria Lindsay Luby.

Ford spoke out in June 2006 against the city's $1.5 million to help avoid AIDS, saying that most taxpayers should not be concerned with AIDS. Since his rival, George Smitherman, questioned Ford's character over the remarks, the senator apologized publicly for the remarks made in May 2010 during his mayoral bid. Ford said "Those Oriental people work like dogs" at a council meeting on March 5, 2008, a remark he later regretted for while stating that he meant it as a compliment.

On March 7, 2007, Ford spoke out against cyclists riding roads with motorists, saying they were "built for buses, trucks, and trucks, not for people riding bicycles." Ford, a councillor, has opposed the construction of bike lanes on University Avenue and Jarvis Street, and he has suggested spending money on off-road cycle paths, which he opposed during his campaign. In 2010, bike lanes were installed on Jarvis against the rejection of traffic campaigners, and Ford made it a priority to have them taken down during his campaign. In 2011, he was able to convince council to reverse the decision, a step that was condemned by cycling campaigners and triggered demonstrations. The Jarvis bike lanes, which cost the city $86,000 to install in 2011, were withdrawn in December 2012 at a cost of $200,000–$300,000. On Sherbourne Street, physically separated bike lanes were installed at the same time. Andrea Garcia, the president of Toronto Cyclist Union, applauded the Sherbourne lanes installation: "Cities all around North America that are doing way more innovative things for cyclists have been building separate bike lanes for a long time." It's amazing to see Toronto finally catch up." However, she regrets the lanes missing on Jarvis: "People live and work and go to school on both of these streets, and they all need a safe way to get to these places."

Ford was elected mayor with 383,501 votes (47%) over George Smitherman's 289,832 (35.6%) and Joe Pantalone's 95,482 (11.7%). The voter registration rate, which was the highest in Toronto's post-amalgamation history, stood at 52%. Ford had won all of the former pre-amalgamation suburbs, according to Ward-by-ward results, while Smitherman led districts in the pre-amalgamation Toronto districts. Ford received 80,000 votes from the "Downtown 13" wards, or 20% of his total votes. Ford ran on a populist platform of fiscal prudence and subway expansion. The scandals benefited Ford during the campaign. Since his driving under the influence (DUI) conviction became public, his share of the vote increased by 10%. He raised CA$25,000 in campaign contributions overnight after it was revealed that he had been barred from high school coaching.

Case Ootes, a former Toronto budget chief, was the head of Ford's "transition team" after the election. Ford introduced Nick Kouvalis as his chief of staff, Mark Towhey, who had drafted his campaign website, as his policy advisor, and Adrienne Batra, his communications consultant, as his press secretary. Doug Holyday, a councillor who had aided in the election of Doug Ford Sr., was named deputy mayor. Ford named councillors who had supported him in his campaign for the executive committee of City Council. Don Cherry, a television commentator who appeared at the first meeting of the new council, was on hand to welcome him and place the chain of office on him. Cherry's remarks caused some controversies. Cherry outlined how Ford had reversed a mistake by cutting down a tree of a Toronto property owner for no good reason and then shaming the property owner, who suffered from Alzheimer's. Cherry said, "I'm wearing pinko for all the pinkos out there that ride bicycles and everything," and "I suspect you left-wing kooks in your pipe." The council voted to withdraw the annual $60 personal vehicle registration levy levied by the previous council at its first meeting in December 2010. On January 1, 2011, the tax levy, which was a campaign pledge of Ford's, went into place.

The council largely supported Ford's plans during the first year in office. Outside of Yonge Street, Ford privatized garbage pickup. Only Etobicoke had privatized garbage collection before. No property tax hike was recorded in Ford's first year as mayor in 2011, and subsequent years' increases were smaller than inflation's average rate. The TTC was designated as a vital service under Ford's leadership. The Miller-era land transfer tax was reduced by Ford, but it was impossible to completely remove the Miller-era land transfer tax. Ford supported Ford's decision to scrap the "Transit City" transit plan and install the Scarborough Subway Extension during the summer of 2013, fulfilling one of Ford's main campaign pledges. This initiative was later approved and received federal and provincial government funds. Council will reject Ford's transit proposals in the future, including not extending the Crosstown LRT underground for its entire route. Ford's positions were reduced by council shortly after Ford's tenure, owing to news of a video showing Ford smoking crack cocaine.

During Rob Ford's term as mayor, Doug Ford was the Toronto city councillor for Ward 2 Etobico North in Toronto from 2010 to 2014.

Ford registered on January 2, 2014, as a candidate in the fall's mayoral election. Ford participated in numerous debates, but after a video of him smoking crack cocaine surfaced, he took a leave of absence in May and June to address his substance use problems. Ford returned from leave of absence in July and polled in second place, behind John Tory and Olivia Chow. Ford unexpectedly withdrew his candidacy on September 12, 2014, after a tumor that was thought to be benign was discovered in his abdomen and later confirmed to be cancerous. Doug Jones, Ford's brother, registered as a mayoral candidate in Ford's place, but Ford later registered as a candidate for city councillor in Ward 2 Etobicoke North, his old constituency. Doug Ford, who received 43% of the vote in the mayoral election on October 27, was defeated by Tory, who gained 40%, while Rob Ford, who was voted with 58% of the vote, was successful in Ward 2. On November 30, 2014, Ford's term as mayor came to an end. He said he planned to run for mayor again in 2018.

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