Robert Bruce "Rob" Ford (born May 28, 1969) is a Canadian politician and businessman. He is the 64th and current Mayor of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He was first elected to city council in the 2000 Toronto municipal election, and was re-elected to his council seat in 2003 and again in 2006. Ford was elected Mayor in the 2010 mayoral election, and took office on December 1 of that year. Ford's father Doug Ford, Sr. was also a politician and his brother Doug is a Toronto city councillor.
Born in Etobicoke, Ford is the youngest of four children of Diane and Doug Ford, Sr.. Ford Sr. was the founder of DECO Labels and Tags, which makes pressure-sensitive labels for plastic-wrapped grocery products at an estimated $100 million in annual sales. Ford Sr. later became a Member of the Ontario Legislature in the Progressive Conservative government of Mike Harris.[3] Not long after Rob Ford's birth in 1969, the success of the family business allowed the family to build a six-bedroom home in Etobicoke, which has a full-sized swimming pool and gardens that can host nearly a thousand visitors.
While growing up, Ford attended the public Scarlett Heights Collegiate,[4] where he played centre for the football team. Ford dreamed of becoming a professional football player and his father paid for Ford to attend special camps of the Washington Redskins and the University of Notre Dame. After graduating from high school, Ford went to Carleton University (studying political science), where he made the football squad, but did not play in any games. When Ford left Carleton after one year to return to Toronto, he did not return to active football. Ford continues to be involved in football, coaching the Don Bosco Catholic Secondary School's football team since 2001. Ford has donated $20,000 to equip the Don Bosco team and has started a foundation to fund teams at other schools struggling to field football teams.[5]
After Carleton, Ford returned home and started a sales job at the printing business. After his father's death in 2006, Ford, along with his brothers and his mother continue to control the DECO Labels and Tags company. Ford resides in Etobicoke with his wife Renata and their daughter and son. Ford supports the Salvation Army's Red Shield Appeal, Terry Fox Foundation, Heart and Stroke Foundation, Etobicoke Chamber of Commerce, Toronto Board of Trade and the Toronto West Rotary Club.[6]
Ford was first elected to Toronto City Council in 2000, defeating incumbent Elizabeth Brown in Ward 2 Etobicoke North.[6] Ward 2 is located in the north-west corner of the city in the former city of Etobicoke. The ward's population of over 50,000 in 2006 was 53% composed of immigrants, the largest group being South Asians. It is mixed in nature with 40% of dwellings being single-family detached homes and 35% being high-rise apartments.[7] It is also known as an area that has seen gang violence, including six murders in 2000.[8]Ford had previously resided in the ward, but moved in 2000 prior to the election, after his marriage, to Ward 4.
One of the first concerns of the newly-elected councillor was raised in the 2001 budget deliberations. Ford proposed a cut to each councillor's $200,000 office budget, money for travel to conferences, ending city limousine usage and club memberships. "If we wiped out the perks for council members, we'd save $100 million easy."[9] Ford would continue to focus on spending on councillors throughout his term as councillor.[10]
Ford made a point of not using his allotted city budget for his office expenses, paying for the expenses from his salary. He claimed $10 for his first year, and $4 for his second year. "All this office budget stuff is self-promotion to benefit yourself." On flyers for events and meetings: "Why should the taxpayers have to pay for it? It boggles my mind."[11]
In 2003, Ford supported increased funding for the TTC. He also supported the inquiry into the MFP scandal.
In the 2003 municipal election, Ford endorsed twelve political candidates on a platform of fiscal responsibility to take on fellow councillors: "We just need to get rid of these life-long politicians that just give out money to special interest groups and don't serve the community. I'm really teed off. We need to get a new council or this city is going to go down the drain."[12] Ford targetted Brian Ashton, Maria Augimeri, Sandra Bussin, Olivia Chow, Pam McConnell, Howard Moscoe[13] and Sherene Shaw.[12] Shaw did go down in defeat to Ford's future budget chief Michael Del Grande,[14] while the rest were re-elected. Ford himself was re-elected with 80% of the vote in Ward 2.[14]
In the 2006 election, he won again, this time with 66% of the vote.[15]
Rocco Rossi and Rob Ford at the Parkview Hills Community Association Mayoral Debate.
Ford declared his candidacy for Mayor of Toronto in the 2010 election on March 26, 2010. Councillor Mike Del Grande says of Ford: "He’s very popular with ‘Joe Public.’ He’s definitely a contender, not a wild card."[16] At the campaign kickoff meeting, Ford laid out his platform, organized into four main themes: "putting people and families first, focusing on the fundamentals, reducing waste and eliminating unnecessary taxes." Among his campaign promises, he said that he would repeal the vehicle registration and land transfer taxes implemented by current mayor, David Miller, and make the Toronto Transit Commission an essential service. During his campaign, he promised voters " services will not be cut, guaranteed". While in office, he qualified this statement to no major service reductions, and called none of his changes cuts.[17] Ford's campaign used a novel approach for Toronto which worked effectively, despite “the conventional wisdom [that] conservatives don’t win in Toronto”. His staff disregarded the conventional strategy of placing emphasis on target seats and focusing only on certain areas, which is used at the national, provincial and mainstream party level. Instead, his campaign bypassed traditional media outlets, using telephone town halls to call some 40,000 homes simultaneously and invite respondents to a talk-radio-style event hosted by Ford. This created grassroots momentum and facilitated small donations and grew the campaign’s database.[18]
Ford campaigned on ending wasteful spending at City Hall, and his slogans such as "Stop the Gravy Train" and “respect for taxpayers” resonated with the public.[19] His campaign's extensive internal polls showed that wasteful spending at City Hall was one of the biggest concerns among voters, although that "seemed to be the last thing any of the other candidates were talking about". Ford also pledged to do away with the city's century-old fair-wage policy, which required that private contractors be paid the same as union employees. It was said that Ford successfully tapped into recession-weary “ordinary” people who comprise the bulk of the population Toronto, who were angry at perceived financial mismanagement at City Hall and powerful city employee unions with generous benefits and pension plans.[20] Ford's message of putting taxpayers’ interests before that of labour and special interests was also said to have attracted wide support among diverse immigrant communities in the inner-city and suburbs (whose demographics contrast sharply with the "urbane creative class" of The Beach and the Annex neighborhoods). By contrast, "people knew precisely nothing about what George Smitherman stood for", according to a spokesman for George Smitherman who was considered Ford's chief opponent.[18][21][22]
Rival George Smitherman and other political opponents attempted to make an issue of Ford's past controversial statements and incidents. However, these did little to hurt Ford's popularity. A pollster found that "one middle-aged woman explained that she would overlook personality failings in a mayor – as long as he didn’t waste her taxes".[23][24] According to campaign staffers Richard Ciano and Nick Kouvalis, these personal attacks were turned into advantages by the Ford campaign, portraying rivals making these personal attacks as "trying to keep the gravy train going".[18] The barbs directed at Ford generated more donations to his campaign. So did his lack of sophistication. According to Kovalis "our polling said, don't put him in a $2,000 suit."[18] The revelation of Ford's DUI conviction in Florida, and his subsequent public apology, led to an increase in support for Ford.[18]
In June 2010, Ford and fellow councillors criticized retiring Kyle Rae for holding a retirement party at the Rosewater Club and billing the $12,000 cost to his office budget. Rae said that unspent campaign funds he was forced to turn over the city more than covered the cost, but critics pointed out that the campaign money was not his to spend. This example was used by Ford as an example of the "Gravy Train" at City Hall.[25][26][27]
On August 17, 2010, The National Post reported that a computer user inside the Toronto Star company made edits to the Wikipedia article about Ford that his campaign considered "very serious libel" and copyright infringement. Bob Hepburn, a Toronto Star spokesman, denied responsibility for the edits. "The Toronto Star owns a couple of these IP portals and they come under Toronto Star Newspapers Limited, which is a broader thing. The Toronto Star itself has a separate portal," said Hepburn.[28]
A Nanos Research poll, published on September 19, 2010, showed Ford doubling his lead from 12% to 24.5% over second-place candidate Smitherman (45.8% to 21.3% of decided voters).[29] The Nanos Research Poll asked 1021 "likely voters" from September 14 and 16 with Rob Ford receiving 34.4% of likely voters, Smitherman 16%, Joe Pantalone 12% and undecided voters at 25%.[30] A Global News Ipsos-Reid poll released Monday, September 27 showed Ford's lead diminishing at 28 per cent, with George Smitherman at 23 per cent, Joe Pantalone (who pledged to continue the policies of outgoing mayor David Miller) at 10 per cent, and Rocco Rossi and Sarah Thomson (who dropped from the race on September 28 and endorsed Smitherman) at seven per cent each.[31][32] On October 22., an EKOS Research Poll found Ford with an 8 per cent lead over second place Smitherman in decided voters; 43.9% to 35.6%.[33]
Ford also criticized Smitherman's previous record as provincial minister of health, where Smitherman had been responsible for approving most of the sole-sourced contracts before the scandal of eHealth Ontario erupted. A Ford spokesman said "the voters and the taxpayers of Toronto are going to get a very clear message from this information today that George Smitherman has no fiscal credibility to be mayor of Toronto. He is incapable of handling a budget".[34][35]
Ford was elected mayor with 380,201 votes (47%) over Smitherman's 287,393 (35.6%) and Pantalone with 94,840 (11.7%). The voter turnout was around 52% of registered voters, the highest in Toronto's post-amalgamation history. Ford's 11% margin of victory was the largest for any incoming mayor in post-amalgamation history, roughly double that of Mel Lastman in 1997 and David Miller in 2003.[22] While ward-by-ward electoral results showed that Ford had won all the suburbs compared to Smitherman who topped (old Toronto) districts, Ford also received significicant support (80000 votes) from the "Downtown 13” wards which made up over 20% of his total votes. By contrast, 60% of Smitherman's strongholds were located in Ward 27 and 28, which makes up his former provincial MPP riding.[citation needed]
After the election, Ford had outgoing councillor Case Ootes, a former City of Toronto budget chief, head the "transition team." From his campaign team, Ford named Nick Kouvalos as his chief of staff, and Mark Towhey, who had drafted his campaign platform, as his policy advisor. Doug Holyday, who had helped elect Doug Ford Sr., was named Deputy Mayor. For the Executive Committee of City Council, Ford named councillors who had endorsed him in his campaign. For the inauguration ceremony at the first meeting of the new Council, Ford had television commentator (and Mississauga resident) Don Cherry introduce him and put the chain of office on him. Cherry, known for his audacious suits, wore a pink suit and garnered some controversy with his remarks. Cherry described how Ford had reversed a mistake of City staff cutting down a tree of a Toronto property owner for no good reason and then billing the property owner, who suffered from Alzheimer's. Cherry, for colour, added "Put that in your pipe you left-wing kooks" and "I’m wearing pinko for all the pinkos out there that ride bicycles and everything, I thought I’d get it in."[39]
In May 2011, a three-member panel unanimously voted to proceed with an audit of the Mayor's campaign finances after election fraud complaints were made.[40] In February 2012, a Council meeting debated a judgement of the City of Toronto's integrity commissioner, over a matter that the Ford campaign had accepted $3,500 on behalf of a foundation that supports high school football, which was against election rules. The commissioner had ruled that Ford should the money and Council voted for Ford to return the money. Ford had not paid the amount, and the item was addressed at the February meeting. At the meeting, Council voted to not impose any fine or judgment on Ford, overturning the previous ruling. Ford participated in the vote at Council, which then led to a conflict-of-interest charge laid privately by a Toronto citizen and a legal action of civil rights lawyer Clayton Ruby. Ruby's action seeks to remove Ford as mayor and prohibit Ford from entering civil politics for a maximum period of seven years. The action is scheduled to be heard in September 2012.[41]
At the first meeting of the new City Council in December 2011, Council voted to cancel the annual $60 personal vehicle tax passed by the previous Council. The tax cancellation, a campaign promise of Ford's, took effect on January 1, 2011.[42] For the first budget, which was for 2011, the budget was balanced with no tax increases and no significant changes. The budget used a surplus from 2010 and reserve funds to avoid raising taxes. A planned TTC hike was cancelled after Ford objected to it.[43]
For 2012, the Ford administration initiated a consultant review of the services provided by the City. The study included public consultation via online and at public meetings. Participants were asked to group services as 'necessary', 'nice to have', etc. and how to expect to pay for them. Ford himself suggested that the City get out of running the several venues it owns, including the Sony Centre, selling off the Toronto Zoo and closing other zoos run by the City of Toronto. Ford's team promoted a figure of over $700 million as the projected shortfall with no new taxes or cuts made. The budget as proposed by Ford included cuts to various services, including environmental programs, libraries, parks and recreation, and social services, while increasing property tax by 2%, TTC fares and user fees, including those of sports teams of city facilities. In Ford's election campaign, Ford had promised to make savings at City Hall without cuts to services. Two public meetings held at City Hall turned into overnight marathons with hundreds of citizens, labour groups and special interest groups protesting the various cuts. The budget was revised at Council to restore over $18 million of spending and send the administration of the Toronto Zoo and the venues for further study. Three smaller zoos were given deadlines of June 2012 to find other funding or close. Later in 2012, the increases in sports teams' user fees was postponed until 2013. In April 2012, it was found that the City was running a surplus of nearly $270 million for 2011, attributed to greater-than-expected land transfer tax revenues and cost-cutting at city hall.[44]
As part of Ford's campaign promise to "end the gravy train", the administration spent time on consideration of staffing levels at the City. In 2011, the budget committee of Council passed several recommendations to cut staff through layoffs and buyouts. In July 2011, the City offered buyout packages to 17,000 staff, depending on department approval, hoping to cut staff by 2,500 voluntarily.[45] At the end of the period, over 1,000 Toronto staff accepted buyouts. Also in 2011, Council approved the designation of the Toronto Transit Commission as an 'essential service', meaning strikes would not be allowed, and labour agreements would be settled via arbitration. In October 2011, Council also voted 26–16 to 'contract out' garbage collection west of Yonge Street to a private contractor.[46]
In 2012, several of the City's contracts expired with their unionized staff: inside workers, outside workers, part-time parks and recreation staff, paramedics and library staff. Ford and and deputy mayor Doug Holyday put the unions on notice that the unions should expect tough negotiations. The first union to settle was the outside workers, represented by CUPE 416. Negotiations with the outside workers went to the deadline and a deal was made averting a strike or lockout. One major change was the controversial "jobs for life" clause in the bargaining agreement which stated that all permanent employees with 10 years of service or more were guaranteed a job of equal pay for equal value if theirs was contracted out. CUPE accepted a change to 15 years of service under the same provision.. During the 2012 bargaining sessions, Holyday refused to allow the union to employ delaying tactics to drag out the talks until the summer, as they had in 2009 and previous years, by negotiating early and threatening to unilaterally impose the city's offer.[47][48][49]
In other contract negotiations, the paramedics were named as an 'essential service' in the outside workers deal, which meant that the paramedics could not go on strike in the future, and contract negotiations would go to arbitration. This provoked a threatened split from CUPE, but the paramedics eventually voted to accept. The inside workers settled with the City without any strike. The part-time parks and recreation staff initially rejected their first offer, but accepted a revised City offer. The library workers' union went on strike in February and a settlement was made one week later with the City.
After being elected, Ford declared the Transit City transit plan dead.[50] He then proceeded to negotiate a Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of Ontario and the City of Toronto for Metrolinx to build the Crosstown LRT entirely underground while the City of Toronto would build an extension for the Sheppard subway line using its own funds, private funding agreements and any monies remaining from commitments from Ontario and the Government of Canada. Metrolinx subsequently put a stop to the Sheppard LRT project with unspecified cancellation penalties. The Memorandum of Understanding was to be ratified by Toronto City Council, but was not. Ford set up an agency to study funding of the subway project, under the direction of former councillor Gordon Chong. Chong proposed user fees, parking fees and/or road taxes, but these options were rejected by Ford. In 2012, Toronto City Council held a special meeting to overturn the Ford-Ontario plan and voted to put a section of the Crosstown above-ground, and use the savings to build a Finch LRT line. Council decided further to study whether to put a subway line beween the Don Mills Sheppard subway station and Scarborough Town Centre or put an LRT line along Sheppard as far east as Morningside Avenue. The Council meeting, at the instigation of TTC chair Karen Stintz, led to a special TTC management committee meeting where TTC general manager Gary Webster was fired. Council then held a special meeting to depose the TTC committee, removing Ford's appointees from the committee. The Sheppard panel returned in March 2012 with a recommendation to build the LRT option. Although Ford opposed the LRT, Council voted to approve the project. At the last minute, Ford's allies on Council attempted to set up a parking lot fee to help fund the project, but Ford did not support the fee, and his allies could not sway the majority of Council. Ford stated after the vote that this would be an issue in the next municipal election and he would do what he could to prevent the LRT construction and start campaigning to overturn the decision. In April, Metrolinx approved a plan of construction on the LRT transit projects, projecting a completion in 2020.[51]
Ford's mayoralty campaign had seen a polarization of the media, and this continued on into his mayoralty. The Toronto Star newspaper and NOW magazine continued their criticism of Ford. The Toronto Sun newspaper[52][53] and Talk Radio 640 radio station supported his causes.[54][55] Ford had announced his candidacy for Mayor on Talk Radio 640 and gave Talk Radio 640 the first interview after his election.[56]
Not long after his election, NOW published a fake nude photo of Ford on its cover, with a strategically-placed fig leaf. The issue (NOW is distributed as a free weekly) was initially removed from all locations at City Hall and later returned.[57] While Ford did not ask for an apology, his supporters on Council did, but NOW refused. The Toronto Star and Ford began an ongoing dispute. Several columnists regularly wrote critical articles of Ford.[58] In response, Ford refused to meet with Star reporters and in December 2011, the Star filed a complaint with the City of Toronto's integrity commissioner.[59]
Ford took a different approach from his predecessor Miller when dealing with the media. The doors to the mayor's office that had been symbolically open during the Miller era were shut. Adrienne Batra, his press secretary, kept Ford's meeting schedule secret except to freedom-of-information requests. After reporters asked if Ford had met with one of his campaign donors Vaughan developer Mario Cortellucci, Batra stopped including the names of Ford's meeting partners.
On October 24, 2011, Ford was confronted in the driveway of his home by Mary Walsh, a cast member of the CBC satirical show This Hour Has 22 Minutes, in costume as her character Marg Delahunty. Walsh has frequently conducted "ambush" interviews of Canadian politicians as this character, a housewife who dresses in an outfit inspired by Xena: Warrior Princess.[60] When Walsh and the CBC TV crew tried to interview Ford, Ford instead retreated into the house and called 911. Ford called again a few minutes after the first call. In his second call to 911, Ford used obscenities. CBC News reported that Ford had swore at the dispatchers, which Ford denied, although he admitted that he had used obscenities. "After being attacked in my driveway, I hope I can be excused for saying the f-word. I never called anyone any names. I apologize for expressing my frustration inappropriately."[61][62][63] Walsh's segment was shown on television, along with a segment of her interviewing Ford's brother.
In 2012, along with his brother Doug, started a public weight-loss challenge entitled Cut the Waist with an accompanying web site 'cutthewaist.ca'. The site encourages others to lose weight and also encourages pledges to charity for every pound that the Ford brothers lose.[64] In February 2012, Ford, along with his brother Doug, began the The City with Mayor Rob Ford & Councillor Doug Ford two-hour radio talk program on Newstalk 1010 on Sundays. The Fords' show discusses current topics affecting the City of Toronto, with phone-in guests.[65]
In May 2012, when the Toronto Star was investigating a potential purchase of public lands bordering his home, Star reporter Daniel Dale and Ford had an incident. According to Ford, at 7:30 pm, a neighbour told him that someone was taking pictures of his home while standing on a cinder block on public property behind his house, while the property in question is on the side of his house. Ford confronted the reporter and yelled at him.[66] According to Dale, he was "cornered like a rat" by Ford, yelled for help, repeatedly asked Ford not to punch him, dropped his cell phone and digital recorder and ran, scared of Ford.[67] The next day, on Talk Radio 640, Ford stated that he would no longer meet with any City Hall reporters if Dale were present.[68] No charges were laid in the incident.[69]
Ford's father was a Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario (PC) party member and Rob Ford has maintained political connections with the PC and the federal Conservative Parties. Former Ontario Premier Mike Harris regularly gives advice to Ford. A picture of Harris with Ford's father adorns his mayor's office. Ford describes his father as his "political hero, my business hero, he's my hero overall."
In 1999, Ford was arrested in Miami for driving under the influence (DUI) and marijuana possession charges.[71] According to the statement recorded by the arresting officer, Ford was acting nervous, had blood shot eyes and had "a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage on his breath". Ford threw his hands up in the air and told the police officer, "Go ahead, take me to jail."[72] Until he was questioned by reporters,[73] Ford said that the marijuana charge had "completely, totally slipped my mind" because the more serious issue during that arrest was the DUI charge.[74] Ford initially denied the DUI charge, saying instead he was arrested because he "refused to give a breath sample".[75]
On April 15, 2006, Ford (a sitting councillor at the time) attended a Maple Leafs hockey game at the Air Canada Centre. Visibly intoxicated and belligerent, he began to insult a couple seated behind him, who were visiting from out of town. Two security guards escorted Ford out of the building. When confronted about the episode three days later by a National Post reporter, Ford denied even having been at the game, declaring that he hadn't been to a hockey game since Christmas. "This is unbelievable," he told the Toronto Star. "I wasn't even at the game, so someone's trying to do a real hatchet job on me, let me tell you." [76] The following day, Ford admitted that he had lied to the media about the incident, and finally apologized for his behaviour: “That was just stupidity. I feel terrible about it. My wife and I had a little bit too much to drink . . . I made a mistake that will never happen again.” [77]
On March 7, 2007, Ford made controversial comments about cyclists' use of the roads, saying, "What I compare bike lanes to is swimming with the sharks. Sooner or later you're going to get bitten... Roads are built for buses, cars, and trucks, not for people on bikes. My heart bleeds for them when I hear someone gets killed, but it’s their own fault at the end of the day."[78] On May 25, 2009, Ford said, "It's no secret, okay. The cyclists are a pain in the ass to the motorists."
At a council meeting on March 5, 2008, Ford said, "Those Oriental people work like dogs. They work their hearts out. They are workers non-stop. They sleep beside their machines. That's why they're successful in life. I went to Seoul, South Korea, I went to Taipei, Taiwan. I went to Tokyo, Japan. That's why these people are so hard workers (sic). I'm telling you, the Oriental people, they're slowly taking over." [79] Ford later apologized for using the term "orientals", but stood by his remarks, claiming that they were meant as a positive assessment of their work ethic.
- McDonald, Marci (2012). "The Incredible Shrinking Mayor". Toronto Life (May 2012): pp. 40–54.
- ^ Richard Gilbert, "When will Ford's honeymoon end?", Toronto Star, December 30, 2010, A23.
- ^ Goddard, john (October 19, 2006). "Doug Ford, 73: Athlete, business leader, MPP". The Star (Toronto). http://www.thestar.com/Obituary/AtoG/article/108295.
- ^ Rider, David (December 21, 2010). "Rob Ford’s confusing university life". Toronto Star. http://www.thestar.com/news/torontocouncil/article/910648--rob-ford-s-confusing-university-life. Retrieved January 2, 2011.
- ^ Grossman, David (September 13, 2009). "Rob Ford a team player to schools". Toronto Star. http://www.thestar.com/article/694944.
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- ^ a b "Toronto Vote 2003 election results". City of Toronto. http://www.toronto.ca/vote2003/results/textlist.htm.
- ^ Grant, Kelly (March 25, 2010). "Right-winger Ford really a social liberal, brother says". The Globe and Mail.
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- ^ a b c d e Kohler, Nicholas. (2010-10-29) How Rob Ford won Toronto – Canada. Macleans.ca. Retrieved on March 19, 2011.
- ^ Urban Scrawl: Toronto not so divided after all | Posted Toronto | National Post. News.nationalpost.com. Retrieved on March 19, 2011.
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- ^ National Post editorial board (October 27, 2010). "Toronto’s angry (non-white) voters". National Post. http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2010/10/27/national-post-editorial-board-torontos-angry-non-white-voters/. Retrieved March 19, 2011.
- ^ a b A matter of respect: how Rob Ford swept into City Hall. Eyeweekly.com (2010-10-26). Retrieved on March 19, 2011.
- ^ Michael, John. (2010-10-28) The Globe tells us how it all went wrong for George Smitherman (or, five lessons for Adam Vaughan on how not to run for mayor) | Mayor May Not. torontolife.com. Retrieved on March 19, 2011.
- ^ This page is available to GlobePlus subscribers. Theglobeandmail.com. Retrieved on March 19, 2011.
- ^ Don Peat and Antonella Artuso. Rae should pay for party: Ford. Toronto Sun. June 12, 2010. [2]
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- ^ Charlene Close (November 4, 2010). "Council spending included trip to Brazil and private French lessons". 680News. http://www.680news.com/news/local/article/124333--council-spending-included-trip-to-brazil-and-private-french-lessons. Retrieved January 1, 2011.
- ^ Alcoba, Natalie (August 17, 2010). "Computer inside Toronto Star company edited Rob Ford’s Wikipedia entry". National Post (Canada). http://news.nationalpost.com/2010/08/17/computer-inside-toronto-star-company-edited-rob-fords-wikipedia-entry/#ixzz0wtENyrKc.
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- ^ "Contest grows tighter as Thomson drops out, endorses Smitherman". Globe and Mail (Toronto). September 29, 2010. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/toronto/city-votes/contest-grows-tighter-as-thomson-drops-out-endorses-smitherman/article1731621/. Retrieved September 29, 2010.
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- ^ Pom, Cindy (January 1, 2011). "Ford ends personal vehicle tax". 680News. http://www.680news.com/news/local/article/163876--ford-ends-personal-vehicle-tax. Retrieved April 17, 2012.
- ^ D'Mello, Colin (January 11, 2011). "Proposed 10 cent TTC fare hike cancelled". 680 News. http://www.680news.com/city-hall/article/167912--proposed-10-cent-ttc-fare-hike-cancelled. Retrieved May 11, 2012.
- ^ Hopper, Tristin (April 30, 2012). "Real estate boom brings Toronto budget surplus as high as $270-million". National Post. http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/04/30/real-estate-boom-brings-toronto-budget-surplus-as-high-as-270-million/. Retrieved May 11, 2012.
- ^ James, Royson (July 16, 2011). "James: We may not recognize post-Rob Ford Toronto". Toronto Star.
- ^ Jaferi, Natasha (October 25, 2011). "Garbage deal might be ‘too good to be true’, opponents say". Toronto Observer. http://www.torontoobserver.ca/2011/10/25/garbage-deal-might-be-too-good-to-be-true-opponents-say/. Retrieved May 16, 2012.
- ^ "Mayor scores a big win just when it counts". The Globe and Mail (Toronto). February 5, 2012. http://www.dealzoid.com/f50/mayor-scores-big-win-just-counts-518665-post518845/.
- ^ Levy: Union bullies yield to city. Toronto Sun. February 5, 2012
- ^ "Mayor Rob Ford puts other city unions on notice". The Star (Toronto). February 5, 2012. http://www.thestar.com/article/1126777--mayor-rob-ford-puts-other-city-unions-on-notice.
- ^ Babbage, Maria (December 1, 2010). "Ford takes reins at Toronto City Hall, vows to kill transit project". 680News. http://www.680news.com/news/national/article/151395--ford-takes-reins-at-toronto-city-hall-vows-to-kill-transit-project. Retrieved May 7, 2012.
- ^ "Metrolinx approves construction on Toronto LRTs". CTV News (ctvtoronto.ca). April 25, 2012. http://toronto.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20120424/metrolinx-lrt-constuction-plan-120325/20120425/?hub=TorontoNewHome. Retrieved May 11, 2012.
- ^ Warmington, Joe (February 8, 2012). "Scarborough residents, not Ford, the real losers in transit vote". Toronto Sun. http://www.torontosun.com/2012/02/08/scarborough-residents-not-ford-the-real-losers-in-transit-vote. Retrieved May 7, 2012.
- ^ Goldstein, Lorrie (May 5, 2012). "The truth about Ford". Toronto Sun. http://www.torontosun.com/2012/05/04/the-truth-about-ford.
- ^ Oakley, John (March 23, 2012). "Hang Your Heads, Councillors". Talk Radio - AM640. http://www.640toronto.com/Topics/JohnOakley/BlogEntry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10363187. Retrieved May 7, 2012.
- ^ "The price of democracy – having to listen". July 28, 2011. http://burdreport.ca/?p=2298. Retrieved May 7, 2012.
- ^ Alcoba, Natalie (October 27, 2010). "New era imminent at City Hall". National Post. http://news.nationalpost.com/2010/10/27/new-era-imminent-at-city-hall/. Retrieved May 11, 2012.
- ^ "City hall tries to ban NOW Magazine". NOW. April 1, 2011. http://www.nowtoronto.com/daily/news/story.cfm?content=179961. Retrieved May 7, 2012.
- ^ James, Royson (February 21, 2011). "James: Ford’s public transit plan isn’t about public transit". Toronto Star.
- ^ "The Toronto Star takes feud with Mayor to integrity commissioner". Global News. December 01, 2011. http://www.globaltoronto.com/the+toronto+star+takes+feud+with+mayor+to+integrity+commissioner/6442533612/story.html. Retrieved May 7, 2012.
- ^ Shanlin, Calum (April 25, 2012). "WATCH: The Best of Marg Delahunty". CBC. http://www.cbc.ca/live/watch-the-best-of-marg-delahunty.html. Retrieved May 7, 2012.
- ^ http://toronto.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20111027/toronto-mayor-rob-ford-911-accusations-111027/20111027
- ^ "Rob Ford denies calling 911 dispatcher names". CBC News. October 27, 2011. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/story/2011/10/27/rob-ford-911-call.html.
- ^ "Rob Ford statement regarding 911 call". CBC News. October 27, 2011. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/story/2011/10/27/rob-ford-911-statement.html.
- ^ "Mayor Ford's Cut The Waist Challenge". http://cutthewaist.ca/. Retrieved May 4, 2012.
- ^ "The City with Mayor Rob Ford". CFRB. http://www.newstalk1010.com/shows/robford.aspx. Retrieved May 4, 2012.
- ^ Peats, Don (May 2, 2012). "Police called to mayor's home over Star reporter's alleged trespassing". Toronto Sun. http://www.torontosun.com/2012/05/02/police-called-to-mayors-home-over-star-reporters-alleged-trespassing. Retrieved May 4, 2012.
- ^ Dale, Daniel (May 4, 2012). "Daniel Dale: The Toronto Star reporter who became the story". Hamilton Spectator. http://www.thespec.com/news/article/717931--daniel-dale-the-toronto-star-reporter-who-became-the-story. Retrieved May 4, 2012.
- ^ Cross, Allison (May 4, 2012). "Star suggests Ford used reporter’s phone after confrontation near mayor’s house". National Post. http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/05/04/star-suggests-ford-used-reporters-phone-after-confrontation-near-mayors-house/. Retrieved May 4, 2012.
- ^ Alcoba, Natalie (May 9, 2012). "Police not laying charges over Rob Ford, Toronto Star reporter confrontation". National Post. http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/05/09/police-not-laying-charges-over-rob-ford-toronto-star-reporter-confronation/. Retrieved May 11, 2012.
- ^ Dempsey, Amy (August 19, 2010). "‘Go ahead take me to jail,’ Ford told police". Toronto Star. http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/849744--go-ahead-take-me-to-jail-ford-told-police?bn=1/. Retrieved August 19, 2010.
- ^ Rob Ford Arrest Report. Scribd.com (2010-08-19). Retrieved on March 19, 2011.
- ^ Jenkins, Jonathan (August 18, 2010). "Ford dodges pot bust in Florida". Toronto Sun. http://www.torontosun.com/news/torontoandgta/2010/08/18/15067206.html. Retrieved August 19, 2010.
- ^ Grant, Kelly (August 19, 2010). "Ford forgot marijuana charge, confuses impaired driving charge". Globe and Mail (Toronto). http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/toronto/ford-forgot-marijuana-charge-remembers-breath-test-guilty-plea/article1678316/. Retrieved August 19, 2010.
- ^ Lamberti, Rob (August 19, 2010). "'Go ahead, take me to jail': Ford during 1999 arrest". Toronto Sun. http://www.torontosun.com/news/torontoandgta/2010/08/19/15075241.html. Retrieved August 19, 2010.
- ^ Cite error: Invalid
<ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named autogenerated2006; see the help page.
- ^ Diebel, Linda. "Toronto News: Rob Ford’s complicated life". The Star. http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/torontomayoralrace/article/799971--rob-ford-s-complicated-life. Retrieved 2012-05-12.
- ^ "Toronto Mayor: ‘Cyclists Are a Pain in the Ass’". Bicycling.com. 2012-05-03. http://bicycling.com/blogs/thehub/2012/05/03/toronto-mayor-cyclists-are-a-pain-in-the-ass. Retrieved 2012-05-12.
- ^ "Asian Protestors Stage City Hall Sit-In Over Rob Ford's 'Oriental' Comments". CityTV. March 14, 2008. http://www.citytv.com/toronto/citynews/news/local/article/21463--asian-protestors-stage-city-hall-sit-in-over-rob-ford-s-oriental-comments.
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Members of the Toronto City Council
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| Persondata |
| Name |
Ford, Rob |
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| Short description |
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| Date of birth |
1969-05-28 |
| Place of birth |
Toronto, Ontario |
| Date of death |
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| Place of death |
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