Some of the memorable media moments of Toronto Mayor Rob Ford and his brother Coun. Doug Ford
Mayor Rob Ford – COURTESY WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
By Patricia Brotzel
From Mayor Rob Ford’s difficulty on the road, to Coun. Doug Ford’s comments on the media, there has been a lot of coverage on the Fords’ behaviour.
Monday October 24, 2011
Who’s the Mayor?
This Hour Has 22 Minutes actress Mary Walsh, dressed as her TV character Marg Delahunty, appeared early one morning in Rob Ford’s driveway.
Dressed up as a warrior princess and wielding a plastic sword, Walsh apparently startled the mayor who retreated to his house to call 911.
Ford called the dispatchers back to hurry the police along.
Ford said to the dispatchers “you… bitches! Don’t you f–king know? I’m Rob f–king Ford, the mayor of this city!”
Wednesday May 2, 2012
Not in my Backyard
Toronto Star reporter Daniel Dale dug a little too deep into a story when he set out one evening to explore a plot of land behind Rob Ford’s house.
The approximate location of Mayor Rob Ford’s house. COURTESY GOOGLE MAPS
Ford was trying to buy the land from the Toronto Regional Conservation Authority and Dale was writing about the property.
Around 7:30 p.m. Dale wandered through the public lot next to Ford’s house.
After a short while Dale said an agitated Ford appeared behind him, accusing him of spying.
Mayor Ford then reportedly raised his fists and charged.
Dale tossed his phone and tape recorder and ran, he later said to the Toronto Star in an account of the incident.
Read Daniel Dale’s tale of his run in with Rob Ford here.
Wednesday June 27, 2012
Streetcar driver scolds mayor
A streetcar operator left his seat to scold a driver that drove past the open doors of his streetcar and found himself face-to-face with Ford.
Ford later called TTC CEO Andy Byford to complain about the driver.
Sometime mid August around 10 a.m. on the Gardiner . . .
Reading behind the wheel
The Gardiner Expressway. COURTESY WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
A photo on Twitter started circulating of Mayor Ford reading papers behind the wheel of his black Cadillac Escalade.
It was posted by user @RyanGHaughton who tweeted afterward “the picture was taken around 10am while on the Gardner [sic] and traffic was moving at about 70 km heading eastbound just by Jameson.” @RyanGHaughton has since disappeared from the twitter sphere.
The picture had an effect on Doug Ford’s sense of brotherhood and as he told the media he would force the mayor to get a driver.
Doug Ford’s campaign to put Ford in the passenger seat ended shortly after though.
When asked if he had been reading behind the wheel, the mayor said at a press conference, “Yeah, probably. I’m busy. I’m trying to catch up on my work and, you know, I keep my eyes on the road, but I’m a busy man.”
Tuesday September 18, 2012
Winnipeg vs. Windsor
People were left wondering how many geography classes Mayor Ford skipped as a child when he confused Winnipeg with Windsor.
The Mayor was on a trip to Chicago and taking a moment to see the landmark Chicago Bean sculpture in the city’s downtown. CBC caught video of Ford chatting up a set of tourists, who said they had been to the part of Ontario just across the bridge from Detroit.
Ford replied with gusto, “Oh Manitoba! You were in Manitoba. Winnipeg.”
Sunday September 23, 2012
Brothers Ford on the Media
Coun. Doug Ford ranted his way into the media’s bad books after he lambasted the press on the weekly Sunday radio talk show he and Mayor Ford host on Newstalk 1010.
Doug Ford said members of the press are like “a bunch of little sucky little kids.” He followed up by saying “they whine and cry and moan.”
Not to be outdone, Rob Ford added, “they’re pathological liars, that’s what drives me nuts.”
LISTEN: Mayor Rob Ford and Coun. Doug Ford on Newstalk 1010 here.
Monday September 24, 2012
Doug Ford on the Media
Coun. Doug Ford brushed off the media who were asking for further explanation on his “little sucky kids” comment from the day before.
He told the press he didn’t have time to talk and was heard saying under his breath: “bunch of pricks.”
While he told Sun News later he regretted the comment, he later appeared on AM640 where he told Arlene Bynon “It’s very simple, in my opinion, they are.”