The one thing that I think most people remember about Rob Ford is that he was rarely boring.
Friend or foe he was a larger than life character whose legend will surely grow as we tend to remember the good of people rather than the bad…unless they were very bad.
Rob Ford forced his personality into the Toronto Mayor’s seat. Born of privilege, he some how managed to capture the Don Cherry crowd which should never be over looked as an achievement.
Ford’s success showed that you didn’t have to be a factory made slick product that always said the safe thing. He was the anti-politician while at the same time essentially being an old school political shaker.
There are those that totally were in opposition to him holding office such as Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne who posted kind statements about Ford. Her statement below is an example of the type of comments coming from those he fought against politically.
“It was with deep sadness that I learned that former Toronto mayor Rob Ford has passed away.
As the son of the late Doug Ford Sr., a former MPP, Rob Ford grew up in a family with a strong tradition of political involvement and community service. And he upheld that tradition throughout his life. In 2000, at the age of just 31, Rob Ford became a Toronto city councillor for Ward 2 Etobicoke North. He served three terms in that role before being elected as mayor of Canada’s largest city in 2010.
Grave health issues forced Rob Ford to withdraw from Toronto’s 2014 mayoral election campaign. But he demonstrated his fierce determination to continue in public service by campaigning successfully to win back his former position as Ward 2 councillor. Rob Ford earned widespread respect for his unwavering persistence in the face of serious health concerns — which he summed up in a statement released from his hospital bed during the 2014 campaign: ‘Be strong, stay positive and never, ever give up.’
On behalf of the Government of Ontario, I want to express my condolences to Rob Ford’s friends, family and colleagues. Our thoughts and prayers are with them.”
While he’ll be remembered for his antics and addictions by many he achieved much and put Toronto on the map more than any Toronto mayor.
CFN offers our condolences to his supporters and family.
Sad to hear.
My prayers are with Rob Ford and his family and our family knows all too well about being afllicted with cancer. My husband’s nephew only has 5 years left to live with brain cancer. My eldest sister in law lost her life over this dreadful disease including my parents. Rob Ford came from wealth but was down to earth and worked for the people and was not stuck up.
Not a pleasant way to die.
Today I was crying for Rob Ford and I don’t know the man personally. Our family has been through hell and high water over all the deaths in my husband’s family each one dying one after the other with cancer and heart. We have to pray for Rob Ford and for his family to have strength over this horrible ordeal. Yes it is mighty painful and horrible to see. Pray for the family.
He should have a State Funeral for putting Toronto on the World Map.
Not too many crack-heads could do that.
Rob Ford may have had his issues that made him fodder for comics, columnists, etc. But as a politician he did what he thought was right for the people.
Hugger he did what he thought was right for “his people” which included his own and his families interests.
Everyone sees politicians in different light. I see Rob Ford as a good thing for the short time he was mayor of Toronto. You see otherwise. Like I said in another post no matter what a politician does someone will not like what they do.
Whoa, whoa, slow down with the in memoriam accolades. In his public life, and his civic duties, he was a failure… and a blustering buffoon and bully deserves no praise.
The attention he brought to Toronto was well deserved — for the ignorant, and reckless voters that put that hill of beans in office — but not the kind anyone wants.
Really, would anyone wish their child to become a Rob Ford?
Some people liked him, some didn’t. That’s the bad part of being a politician. But if they’re not liked they can be voted out (theoretically) come election time.
Some of you are laughing and shooting down Rob Ford and all the time many of you support drugs and you have voted in Justine and others like him. Rob Ford was a clown but was also a man who cared around the ordinary folks of Toronto even though he was very rich. The man suffered with cancer the most horrible disease there is and died where his family was around him who loved him very much.
He was despite his personal struggles a fellow human being. Warts and all, like the rest of us, not perfect. I feel for his family, friends and all who were impacted by his brief life. Rest in peace.
Jules and I agree? Check out the link below where Rob Ford details how much is wasted on Toronto city councillor “benefits.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dDfr89eRd0
Hugger I looked at the video and I saw something like that before and yes Rob Ford was being honest and told the truth. I did a contract (short of 3 months) in Public Works many years ago and I had to keep track of “taxi chits” and the employees kept coming to me for their taxi chit and I said hold it you will have to pay your own way unless absolutely necessary – there is way too much waste.
Those who were making the big money were the ones who were abusing the system. This is exactly what Rob Ford said and he was absolutely right. Rob Ford wasn’t the only one abusing drugs and his entire family did the same. Many government employees here in Ottawa do the same thing. The people don’t know what is going on and are ripped off. My husband and I were ripped off by the government.
It’s amazing how an abusive thug can be regarded as a saint once he’s dead.
So, now his entire family is? Do you have any proof of this? Issuing these blanket statements on a person who died of cancer is very sad.
Furtz there is one thing about me and that on every column that I came across on the net about Rob Ford I gave the man praise. I have seen Rob Ford do a very good job for the City of Toronto and his family as well. The federal government here in Ottawa has many employees on drugs and I know some of them from past years. Rob Ford was a good man but bad company brought him down along with cancer.
Rob Ford’s abusive behaviour was well documented, as was his propensity to hang out with known gangsters while smoking crack. His drunken antics in public were legendary. And all this while he was the mayor of Canada’s largest city. He was without a doubt the most badly behaved and most embarrassing public figure that Toronto or Canada has ever had to endure. Let’s not now be singing his praises.
Furtz…let’s not forget Ralph Klein. He could given Rob Ford a run for his money in antics.
I feel so sorry for the little girl that Rob Ford left behind and I don’t know how many children that he has but I can tell you that losing a parent is mighty painful to experience especially at a very young age. My prayers are with the children who have to grow up without their dad. We can say all we want but Rob was their dad.