Tory surprised by the backlash to naming a stadium after Rob Ford

But Doug Ford, Rob's brother, blames "disgusting" politics for city council's decision to reject the honour.

Thestar.com
Oct. 5, 2017
By David Rider

Mayor John Tory admits he was surprised by the public backlash to his plan to name a stadium after Rob Ford, but Ford's brother Doug blames "disgusting" politics for city council's rejection of the honour.

Tory said Thursday of the previous night's vote rejecting a renaming of Centennial Park Stadium in Etobicoke to Rob Ford Memorial Stadium: "I think a lot of it had to do with the public reaction to this which was stronger than I expected ... "

The mayor said he was surprised because he doesn't see things, including his predecessor famed for his penny-pinching ways and tireless constituency work, but also for smoking crack as mayor and lying about it, in "black and white" terms.

However, he knows many councillors were urged by their constituents to vote against the renaming.

"The reaction was quite strong, because some (councillors) who had actually been quite supportive of Rob Ford when he was the mayor actually voted against this," Tory told reporters.

The mayor last week wrote to his council colleagues urging them to vote in favour of renaming the stadium, something Doug Ford had publicly urged council to get behind as a tribute to his brother who died in March 2016 after treatment for a rare, aggressive cancer.

Tory told council that Rob Ford had a long record of public service, both as Ward 2 councillor and as mayor. While Ford also said and did some "hurtful" things, naming a stadium after the former high school football coach was appropriate, he argued.

Councillors resoundingly rejected the idea in a 24-11 vote, while also voting overwhelmingly to start community consultations on ways to honour the memories of two other councillors, Pam McConnell and Ron Moeser, who also died this term.

Doug Ford, who was Ward 2 councillor while his brother was mayor from 2010-2014, and who lost to Tory in the 2014 mayoral race after an ailing Rob Ford dropped out, blamed the renaming rejection on his brother's political enemies.

"It's a shame, it's pure politics, they're a bunch of hypocrites," Doug Ford said in an interview. "They preach one thing, about not being divisive, but they're the most divisive group in the city."

He said he heard a couple of days before the vote that his brother's old foes were lobbying colleagues to reject the honour.

"None of these councillors can say Rob Ford said something bad or offside to them," said Doug Ford, who plans to challenge Tory for the mayor's chair in the 2018 municipal election.

"Our family will figure out one way or another how to honour Rob. It's disgusting really. My worst enemy I wouldn't vote against.

"When (ex-councillor and NDP leader) Jack Layton died, Rob told city staff to do whatever it takes to properly recognize Jack, Rob did everything in his power, and then Mike Layton (his son and Ward 19 councillor) votes against this for Rob?

"I feel sorry for my mother and for Rob's kids. They took it terrible."

Layton said in an interview that, after his father's death in 2011, a committee including his sister, two councillors and city staff decided on appropriate funeral honours for his father who, like Rob Ford, lay in repose at city hall so people could pay their respects.

Council eventually voted to name the city's main ferry terminal after Jack Layton.

"My family didn't make a request and bring it to council without public input, I think (the way Ford's proposed honour was presented) was totally inappropriate," Layton said

With his dad "we were part of a dialogue that went through every level of scrutiny along the way. To say that you can just write a letter and have something named after someone because that's what you'd like - it's the wrong way of going about it."

Layton questioned why the Ford family, if it wanted a similar honour, did not go through the same process.