Advertisement

What we would have missed if Mayor Rob Ford had lost his job one year ago today

Toronto Mayor Rob Ford speaks from the council chamber as councillors look to pass motions to limit his powers on Monday November 18, 2013.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young

One year ago today, Toronto Mayor Rob Ford was thrown out of office for breaching the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act. And then things got weird.

Ford vowed to fight the decision, and he did, winning an appeal that returned him to office and gave us a full year of personal train wrecks, political fireworks, threats, crack smoking and memories.

Since Ford held onto his job by the skin of his teeth, Toronto City Hall has become a zoo. Toronto has become a punch line, thanks to its crack smoking mayor, and very little has been accomplished to move the city forward.

But at least it hasn’t been boring.

Here are a few of Rob Ford’s Greatest Hits, which we may have missed if the mayor had been permanently booted from office one year ago today.

Accusations of butt groping

Former mayoral candidate Sarah Thomson claims Ford groped her during a party in March. She says Ford appeared intoxicated or under the influence of some sort of drug. Ford allegedly grabbed her butt and made comments of a sexual nature. Ford denies everything. Thomson's allegations return to the spotlight after Ford's "drunken stupors" confession.

Offered to explain politics to women

In a move that may have been intended as innocent but appeared callous and sexist, Ford offers to hang out with women and explain how politics works. Apparently there aren’t enough women politicians because it is too hard for them to understand. Women in general don’t react well to this.

Caught on video smoking crack?

The headline that launched an all-out war spectacle: Gawker, and later the Toronto Star, report viewing a video of Ford smoking from a crack pipe. The reports are otherwise unconfirmed at the time, but Ford has since confessed to smoking crack and his tune has changed on the existence of the video. But we'll get to that.

Ford denies crack use

“I do not use crack cocaine, nor am I an addict of crack cocaine,” Ford finally declares, a week after allegations first surfaced. The wording of that declaration later becomes very important as Ford insists he never lied about his drug history. Ford claims no one ever asked whether he had ever smoked crack (which is not true, he was asked that multiple times daily). The spiral at city hall continued and the resignation and termination of several key staff members quickly followed.

Subways, subways, subways

Amid the controversy, Ford leads a charge to replace a fully-funded and expansive light-rail transit line through Scarborough with a more expensive, unfunded and shorter subway project. But after declaring a victory for his mandate, Ford announced a property tax increase would be necessary. He more recently storms out of a city hall meeting when it was announced a property tax increase would in fact be part of next year's budget.

'Let's go party'

Ford's troubled personal life rears its ugly head again in August when he appears, heavily intoxicated, at a Toronto street festival. Even some of Ford's strongest political allies begin questioning his ability to govern, and allegations that Ford drove while intoxicated have never been entirely discounted. (Ford has since admitted to drinking and driving, but not in this instance.)

Ford beats Hulk

Rob Ford arm wrestles Hulk Hogan and it is amusing for a while.

Ford smokes "a lot" of pot

After Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau admits to smoking pot, almost every other politician in the country is asked to come clean. “Oh, yeah. I've smoked a lot of it,” Ford says. He would later admit to smoking crack cocaine as well, and also to buying illegal drugs while in office.

Calls for sleeping worker to be fired

The mayor joins Coun. Giorgio Mammoliti and calls for a city worker who was photographed with his head on his desk to be fired. An image of Ford appearing to sleep during a meeting quickly surfaces, and he is questioned about his habit of often not appearing at city hall before noon. Police documents also later sugest Ford occasionally left work to meet with an alleged drug dealer during the work day.

Police confirm crack video

Chief Bill Blair announces that the reported video of Ford smoking from a crack pipe exists and police have recovered a copy. Ford and his brother accuse Blair of some sort of political conspiracy, until...

Ford admits to smoking crack

Ford defends his confession by saying he did it in "one of my drunken stupors." This prompts massive political backlash that leaves everyone from ardent critics to his own deputy mayor calling for him to take a leave of absence.

More than enough to eat at home

Reacting to allegations from released documents in a police investigation into the mayor and his friend Alexander Lisi, Ford denies propositioning a female staff member. "I have more than enough to eat at home," Ford concludes a particularly vulgar diatribe on live television. He later apologizes while he wife stands nearby uncomfortably.

Council hamstrings Ford

City council, finally having had enough of the Ford sideshow, votes to hamstring the mayor and remove many powers and responsibilities. Those powers are shifted to Deputy Mayor Norm Kelly, who promises to not be a bizarre spectacle. Ford, meantime, declares war, verbally attacks Toronto citizens and knocks over an elder councilwoman.

Want to know what news is brewing in Canada?
Follow @MRCoutts on Twitter