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Rob Ford, Toronto councillor, apologizes for racist remarks

Toronto Coun. Rob Ford has apologized to council for racist remarks he made during his turbulent times as mayor.

Ford, now representing Ward 2, was told last week by the city's integrity commissioner he owed council a "sincere, specific and public apology" for the remarks during an incident at city hall on St. Patrick's Day 2012.

Ford, while in the presence of city staff, referred to a person by a racial epithet and mocked his language, according to a report by integrity commissioner Valerie Jepson.

He apologized during a council meeting on Tuesday morning.

"I'm aware of [the] hurtful nature of my comments, and they are absolutely unacceptable," Ford said.

"I am deeply ashamed of what I said, and I recognize that they bring discredit to myself and council as a whole. I wish to offer my heartfelt apology for my words and actions."

The same report also quotes Ford, in a separate incident in March 2014, having said: "Nobody sticks up for people like I do, every f—ing k—e, n—r, f—ing w—p, d—go, whatever the race."

Ford has not denied he made the remarks and, in his response to Jepson, said he apologized when he returned from a leave for rehab for alcohol abuse on June 30, 2014.

Jepson said that broad apology was not enough, and that the former mayor needed to apologize specifically for the March 2012 incident.

Ford was mayor between 2010 and 2014. He famously admitted he smoked crack during his tenure and attributed some of his behaviour, specifically using offensive racial language, to his addiction issues.