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Rob Ford opts out of attending a “gentle” and “welcoming” gay outreach event

(Image: Ryan)

Rob Ford has remained non-committal about whether or not he’d forgo all Pride events this year (we believe his exact words were “We’ll see”), but he has confirmed he won’t be attending an outreach event leading up to the festivities. Ford’s office told organizers that he simply can’t squeeze in a flag raising at city hall on May 17 to commemorate the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia. The event had seemed like the safest bet for a mayoral appearance since it’s usually quite low-key (and Brian Burke would be there, so they could talk about hockey if Ford felt uncomfortable). Kristyn Wong-Tam, who has suggested the mayor is just shy, not homophobic, told the Globe and Mail that the mayor’s presence at the “gentle” and “welcoming” event “might have taken the question away about whether or not he supports the LGBT community.” Instead, skipping out on the flag raising, plus keeping silent while Sun News Network host David Menzies makes bizarre comments about George Smitherman’s sexuality on Ford’s radio show, is keeping those questions very much alive. [Globe and Mail]

The Informer

Mediaocracy

May 7, 2012 | 3:33 pm

2 Comments

Sun News Network’s David Menzies makes Rob Ford’s radio show that much more offensive

Rob Ford ceded the spotlight to David Menzies on his show this week (Image: Blind Nomad)

The Sun News Network’s David Menzies managed to be more controversial than Rob and Doug Ford on the brothers’ radio show this week (considering Mayor Ford’s comments on the show have already landed him in trouble on two separate occasions, that’s a feat). In the wake of the Daniel Dale brouhaha, the conversation this week repeatedly returned to the “left-wing media” and their treatment of the mayor—about which Menzies had plenty to say.

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The Informer

Ford Focus

May 4, 2012 | 12:33 pm

5 Comments

Rob and Doug Ford’s trash-talking may be reviewed by the integrity commissioner

Rob Ford is facing another formal complaint over misconduct, this time for targeting Toronto’s medical officer of health, Dr. David McKeown, on his and brother Doug’s most recent radio show. After the brothers insinuated McKeown should be fired and talked about looking into the doctor’s “embarrassing” $290,000 salary, councillor John Filion, who is also chair of the board of health, stepped in. Filion asked the Fords to apologize to McKeown by yesterday at noon—or else he’d take action against them. The Fords missed the deadline (the mayor was pretty busy) so now Filion will formally ask the city’s integrity commissioner to investigate. [Toronto Star]

The Dish

From the Print Edition

May 4, 2012 | 11:25 am

2 Comments

Reason to Love Toronto: because we’re serious about our bake sales

(Image: Eamon Mac Mahon)

The complaint is so well-worn it’s become rote: Toronto, despite its lively, cosmopolitan dining scene, has an embarrassing dearth of good street food. The villains in this story are antiquated regulations and bureaucratic bungling of the kind that accompanied the Toronto a la Cart fiasco (the name alone elicits a shudder). Last April, a revolution was set in motion when Hassel Aviles, a 31-year-old mother of two, put out a call for ambitious, like-minded cooks to join her for the inaugural Toronto Underground Market, a culinary bacchanal where budding entrepreneurs and home cooks can sell their creations to hundreds of ravenous foodies. The scene at the Brick Works, where the gatherings happen roughly seven times a year, is electric, with hundreds of gourmands comparing notes on their butter chicken and waffles, wild mushroom arancini or huitlacoche taquitos. All the food is prepared in municipally inspected kitchens with a certified food handler present—this is, after all, still Toronto the Regulated. But Aviles’ market is just the kind of grassroots, entrepreneurial operation that was needed to launch Toronto’s street food into the post–hot dog era. And it’s about to get bigger: on May 5, Aviles teams up with Food Truck Eats, a wildly popular gathering of the city’s mobile eateries, to throw an epic block party (capacity is 3,000) at the Brick Works. The event kicks off the Toronto Street Food Project, a broad campaign to get city hall to ease off on some of its more draconian bylaws. Let the foodie revolution begin.

The Informer

Ford Focus

May 4, 2012 | 11:19 am

8 Comments

Reaction Roundup: a few sane arguments (in a whole sea of crazy) about Rob Ford’s backyard showdown

(Image: Christopher Drost)

The strange tale of Toronto Star reporter Daniel Dale’s altercation with Rob Ford keeps escalating (as does our vicarious embarrassment for all the involved parties). Newspapers are drawing up comprehensive maps of Ford’s Etobicoke neighbourhood. Questions are swirling about whether the infamous cinder blocks were moved (and whether Dale could, in fact, balance on them). Speculation abounds over what could have happened if Ontario had a “Stand your ground” law like Florida, and why mysterious phone calls were made from the phone after Dale ditched it.

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The Informer

Ford Focus

May 3, 2012 | 10:47 am

10 Comments

Rob Ford waves his fist at a Toronto Star reporter in a bizarre backyard altercation

(Image: Christopher Drost)

The ongoing beef between Rob Ford and the Toronto Star got real weird last night. Here’s the rundown: around 7:30 pm, a neighbour alerted the mayor that someone was skulking near his backyard. That lurker was Toronto Star city hall reporter Daniel Dale, who was investigating a story about the Fords wanting to buy a small tract of parkland behind their Etobicoke property from the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority for, ironically, security reasons (apparently they want to build a bigger fence). Dale, who, the Toronto Star stresses heavy-handedly, is an award-winning journalist, a familiar face to Ford and a wee fellow, says the mayor (dressed in his own campaign shirt) charged at him, brandishing his fist.

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The Informer

Ford Focus

May 2, 2012 | 1:28 pm

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Shocking news: Rob and Doug Ford sort of don’t agree on something

(Image: Christopher Drost)

Rob and Doug Ford seem to be the same person agree on most things: the war on cars, a love of subway-building and notions that Cut the Waist was a sound idea. But the Globe and Mail has found a mini-rift between the two on the topic of property taxes. Doug, the vice-chair of Toronto’s budget committee, says he’s “absolutely, 100 per cent” in favour of freezing property taxes, while Rob is more reticent, saying he campaigned on holding tax increases to the rate of inflation, not freezing them entirely. It would seem the mayor’s “not quite sure” about keeping property taxes as is for the next few years (and, incidentally, hasn’t entirely ruled out chucking the land transfer if the budget numbers support it). A difference of opinion, sure—but nothing to make Margaret Atwood change her mind about Toronto’s “twin Ford Mayors.” [Globe and Mail]

The Informer

The Harrowing Present

May 2, 2012 | 10:44 am

4 Comments

Kristyn Wong-Tam brings the battle over the long-gun registry to Toronto

The recently cancelled long-gun registry has been a contentious issue in federal politics for years, but the next part of the battle could be fought in Toronto’s city hall. Following in the footsteps of David Miller, who was pro-registry, Kristyn Wong-Tam will introduce a motion at the next city council meeting asking Ontario to fight to maintain the data and allow it to be used by police, and the city’s lawyers to research how they could intervene. The Conservatives—who celebrated the registry’s defeat in February with a classy cocktail party—want to delete all the information collected by the registry since 1995. The Quebec government’s against the purge and Mississauga council already voted unanimously in favour of maintaining the records back in December (for which Hazel McCallion trotted out her fierce “tough on crime” face). It’s yet another example of Mississauga beating Toronto to the punch. [Globe and Mail]

(Images: Guns, simonov; Kristyn Wong-Tam, Christopher Drost)

The Informer

Ford Focus

May 1, 2012 | 2:24 pm

8 Comments

Rob and Doug Ford gang up on Toronto’s chief medical officer

(Image: Christopher Drost)

Rob and Doug Ford may have gone too far in their war of words against the war on cars. On their radio show this week, the brothers targeted Dr. David McKeown, Toronto’s medical officer of health, who last week recommended a city-wide reduction of speed limits (the board of health has since suggested pilot projects to reduce speed limits, but only in neighbourhoods that want them). The mayor called McKeown’s $290,000 salary “an embarrassment” and something he’d look into, while Doug—doing some long-distance bullying from Florida, where his daughter is competing in a cheerleading competition—questioned why McKeown even had the job. That speechifying caught the attention of health board chair John Filion, who promised to see how the board can respond. Apparently it’s inappropriate to publicly criticize an independent staff member for giving fact-based recommendations (NOW Magazine even interpreted the Fords’ comments as a precursor to a Gary Webster–style firing). Though we don’t dispute the Fords’ love of zooming down the freeway, we’re hoping the brash talk is just an attempt to pep up a less than electrifying radio show and not a plan of action. [Toronto Star]

The Informer

Political Whoas

April 30, 2012 | 4:50 pm

2 Comments

Toronto has $138 million more than it thought (but they’re “savings,” not a surplus)

Turns out Toronto’s 2011 budget surplus, estimated at $154 million in January, was actually $138 million more than that—prompting Rob Ford to send an email to city staff praising the “permanent and sustainable savings.” Budget chief Mike Del Grande echoed that terminology on Metro Morning today, explaining why the $292 million are “savings” and not a regular ol’ surplus (in Del Grande’s personal dictionary, a surplus “magically appears,” while savings are planned for). Despite the self-congratulation, several publications chalked up the extra cash not to financial prudence, but rather to Toronto’s booming real estate market, which fueled higher-than-expected revenue from the land transfer tax—a tax that Rob Ford has previously promised to do away with. Others pointed out that former mayor David Miller, whom Ford has characterized as a Spendy McSpenderson, actually brought in bigger surpluses in 2009 and 2010. The only thing that’s not yet up for debate is that the majority of the money will be spent to replace Toronto’s aging streetcars. [Toronto Star]

(Images: Rob Ford, Christopher Drost; Bills, Brian nairB and Lauren Siegert)

The Informer

From the Print Edition

April 30, 2012 | 12:35 pm

1 Comment

Editor’s Letter (May 2012): the city is in the midst of a cultural renaissance—except at city hall

Sarah Fulford The spectacle at city hall has become a common obsession, even among people who never before cared much about municipal politics. It’s part comedy, party tragedy, and overall the weirdest show in town. The carnival-like atmosphere reached its apex when Rob Ford jumped on a giant scale and turned his weight problem into a public exhibit. David Miller, for better or for worse, was at least sensible enough to drop his extra pounds before discussing it with the world. In our cover story this month (“The Incredible Shrinking Mayor”), the writer, Marci McDonald, makes the case that beneath all the Ford family buffoonery is something quite dark. And also sad. The portrait that emerges from her sweeping narrative is of a man who would rather be coaching football than running the city. In fact, he’s a failed football player and reluctant mayor, much like George W. Bush was a reluctant president who really wanted to be baseball commissioner. And it’s no fun to watch someone ill-suited to his job struggle on a daily basis, particularly when the stakes are so high.

If you closely follow the day-to-day skirmishes at city hall—over subways, the waterfront, bike lanes, labour unrest—you might start believing that Toronto is hopelessly debilitated, which just isn’t the case. This is, I believe, a great moment for Toronto. The city is more energetic, creative and prosperous today than maybe ever before. In a recent issue of Toronto Life, we ran a profile of the city councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam, who said something that stuck with me: “Right now city hall is completely out of touch with the urbanism and energy that I feel in our neighbourhoods. We’re in a period of cultural renaissance and transformation.”

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The Informer

Ford Focus

April 30, 2012 | 11:07 am

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A leaked letter from Rob Ford proves he has a plan after all: don’t raise taxes

(Image: Blind Nomad)

The Globe and Mail got hold of an unfinished and confidential draft of Rob Ford’s budget guidance letter to city manager Joe Pennachetti, and (surprise, surprise) the four-page document contains recommendations for tax freezes and private sector partnerships. Ford pushes for a maximum residential property tax increase of 1.75 per cent in 2013 and no increase in 2014 and 2015, plus a three-year freeze for business property taxes (though, interestingly, no mention of messing with the land transfer tax). Ford also calls raising taxes a “last resort, never the first choice” and suggests building arenas and pools through public-private partnerships. It sounds like Ford is plotting his strategy for the rest of his mayoralty right through the 2014 campaign. Sure, the ideas may not be very surprising, but his critics may be surprised to learn that the “nowhere mayor” does, in fact, have a plan. [Globe and Mail]

The Informer

Ford Focus

April 27, 2012 | 2:31 pm

7 Comments

QUOTED: Rob Ford on what he’d like to do with road tolls

(Image: Christopher Drost)

I’m totally, 100 per cent opposed to toll roads. If they want to float it—I’m going to sink it.

—Rob Ford, on how he’d respond to Josh Matlow’s contentious proposal to use road tolls to fund transit projects. Speaking at another city app unveiling, the mayor finally weighed in on what Doug Ford has called the “three attacks” on Toronto’s cars (that is, Matlow’s toll proposal, Metrolinx’s vote in favour of four LRT projects and the chief medical officer’s suggestion to lower speed limits). Despite the Metrolinx board’s approval of the LRT plans, Ford—predictably—said he wouldn’t stop fighting for subways because they’re “what the people want.” But the mayor saved his most eloquent response for the idea of making Toronto’s speed limit 40 km/h, an idea he called “nuts, nuts, nuts, nuts. No.” [CBC]

The Informer

Political Whoas

April 27, 2012 | 11:06 am

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The Mighty Middle needs a few more meetings to figure things out

Josh Colle said the alliance needs more time before setting out priorities (Image: Christopher Drost)

The “mighty middle” alliance garnered rather a lot of media attention before their meeting even happened, so we were anxious to hear what the nine councillors came up with at a two-hour chinwag at a Bay Street office yesterday. Thus far, the message has been: ideas—we’re working on them. Josh Colle, the so-called “dean” of the group (made up of Colle, Chin Lee, Gloria Lindsay Luby, James Pasternak, Ana Bailão, Mary-Margaret McMahon, Karen Stintz, Josh Matlow and John Parker) told the Globe and Mail it’s still too early to have whittled down a set of priorities they plan to bring to council: “I’m not trying to be coy with you,” he told the paper. “We had a two-hour meeting. We’re not all of a sudden going to have a platform document.” While we always love covering drama at city hall, it sounds like the alliance is taking a measured approach, even shelving any contentious transit talk for later meetings—could this be a start to the kind of consensus-building that Toronto has been missing? [Globe and Mail]

The Informer

Ford Focus

April 24, 2012 | 10:31 am

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Rob Ford finally decides he needs an agenda—and he wants council’s help

(Image: Christopher Drost)

In an attempt to woo wayward councillors back to his side and re-inject some direction into city hall, Rob Ford has scheduled one-on-one time with most of city council to hear their priorities—the mayor’s allies, members of the Mighty Middle and even a few of his opponents have met with Ford, or have been scheduled to do so in the coming weeks. According to John Parker, who already hit the mayor’s office for his chat, Ford started his tenure with some clear ideas (privatize garbage pickup! Kill the vehicle registration tax! Subways!). Now, he’s “looking for some thoughts on what his priorities should be as he heads into the middle part of his term. What’s worked well so far? What should we advance?” Sounds like ol’ Fordo has finally taken the hint and is taking steps to form an agenda for the rest of his term (all it took was a columnist dubbing him the “nowhere mayor,” former insiders chewing him out for lack of leadership, and centrists meeting to cook up their own agenda). [Globe and Mail]

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