City councillors take time to remember Rob Ford
Members of Toronto City Council used the first hours of Thursday’s meeting to pay tribute to former mayor Rob Ford.
“We will miss Rob Ford here,” said Mayor John Tory. “As much as there could be moments of aggravation when you’d have these debates and discussions – whether it’s here or elsewhere with him – you knew that his heart was always in it, trying to move things forward and trying to make things better for some of the people he felt he was speaking for.”
Ford, the 46-year-old Ward 2 city councillor, died last week following a battle with a rare form of soft-tissue cancer. His funeral was Wednesday.
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“By taking positions that challenged the status quo, Rob Ford also challenged all of us,” Tory said. “I will continue to carry forward what Rob Ford and others have taught us, which is respect for taxpayers and their money.”
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The tributes to Ford took up the first two hours of the meeting and involved dozens of councillors.
“While we were angered sometimes, and questioning his tactics in this chamber, he was out creating a movement,” said Coun. Giorgio Mammoliti. “He was satisfying the need to get to the grassroot Torontonians and to satisfy himself that this city was reacting to their complaints, and he felt that he needed to do that.”
“Rob didn’t actually have a mean bone in his body,” said Coun. Michael Thompson. “No matter what happened, he would always use the expression or talk about ‘water off a duck’s back.'”
“What I think I learned from Rob Ford is the word generosity,” said Coun. Stephen Holyday. “He always found a way to give some of his time to everybody.”
Council will not make a decision on filling Ford’s seat until their May 3 meeting. At that point, council could appoint someone to fill the seat or hold a byelection.
