Tory defends affiliation with Rogers family amidst public feud: ‘People can have confidence in me’
Posted October 27, 2021 4:12 pm.
Last Updated October 27, 2021 4:33 pm.
Toronto Mayor John Tory is defending his ties to the Rogers family amidst the family’s ongoing boardroom struggles and public feud.
Tory is a member of the Rogers Family Trust, which controls 97 per cent Class A voting shares and 10 per cent of outstanding Class B shares. It’s also headed by Edward Rogers, who on Tuesday filed a petition with B.C.’s Supreme Court hoping to legitimize a company board he formed by replacing five of its members.
Rogers was ousted from his role as board chair last week.
On Wednesday, Tory – who has faced criticism for his involvement with the family – said he has nothing to hide and always puts the city first.
“There has never been any secret about it whatsoever,” he said, speaking about the Rogers feud for the first time publicly. “I disclosed it before I was sworn in as Mayor. Every time there was even a hint of conflict, I have declared it.”
Tory says his duty as Mayor takes precedence over everything else in his life; sometimes, even his family comes second.
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“People can have confidence in me and my integrity,” he continued. “I would hope that I can continue with my obligations with the Rogers family and help them through some of the difficulties they’re going through now. There are 25,000 people who work for that company that depends on some kind of stability that I might be able to help with. I will do it never ahead of my responsibilities as Mayor.”
Tory could end up holding a deciding vote moving forward. Edward’s mother, Loretta, and his sisters argue the current iteration of the board is the only legitimate one, saying Edward has no legal case in court.
In a statement to the Globe and Mail, Loretta Rogers says her son’s claims are “as unfortunate as they are untrue.” She says he misled the family about Rogers CEO Joe Natale’s performance – suggesting that the CEO was the reason Rogers was lagging behind competitors Bell and Telus.
The supreme court is set to begin hearing the case on Monday.
Rogers is the parent company of CityNews.
CityNews reporter Charlene Close contributed to this article
