Robert Bruce Ford (May 28, 1969 – March 22, 2016) was a Canadian politician and businessman who served as the 64th mayor of Toronto from 2010 to 2014. Before and after his term as mayor, Ford was a city councillor representing Ward 2 Etobicoke North. He was first elected to Toronto City Council in the 2000 Toronto municipal election, and was re-elected to his council seat twice.
His political career, particularly his mayoralty, saw a number of personal and work-related controversies and legal proceedings. In 2013, he became embroiled in a substance abuse scandal, which was widely reported in national and foreign media. Following his admission, Ford refused to resign, but city council voted to hand over certain mayoral powers and office staff to Deputy Mayor Norm Kelly for the remainder of Ford's term.
Ford took a sabbatical and received treatment for his alcohol and drug addiction. Despite the scandal, Ford initially contested the next mayoral election, scheduled for October 2014, but after being hospitalized and diagnosed with an abdominal tumour in September 2014, Ford withdrew from the mayoral race and registered instead to run for his old city council seat. John Tory succeeded him as mayor on December 1, 2014, while Ford regained his former seat. Ford received treatment for the cancer, and was able to return briefly to council, but died in March 2016 after chemotherapy was ineffective.
Early life
Ford was born in Etobicoke, Ontario, Canada, in 1969, the youngest of the four children (Doug, Kathy, Randy and Rob) of Ruth Diane ( Campbell) and Douglas Bruce Ford. His paternal grandparents were English immigrants. His father, along with Ted Herriott, was co-founder of Deco Labels and Tags, which makes pressure-sensitive labels for plastic-wrapped grocery products at an estimated in annual sales, and was a Progressive Conservative member of the Provincial Parliament (MPP) from 1995 to 1999.
Ford attended Scarlett Heights Collegiate Institute in Etobicoke. He dreamed of becoming a professional football player, and his father paid for him to attend special camps of the Washington Redskins and the University of Notre Dame. After graduating from high school, Ford went to Carleton University in Ottawa to study political science. He made the football squad, but did not play in any games. He left Carleton after one year to return to Toronto and did not complete his degree. After Carleton, he started a sales job at Deco. After Doug Ford Sr.'s death in 2006, the Ford family retained ownership of Deco Labels through the Doug Ford Holdings corporation. Ford, alongside his brothers and their mother was a director of the company.
In August 2000, Ford married Renata Brejniak, whom he had met in high school, at All Saints Roman Catholic Church in Etobicoke. They had been dating since Brejniak's divorce from her first husband in February 1996. Ford lived with Renata and their two children, Stephanie and Doug, in Etobicoke until his death in 2016.
Political career
City councillor
Ford served three terms as city councillor from 2000 until October 2010, representing Ward 2 Etobicoke North. During his term as councillor, Ford was a strong critic of councillors' spending. Ford was known for his controversial comments and passionate arguments at council.
Ford first ran for Toronto City Council in 1997, placing fourth to Gloria Lindsay Luby in Ward 3 Kingsway-Humber. Ford ran for councillor in Ward 2 Etobicoke North in the following election in 2000, getting the endorsement of the Toronto Star. Ford defeated incumbent Elizabeth Brown in what was considered one of several upsets in Etobicoke. According to Ford, "the people said they wanted change and they got change".
Ward 2 is located in the north-west corner of the city in the former city of Etobicoke. The ward's population of over 50,000 in 2006 was 53% composed of immigrants, the largest group being South Asians. It is mixed in nature with 40% of dwellings being single-family detached homes and 35% being high-rise apartments. It is also known as an area that has seen gang violence, including six murders in 2000.
Ford had previously resided in the ward, but moved in 2000 prior to the election, after his marriage, to Ward 4. In 2003, Ford was re-elected with 80% of the vote in Ward 2, defeating two candidates from the local Somali community. In the 2006 election, Ford won again, defeating Somali-Canadian candidate Cadigia Ali, this time with 66% of the vote.