Toronto ex-mayor Rob Ford has died at the age of 46 after fighting cancer, his family has announced.
Rob Ford, who battled drug and alcohol addiction, was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer in 2014.
He gained international notoriety after admitting smoking crack cocaine in 2013, but he was loved by supporters.
“A dedicated man of the people, Councillor Ford spent his life serving the citizens of Toronto,” his family said in a statement.
Rob Ford could not run for re-election as mayor in 2014 due to his cancer diagnosis, but won a city council seat in a landslide result.
His image contrasted sharply with Canada’s usual calm, buttoned-up politics.
Reacting to his death, Canadian PM Justin Trudeau weeted: “Rob Ford fought cancer with courage and determination. My condolences and best wishes to the Ford family today.”
The current mayor of Toronto, John Tory, said in a statement that “the city is reeling with this news”.
“He was a man who spoke his mind and who ran for office because of the deeply felt convictions that he had.
“I know there are many who were affected by his gregarious nature and approach to public service.”
While serving as Toronto mayor, Rob Ford was videotaped and photographed intoxicated in public areas.
“Yes, I have smoked crack cocaine,” he told reporters.
“But… do I? Am I addict? No. Have I tried it? Probably in one of my drunken stupors, probably approximately about a year ago.”
Despite the crack-smoking scandal, Rob Ford’s popularity remained high with fans lining up to take photo with him.
He appealed to conservative, working-class people with his populist message. Many of his supporters in the 2010 Toronto mayoral election came from the outer suburbs of the city.
One of his key campaign promises was to “stop the gravy train” of government spending and he pledged to end “the war on the car”.
He grew up in Etobicoke, a suburb of Toronto, dropping out of university after one year to work in his family business.
Rob Ford is survived by his wife Renata and his two children, Stephanie and Doug.
Toronto Mayor Rob Ford has been diagnosed with malignant liposarcoma, a “fairly aggressive” rare cancer, doctors treating him have said.
Rob Ford, 45, has a malignant liposarcoma in his abdomen and will begin chemotherapy within 48 hours.
“I’m optimistic about treatment,” said Dr. Zane Cohen, who is overseeing Rob Ford’s care team.
Rob Ford withdrew from his re-election campaign last week after being diagnosed with the abdominal tumor.
The controversial mayor, who admitted to smoking crack cocaine while in office, maintains a strong support base despite calls for him to resign.
Liposarcoma is a rare cancer of the soft tissue which accounts for only 1% of all cancers, Dr. Zane Cohen said at a news conference at Mount Sinai hospital in Toronto.
Rob Ford has a malignant liposarcoma in his abdomen and will begin chemotherapy within 48 hours (photo The Canadian Press)
Rob Ford has a 12cm by 12cm sized tumor in his abdomen and another smaller 2cm tumor in his left buttock, which are believed to have grown within the last three years.
“It’s a rare tumor, a very difficult tumor,” said Dr. Zane Cohen.
He also said this type of cancer had proved to be more sensitive to chemotherapy than other tumors.
Rob Ford will begin a three-day course of chemotherapy at Mount Sinai hospital within the next 48 hours, Dr. Zane Cohen said.
This will be followed by a break of 18 days, and then another course.
Rob Ford will then be scanned to see how his tumor has reacted to the treatment before doctors decide whether to administer more chemotherapy or follow up with radiotherapy or surgery.
He was admitted to hospital last week after months of abdominal pain.
The discovery of a tumor prompted him to withdraw his candidacy from the mayoral election on October 27.
Rob Ford’s brother and political confidant, Toronto Councillor Doug Ford, has replaced him on the ballot.
At the same time, Rob Ford’s name was added to the ballot papers to run for councilor in his old constituency of Ward 2 in Toronto’s Etobicoke North area, signaling his desire to remain a political force in the city.
Rob Ford told the Toronto Sun that he is feeling “pretty sick” in hospital as he undergoes testing for tumors in his abdomen and lungs.
Toronto Mayor Rob Ford, who withdrew from his re-election campaign last week, told the Toronto Sun doctors went “into my lungs” to take “another biopsy”.
Rob Ford has been diagnosed with an abdominal tumor.
His brother, Councilor Doug Ford, has replaced him on the October 27 ballot.
Doug Ford has not yet held an official campaign event, saying he wants to spend time with family while his brother is in hospital.
At the same time as he withdrew from the mayoral election, Rob Ford’s name was added to the ballot papers to run for councilor in his old constituency of Ward 2 in Toronto’s Etobicoke North area, signaling his desire to remain a political force in the city.
Rob Ford’s sudden announcement of his illness and subsequent withdrawal from the race presented a remarkable turn in a tumultuous tenure in the city hall of Canada’s largest city.
Toronto Councilor Doug Ford has replaced brother Rob Ford on the October 27 ballot
Over the past year, Rob Ford admitted to smoking crack cocaine while in office, then did a month-long stint in rehab. He resisted pressure to resign even as the city council stripped him of most of his budget and authority.
Rob Ford continued to run for re-election until last week, when he was brought to hospital after complaining of pain in his abdomen.
He has been in hospital since and is reportedly waiting on results from a biopsy test.
“I’m feeling pretty sick,” Rob Ford told the Toronto Sun’s Joe Warmington, who reported the mayor sounded “horrible” and was “coughing and hacking and talking with a heavy breath”.
The mayor said he was trying to get some work done, ringing constituents.
“It’s pretty tricky right now,” Rob Ford said regarding his health, saying he hoped to recover and go back to “helping people” as councilor.
It remains to be seen whether Doug Ford can pick up his brother’s support.
Other top contenders in the race are former NDP MP Olivia Chow and businessman and former leader of the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party John Tory.
Toronto Mayor Rob Ford has been hospitalized with a tentative diagnosis of a tumor after suffering months of abdominal pain.
Rob Ford told doctors at Humber River Hospital the pain had persisted for at least three months and had worsened in the past 24 hours, the hospital said.
The embattled mayor is standing for re-election on October 27 despite repeated calls for him to step down.
Last year, Rob Ford admitted to using crack cocaine in a “drunken stupor”.
Rob Ford returned to work earlier this year after about two months of treatment for drug and alcohol abuse, which he described as life-saving.
Toronto Mayor Rob Ford has been hospitalized with a tentative diagnosis of a tumor after suffering months of abdominal pain
In a statement, Humber River Hospital said “examination and investigation has resulted in a working diagnosis of a tumor” for Rob Ford.
“The mayor has been admitted to allow for further investigation to obtain a definitive diagnosis.”
In a press conference on September 10, Dr. Rueben Devlin said Rob Ford came in when the pain “became unbearable for him”.
Dr. Rueben Devlin said doctors would need to determine the type of tumor by doing a biopsy. He did not say how long Rob Ford would be in hospital.
Councilor Doug Ford, the mayor’s brother and campaign manager, said his brother was in good spirits and they would not be making any comments about the status of his election campaign at the moment.
“I just wanted to thank the well-wishers for all of the calls,” Doug Ford said, asking the reporters assembled at the press conference to “leave us alone for a couple of days”.
Rob Ford was hospitalized in 2009 for a tumor on his appendix, the Toronto Sun reported.
Toronto Mayor Rob Ford turned back after landing in the US last week, shortly after he announced he was entering rehab, say media reports.
The Canadian consulate said Rob Ford “voluntarily withdrew” his request to enter the US after talks with border officials in Chicago.
Rob Ford’s lawyer and brother have said he is now in treatment for substance abuse, but they refused to say where.
He admitted to using crack cocaine in a “drunken stupor” last year.
Rob Ford has already been stripped of many of his mayoral powers but refused calls to step down, running for re-election in October.
Rob Ford turned back after landing in the US last week, shortly after he announced he was entering rehab (photo The Canadian Press)
The embattled mayor announced he was starting a 30-day treatment course on Wednesday.
The following day, he boarded a plane in Toronto and flew to Chicago.
Roy Norton, the Canadian counsel general in Chicago, told the Globe and Mail Rob Ford had “voluntarily withdrew his application to enter the US” and was “not denied entry, per se”.
He told broadcaster CBC Rob Ford turned back after “discussion” with US border officials.
On Tuesday, Councilor Doug Ford confirmed his brother was in a treatment program but would not say where.
“Yes, for the one-millionth time, Rob Ford is in a rehabilitation program,” Doug Ford said, adding if he identified the location, he feared media organizations would stake it out.
Doug Ford refused to comment on what happened when his brother landed in Chicago.
The mayor’s lawyer, Dennis Morris, also refused to disclose his client’s location but said the “bottom line is he’s in rehab”.
“He’ll be there for a number of weeks – and that’s the answer,” Dennis Morris told the Globe and Mail.
“It’s not like he’s at a baseball game in Los Angeles or something.”
Rob Ford has visited the US this year, going to Los Angeles and appearing on a chat show earlier this year.
Deputy Mayor Norm Kelly will serve as mayor during Rob Ford’s leave of absence.
Toronto Mayor Rob Ford will take a leave of absence to seek help for substance abuse, his lawyer Dennis Morris announces.
Dennis Morris said his client acknowledged he had an abuse problem and wanted to do something about it.
Rob Ford, who is seeking re-election in October, has been stripped of many of his powers after admitting using and purchasing illegal drugs while mayor.
He admitted last year to smoking crack cocaine in a “drunken stupor”.
His admission, following months of denials, came after police said they had obtained a video that appeared to show him taking the illegal drug.
The Toronto Sun quotes Rob Ford as saying he is “ready to take a break” from the election campaign to “go get help”.
Rob Ford, who is seeking re-election in October, has been stripped of many of his powers after admitting using and purchasing illegal drugs while mayor
He told the newspaper he was being urged to not leave the mayoral race by people around him.
“He acknowledges he has a substance abuse problem and he wants to do something about it,” Dennis Morris told the Associated Press news agency.
The newspaper said it had obtained a new audio recording of him making abusive comments about other politicians.
Videos have emerged in recent months showing Rob Ford ranting in an apparently intoxicated state.
Allegations have also surfaced in police documents that Rob Ford used racially abusive language, threatened staff, propositioned a female colleague, and snorted cocaine in a restaurant. He denies these allegations.
Rob Ford was first elected in 2010 to lead Canada’s largest city on a pledge to tackle wasteful spending at city hall. He draws much of his support from the suburban areas of Toronto.
He soon privatized rubbish collection across much of the city and did away with a vehicle tax, but quickly became bogged down in disputes with the council.
In the fallout from the drugs scandal, the city council stripped Rob Ford of most of his mayoral powers and his budget, rendering him effectively mayor in name only, analysts say.
But Rob Ford has brushed aside pressure to quit, saying voters will decide whether to keep him in office in the October election. He has said his “track record speaks for itself”, and recent polls show him running in contention with his chief challengers.
The Toronto mayor faces serious challenges from centre-right candidate John Tory, a broadcaster and former member of the provincial parliament, and former New Democratic Party (NDP) lawmaker Olivia Chow.
John Tory has released a “Code of Conduct” in which he vows to “respect and defend our laws, not break them”, and to “show up for work each day”, in a clear rebuke to Rob Ford’s recent behavior.
Karen Stintz, a city councilor, and David Soknacki, a former councilor, are also running.
Toronto Mayor Rob Ford is set to kick off his re-election campaign at an event his brother and campaign aide has called “history in the making”.
Rob Ford is expected to deliver a 20-minute speech at the Toronto Congress Centre, where he celebrated his mayoral win in 2010.
He has been stripped of many of his powers after admitting to using and purchasing drugs while mayor.
Rob Ford faces two major challengers in the 27 October election.
His brother and campaign manager City Councilor, Doug Ford, said he expected “thousands” to turn out after the campaign sent automated phone invitations to many Toronto residents.
Toronto Mayor Rob Ford is set to kick off his re-election campaign
Rob Ford was first elected in 2010 to lead Canada’s largest city on a pledge to tackle wasteful spending at city hall. He draws much of his support from the suburban areas of Toronto.
He soon privatized rubbish collection across much of the city and did away with a vehicle tax, but quickly became bogged down in disputes with the council.
And over the past year, Rob Ford has admitted smoking crack cocaine “in a drunken stupor” and to purchasing illegal drugs while mayor.
Allegations have also surfaced in police documents that Rob Ford used racially abusive language, threatened staff, harassing a female colleague, and snorted cocaine in a restaurant.
He denies the allegations.
In the fallout from the drugs scandal, the city council stripped Rob Ford of most of his mayoral powers and his budget, rendering him effectively mayor in name only, analysts say.
However, Rob Ford has brushed aside pressure to quit, saying voters will decide whether to keep him in office in the October election. He has said his “track record speaks for itself”, and recent polls show him running in contention with his chief challengers.
On Thursday, Doug Ford told reporters his brother’s campaign kick-off would include “some humility, a lot of accomplishments” but no new campaign policy announcements.
The Toronto mayor faces serious challenges from centre-right candidate John Tory, a broadcaster and former member of the provincial parliament, and former New Democratic Party (NDP) MP Olivia Chow.
John Tory has released a “Code of Conduct” in which he vows to “respect and defend our laws, not break them”, and to “show up for work each day”, in a clear rebuke to Rob Ford’s recent behavior.
Karen Stintz, a city councilor, and David Soknacki, a former councilor, are also running.
Rob Ford’s appearance Monday night on Jimmy Kimmel Live was the culmination of months of wooing by the talk show host to get the Toronto mayor to appear as a guest.
Rob Ford laughed off Jimmy Kimmel’s suggestion that he get help for his drinking problem and was reported to be upset about his appearance on the talk show.
The mayor tossed T-shirts to the audience to loud applause as he came on stage after Jimmy Kimmel introduced him by saying “our first guest tonight has tripped, bumped, danced, argued and smoked his way into our national consciousness”.
Jimmy Kimmel told Rob Ford that if he’s an alcoholic, and drinking enough that he would try crack cocaine in his 40s, “and you don’t remember it, maybe that’s something that you might want to think about, like talking to somebody”.
Rob Ford shot back his head and laughed before saying he “wasn’t elected to be perfect”.
Rob Ford appeared Monday night on Jimmy Kimmel Live
The Toronto mayor made international headlines last year when he acknowledged having smoked crack cocaine while in a drunken stupor. He continues to draw attention for his erratic behavior, but has resisted pressure to step down and is seeking re-election in October.
Earlier during the segment, Rob Ford and Jimmy Kimmel left their seats during the segment to watch a series of videos depicting the mayor of Canada’s largest city in a variety of embarrassing scenes, including a cell phone video of Ford ranting about wanting to kill someone. Rob Ford said he didn’t know who he was talking about in the video.
Jimmy Kimmel also played several other videos, including one from a city council meeting in which he mimes a drunk driver and another that shows him dumping and throwing – not handing – candy canes to children during a Santa Claus parade. The red-faced mayor stood next to a video screen and was asked to comment about each of them.
Before the show, Rob Ford had said that his appearance on Jimmy Kimmel’s show was intended to promote Toronto’s film industry, describing his city as Hollywood North.
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