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Toronto, In his first public address since beginning chemotherapy, Mayor Rob Ford rallied a crowd of loyal supporters and vowed that he and his brother will be back on council next term.
“This is amazing. I love you, Ford Nation, I love you,” Ford bellowed to a crowd of hundreds of supporters assembled on a green space near Islington and Highway 401 in Etobicoke for the Family’s annual “Ford Fest” gathering Saturday evening.
Speaking with a hoarse voice and appearing tired at times, Ford took to the podium around 7:30 p.m. and spoke for about 15 minutes, starting with thanks to his loyal supporters.
“Folks, I am so heartened by the support you’ve given me,” he said, standing with his mother, wife and other family members behind him onstage.
The speech marked Ford’s first public appearance since starting a course of chemotherapy to treat a rare form of cancer he was recently diagnosed with.
Speaking to the enthusiastic crowd, Ford likened his health challenge with cancer to his battle with addiction, saying that he would take care of cancer just like he had “taken care of the guy in the mirror who followed him around.”
“With your support I’m going to take care of my health and come back for four years and take care of the people in Etobicoke North in Ward 2,” Ford said.
He also told the cheering crowd that his brother, mayoral candidate Doug Ford, is the best person to lead the city.
Calling his brother his best friend and the next mayor of Toronto, he rattled off a list of accomplishments and goals that the two would continue to work toward, including building subways along Finch and Sheppard avenues and further privatizing garbage collection.
Doug Ford promises to continue brother’s legacy as mayor
Doug Ford, who billed the event as the real campaign launch since he signed up to run for mayor instead of his brother, spoke after the mayor and said he plans to continue the agenda his brother started.
“I’m so honoured and blessed that my brother is here today,” Doug Ford said after being introduced by the mayor. “I always knew Rob was the guy that would change the game.”
“Rob I am so proud of you and I promise I won’t let you down and neither will they,” he said, addressing his brother.
While Doug Ford had previously planned to leave council before signing up to run for mayor instead of his brother, there was no sign Saturday that the older Ford brother will have less support from the family’s loyal followers than the mayor.
For his part, Doug Ford received a rock star’s welcome when he arrived at the festival around 6 p.m. The Etobicoke councilor was instantly mobbed before he made his way to a penned off area where he greeted throngs of supporters and well-wishers, taking pictures and shaking hands as a mix of top 20 hits blared over loud speakers.
With his hair and shirt dripping with perspiration, the mayoral candidate walked the perimeter of the small tent over and over, speaking with throngs of supporters who clamoured for his attention.
One man with a sign wishing Mayor Rob Ford well said he feels the Fords are the only ones who can run Toronto properly.
“The Ford are more truthful, they’re like human beings,” said Etobicoke resident Karl Warych, 30. “They’re not like robots who say they’re going to do things but don’t do it.”
Another woman who said she’s supported the Fords for the past three years, said she thinks Doug Ford runs a good chance of getting elected despite polls that show John Tory leading.
“They just make sense,” said Ford supporter Brenda Portelli. “I think the other ones are totally phony. They (the Fords) really care about the people and the city. It’s as simple as that. They’re down to earth.”
The event drew at least a couple of thousand people and featured rides for kids and free food, with long lines snaking around the grounds for people to get hamburgers and buy Rob Ford bobblehead dolls.
Since announcing that he will run for mayor two weeks ago, a number of polls have found that Doug Ford trails former radio host John Tory by a fairly wide margin of at least ten percentage points, while he is roughly tied with former city councilor Olivia Chow.
