Two city councillors are asking their colleagues to rename an Etobicoke stadium after the man who presided over the most scandal-plagued mayoralty in Toronto's modern history. And the idea has the current mayor's support.
A
motion added to the agenda of next week's council meeting proposes renaming the stadium at Centennial Park after the late Rob Ford.
The member's motion was proposed by
Paul Ainslie (Scarborough-Guildwood) and seconded by
Shelley Carroll (Don Valley North). A spokesperson for Mayor Olivia Chow said she will back the plan.
The motion states that the city has historically honoured its former mayors, and cites Mel Lastman Square and Barbara Hall Park as examples. As Centennial Park undergoes upgrades, it is the "appropriate" time "to consider renaming the Centennial Park Stadium the 'Rob Ford Stadium' in recognition of his decade and a half of public service," the motion reads.
"All of those who served with Rob Ford on Council knew that he had two passions – representing his constituents not only across the city but in particular in his home community of Etobicoke, and football."
Ford, the brother of Premier Doug Ford, served on council for more than 15 years. He
died of cancer in 2016, at the age of 46.
Early in his political career he gained a loyal following by helping constituents with everyday problems and opposing tax increases at city hall, and he won the 2010 mayoral election handily.
What followed were four tumultuous years during which Ford made international headlines for being filmed smoking crack cocaine, was briefly removed from office for breaking council rules only to be reinstated on a technicality, and was stripped of most of his powers by city council.
