Mayor John Tory takes a crack at Rob Ford’s scandalous legacy
On Friday, February 10, Toronto Mayor John Tory publicly admitted to having an affair with a staffer. How scandalous! Tory, the 68-year-old silver fox, stated that the unlikely pair began their tryst during the COVID-19 pandemic, with their storied romance ending earlier this year. According to Tory, he and the 31-year-old staffer mutually decided to part ways, with Tory describing the development of the relationship as a “serious error in judgment.” Tory proceeded to apologize to his family, including his wife of over 40 years, and the city of Toronto, claiming to be “deeply sorry” for his actions. Tory officially resigned on Friday, February 17.
John Tory famously succeeded Toronto’s sweetheart, the late Rob Ford, as mayor in 2014. Ford paved the way for mayoral scandals after a cellphone video of him smoking crack cocaine in one of his finest white button-down shirts surfaced online. News of Tory’s affair came a mere 3,384 days after Ford (may he rest in peace) publicly confirmed the video’s contents. Tory had big shoes to fill—lest we forget the late mayor’s stint on Jimmy Kimmel Live!. In 2013, after Ford claimed to have smoked crack in a “drunken stupor,” he selflessly declared that he would not be stepping down as mayor “for the sake of the taxpayers.” Put simply, Ford walked so Tory could run. Unlike Ford, who was notably “happily married…[with] more than enough to eat at home,” Tory evidently was not; instead, he found himself in the warm embrace of a 31-year-old staffer.
After winning the 2014 mayoral election, Tory (ironically) promised to unite a city divided by scandal and vowed to restore Toronto’s international reputation. Tory’s legacy centres largely on his affinity for the TTC—which includes rendering much of Eglinton Avenue unusable and a startling recent uptick in TTC violence. Admittedly, in preparation for this article, I found myself scouring the internet in an attempt to discern what exactly Tory has done during his tenure, save his unfortunate engagement with the TTC. I stumbled upon the “About Mayor John Tory” page on the City of Toronto’s website, where Tory has purportedly “worked to build the city up as a global hub for technology and innovation.” Perhaps that’s a stretch? Anyhow, I, like many Torontonians, look forward to the completion of the Eglinton line and riding alongside an increased police presence.
The question becomes: who will succeed John Tory as mayor, and what might their legacy be? This process is governed by the City of Toronto Act. Following a mayoral resignation, City Council must declare the mayor’s seat vacant at the next meeting. Within 60 days of this declaration, City Council must pass a by-law requiring a by-election be held to fill the vacancy.
Deputy Mayor Jennifer McKelvie officially took over on February 17 and will oversee the Office of the Mayor until a new mayor is elected. Until then, let us pour one out for mayors past, Rob Ford and John Tory.
