Rob Ford Biography

Rob Ford was the mayor of Toronto whose political career erupted in a whirl of drug-related controversy before his death at age 46. Ford was “the world’s most famous mayor during a wild, scandal-filled term,” the Toronto Star said after his death.

Rob Ford was born into a wealthy family; his father, Doug Ford Sr. was the founder of Deco Label and Tags and was a member of the Ontario Legislature from 1995-99. Rob Ford also took up politics, serving as a Toronto city councillor from Ward 2 Etobicoke North from 2000-2010. He was elected mayor in 2010 and took office on December 1, 2010.

As mayor, Ford staked out turf as a cost-cutter, eliminating personal vehicle taxes, cutting the Mayor’s Office budget by $700,000 and privatizing garbage collection in the city. But he became globally notorious in 2013, when media outlets began pursuing a video that reportedly showed Ford smoking crack. Throughout the year the mayor’s behavior grew more erratic; he appeared intoxicated in public and rumors circulated of  sexual harassment of staff members and other shenanigans. Big, florid and rambunctious, Ford looked the part of an out-of-control party hound. He eventually admitted to smoking crack (while insisting he was not an addict) and went into rehab for two months in 2014. He ignored calls to resign and defiantly made plans to run for mayor again in November of 2014.

But while running for re-election, Rob Ford was diagnosed with pleomorphic liposarcoma, a rare and aggressive cancer. He gave up his bid for mayor, leaving office after one full term in November 2014. At the same time he was reelected as a city councilman from Ward 2 (Etobicoke North), winning 60% of the vote. He underwent surgery in 2015, but died of the cancer in March of 2016.