Mayor Ford's family tree includes "unruly" branch, says ancestry tracker

A news release from Ancestry.ca:

"Why is Rob Ford such a nonconformist mayor? From antagonistic run-ins with the media to his notorious outbursts on council floor, the source of Ford’s ways may lie in his family tree.

Ancestry.ca, Canada’s leading family history website, has recently uncovered that Rob Ford’s paternal grandfather, Ernest Ford, was sent to Canada from England as a part of the Child Immigration scheme. Moreover, historical records may suggest that Ernest was sent away because he was unruly.

Following the death of his mother in 1900, Ernest is listed in the 1901 British Census living with his widowed father and grandmother in Warwickshire, England. Despite having next of kin with whom he could have lived, Ernest was shortly after sent to Middlemore Homes, an institution known for taking in children who were either truants, disorderly or orphans for the purpose of being sent to Canada.

Between 1833 and 1939, approximately 100,000 children were sent to Canada from Great Britain. At the age of 11, Ernest can be found in the Canadian Passenger Lists migrating to Canada as a Home Child in 1902. He travelled with 32 other children in “steerage” aboard the ship Siberia.

These newly discovered facts are especially compelling as Rob Ford’s paternal grandfather later claimed that he was born in Canada. Ernest Ford reported that he was born in Portage Vale, New Brunswick on his military papers and marriage certificate, both of which can be found on Ancestry.ca. However, Ernest’s birth and christening records show he was born in Birmingham, Warwickshire, England.

If Toronto’s mayor does come by his tendances through his paternal line, if history is any guide, perhaps there is hope for a more conciliatory Rob Ford in the future?

Ernest appears to have made great contributions to Canada following his arrival and was awarded a “Good Conduct Badge” in 1917 for his military service in the Great War, and three additional awards in the Canadian Expeditionary Force: a 1914-15 Star, the British War Medal, and the Victory Medal.

Ernest Ford was the father of Doug Ford Sr., the idol to sons Rob and Doug Jr. whose likeness still appears in a framed picture in the mayoral office. Doug Ford Sr., the rags-to-riches businessman, athlete and Conservative MPP in the Mike Harris government, passed away in 2006."

What Ford is telling Torontonians about his Star freeze-out

Below is the response Toronto Mayor Rob Ford is emailing to people who contact his office complaining about the fact that Toronto Star's city hall bureau has not received official communications from his office since January.  Ford is technically correct in saying the bureau gets news releases and other communications from the "City of Toronto" -- the communications arm of the bureaucracy. He does not acknowledge that news releases, statements and other communications from his office do not go to Star reporters, who were told in January that they were being taken off the list at his request. (The bold type is at it appears in the original message)

From: Mayor Ford [mailto:Mayor_Ford@toronto.ca]

Sent: Friday, December 02, 2011 11:39 AM

Subject: Re: Boycotting the Star

 

Thank you for your email regarding the relationship with the Mayor's Office and the Toronto Star.  This is an issue that stems from a factually incorrect article the paper wrote while I was a candidate for Mayor.  The Toronto Star has still taken no responsibility for their mistake.

To be perfectly clear, the Toronto Star receives all notifications, press releases, media advisories from the City of Toronto.  Their reporters are welcomed into the Mayor's Office during media availabilities with the rest of the press gallery.

As the Mayor of Toronto, I'm accountable for my actions and I believe the media also has an equal responsibility to provide the facts to their audience to whom they are accountable

I appreciate you taking the time to share your concerns. Please feel free to contact my office again at any time.

Yours truly,

Mayor Rob Ford

City of Toronto

 

Supporters of Mayor Ford's Port Lands plan, and other waterfront reflections

It was a busy week on the Port Lands file. Despite writing several stories, many of my interviews never made it into print. Below are some of them. They were conducted Thursday and Friday.

But first, two points that sometimes get lost.

1. While the visions of Waterfront Toronto and the Toronto Port Lands Co. are very different in terms of components (parks, flood protection, retail, etc.) perhaps the most critical difference is in their business models. Waterfront Toronto is using its seed money to service -- put in sewers, water, roads and other infrastructure -- land in the centre of the Port Lands with the first neighbourhood. That will raise the value of the land. After it's sold to developers, the proceeds will be used to service the next parcel. The more services, the more development, the more people living and visiting, the higher the value of the land. That's most true for residential, less so for commercial. The model proposed by the Fords and Toronto Port Lands Co. is to sell unserviced land, at cheaper prices, to developers who will pay to put in the infrastructure. They argue that the more intense commercial development in their plan will lead to higher tax revenues for the city, more job creation for residents and more revenue from tourists, lifting the eonomy as a whole. Proponents of Waterfront Toronto's model say you use seed money to maximize the value of the land and get a livable, sustainable vibrant waterfront community.

2. For the Fords, the key is that proceeds from the land sales flow into city coffers and not to Waterfront Toronto. Look for any amendments coming from the mayor's office or its proxy to preserve that goal. The budget chief, Councillor Mike Del Grande, has linked the need for revenue from land sales to the city's budget shortfall that he pegs at $774 million. When councillors have raised concerns with Doug Ford that his plan is a fire sale of land to plug the budget hole, he denies it, but they note both he and the budget chief have publicly linked the opportunity and the problem.

Here are the interviews:

Councillor Norm Kelly, Ward 40 Scarborough-Agincourt, chair of the parks and environment committee and member of Mayor Rob Ford's executive committee: "Absolutely" supports negotiating with senior levels of government to regain sole land of the Port Lands from the intergovernmental Waterfront Toronto. "I want an area that's livable, commercially viable and affordable, and creates more jobs faster than in the projected roll-out of Waterfront Toronto's plan." Kelly, a former chair of history at Upper Canada College, used the rallying cry from Quebec's Quiet Revolution "Maîtres chez nous" (masters of our own house) to describe Toronto's need to take back full control of its eastern waterfront from Waterfront Toronto. However, he applauded Waterfront Toronto for creating some "fabulous" parks. "I think that, given the changing context in the city (referring to the budget shortfall) the government of Toronto has an obligation to review everything at its disposal." When asked about the 147 planners, architects, designers and other experts who wrote an open letter to councillors asking them to stick with Waterfront Toronto's Port Lands plan, Kelly said: "There seems to be an orthodoxy out there and orthodoxies need to be challenged. We can accelerate the value of this land sooner rather than later, and what's wrong with that?"

Councillor Paul Ainslie, Ward 43 Scarborough East, chair of the government management committee and a member of Ford's executive committee: "I support the new vision. We need to get the private sector involved, create new partnerships. It's a vision, it's not set in stone. I fully don't expect to see a ferris wheel on the Port Lands." Ainslie said he's willing to look at the idea of a monorail. He said he had asked proponents of the Waterfront Toronto plan where they would get the $654 million needed to implement its flood protection plan, which includes a new "naturalized" mouth for the Don River. They didn't know and suggested the federal and/or provincial governments, but little had been done to press the senior Waterfront Toronto partners, he said. (Waterfront Toronto says council will next week see its plan to pay for flood protection. Since the ageny has no ability to borrow, it's believed they will suggest the governments guarantee loans against the future value of the land.) Ainslie said people talk about what a great job Waterfront has done on projects including Sugar Beach ("there's sand but you can't swim there") but the ageny has done nothing attention-grabbing to get his Scarborough constituents to make a point of visiting them. "We can go to Rouge Beach and actually swim in Lake Ontario. Today, after 10 years, what have we got that makes me want to go to the Port Lands? Absolutely nothing." Ainslie said he's willing to consider a compromise between the two visions "but I want to see things get built."

Councillor Frank Di Giorgio, Ward 12 York-South Weston, a council centrist who generally backs Mayor Ford.He said Thursday he was trying to assess both sides, adding "there's an element of time and public investment that needs to be looked at very closely." All kinds of schemes can be put forward for the waterfront "but at some point we need realistic costing and ask, is it doable?" He said Waterfront Toronto's plan might not be doable and "we may proceed in a slightly different way, looking at reviewing the situation, reducing the costs overall in grandiose schemes. Waterfront Toronto is heavily reliant on public investment before anything can happen." He favours the Fords' approach, where developers who buy the land pay for infrastructure, rather than Waterfront Toronto's, where the agency services the land to raise the value of it, then sells it and uses the proceeds to service more of the land. He said the Waterfront Toronto vision "will take two lifetimes, maybe three to come to fruition." Di Giorgio said Waterfront Toronto's plans for mixed-income condos are not realistic, that the economics don't work and only wealthy people will be able to afford to buy on the waterfront. "It's a fallacy, it's pie in the sky to sell this based on mixed communities."

Councillor Gary Crawford, Ward 36 Scarborough Southwest, a rookie conservative who often backs Ford: Interviewed on Thursday, he was unsure how he would vote and was waiting to talk to Waterfront Toronto representatives that afternoon. "I'm assuming there is going to be amendments or compromise, I haven't made any decisions yet. What's coming before council isn't this wonderful grand design. We're not voting on a ferris wheel. I, like everyone else, have concerns about that vision. "It's about the environmental assessment and the watershed aspect. Am I comfortable with Waterfront Toronto on its environmental assessment. Once the watershed questions are decided, that determines where we go." He expected there to be attempts at compromise. "I'd like to see the two sides work together." He would like to see Waterfronto Toronto move quicker with its plans. "Is there an opportunity to develop that entire parcel quicker than 25 years? Waterfront may come back and say they can do it quicker."

Mary-Margaret McMahon, Ward 32 Beaches-East York, a rookie centrist who is a fiscally conservative environmentalist. She is organizing council opposition to Ford's plan to turn control of waterfront development over to Toronto Port Lands Co., which is charged with leasing waterfront land and cleaning polluted soil but has, apparently at the behest of the Mayor and Councillor Doug Ford, presented the alternate "vision." She believes their plan would be a planning and environmental disaster and that putting a huge shopping centre ("They say it's a town centre but whether it's outdoor or whatever it's a megamall - we're talking thousands of parking spaces on the waterfront) in the Port Lands is madness. She says she formed her opinion after taking office and going to Waterfront Toronto and seeing their plans and projects and being extremely impressed with their soil remediation works. When the alternative waterfront vision became public, she started organizing "field trips - I used to be a teacher" taking councillors to Watefront Toronto's Bay St. office to get their side of the story. She is targeting centre and centre-right councillors -- the swing votes. Those who have gone or are scheduled to go before the council vote include Chin Lee, Ana Bailão, Michelle Berardinetti, James Pasternak, Frank Di Giorgio, Raymond Cho, Jaye Robinson and Mary Fragedakis. On the thorny point of compromise, McMahon says she could live with "some more retail, some more boutiques along the canal", but not much more. Waterfront Toronto and the Toronto Port Lands Co. "are so far apart in their visions I have trouble seeing how co-operation would work. Doug Ford really wants to really develop the Port Lands. I mean, a megamall! I don't like malls anywhere but on our precious waterfront? I would like to see the agencies work together but I can't compromise Waterfront Toronto's vision." Doug Ford has lobbied McMahon. Asked if she thinks Ford would be willing to compromise on his vision -- "he really believes in developing this as a destination, an entertainment district, full on" -- McMahon sees one critical sticking point. Ford is adamant that the money from land sales must flow into city coffers. Under the current plan, the revenue would go to Waterfront Toronto to spend on servicing new parcels of land for sale. Asked if she thinks she has the votes at council to defeat the motion to start negotiating with senior governments to regain sole control of the land, McMahon says: "I don't know. I think it's going to be very, very close."

Michael Thompson, Ward 37 Scarborough Centre, chair of the economic development committee and a member of Ford's executive committee. Thompson says he believes both the Fords' vision and Waterfront Toronto's vision can be accommodated, and public consultation is needed to strike the right balance. He says he would vote to start the process of regaining complete control of the Port Lands. He suggested the memorandum of understanding with senior governments that governs Waterfront Toronto could potentially be renegotiated so that some of the money from land sales would flow directly to the city treasury, and some would stay with Waterfront Toronto.

A final observation gleaned from the interviews above and others: Nobody is more responsible for the current debate than Doug Ford. Councillors of all stripes said his interview on CBC Radio, laying out a detailed malls-and-monorail vision, and revealing that the vision had been presented to people, was a tactical error in revealing the alternate Port Lands vision before it was ready. The Toronto Port Lands Co. representatives briefing councillors on the merits of their vision have admitted as much and so, to a degree, has Ford himself. The result was a half-baked presentation to executive committee, a headache for the Ford administration while it's trying to get support for deep cuts to city services, and the alienation of Ford allies including two members of his executive committee. But councillors of all stripes also commented that, painful as it is, the debate is a good thing in that it thrust Toronto's waterfront to the top of the city's mind at a time when most people were, at best, only vaguely aware of development plans. No matter the outcome of next week's council meeting, nobody can say Torontonians looked away from the lake.

Mayor Rob Ford ally Councillor John Parker backs Waterfront Toronto

In an e-newsletter to residents sent Friday, Councillor John Parker, deputy speaker and an ally of Mayor Rob Ford, strongly rejects the mayor's push to seize control of the Port Lands from Waterfront Toronto and replace its mixed-use neighbourhood plan with a shopping centre, attractions and more.

Here's his message:

From:   John Parker

            Toronto City Councillor

            Ward 26 - Don Valley West

 

Ward 26 residents have asked me to comment on where I stand with respect to the recent proposals considered at Executive Committee with respect to the development of the portion of Toronto's waterfront area known as the "portlands".

 

Many Ward 26 residents will remember that I hosted a public meeting on the subject of Toronto's waterfront plan about two years ago. At that meeting residents were made aware of the tripartite federal/provincial/municipal commission established some years ago under the name "WaterfronToronto" with responsibility for environmental remediation and urban development initiatives in this long neglected part of the city.

 

Those seeking further detail as to the recommendations of WaterfronToronto would do well to visit their website at www.waterfrontoronto.ca.

 

The recommendations that recently came before the city's Executive Committee can be reviewed at http://app.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgendaItemHistory.do?item=2011.EX9.6

 

The recent recommendations to the Executive Committee include removing a portion of the waterfront lands (the "portlands") from the remit of WaterfronToronto and having the city manage them according to a revised set of development criteria.

 

My thoughts on the matter can be summarized thus:

 

1.     I have always favoured having the present tripartite commission (WaterfronToronto) take the lead in matters relating to the development of Toronto's vast waterfront lands. I do not favour giving over a portion of the land to another party – even if it is the City of Toronto or one of its corporations – to develop independently. I have the concern that removal of any significant component of the whole will interfere with the execution of the overall vision for development and lead to the possible unravelling of the tripartite approach generally.

 

2.     I favour the environmental goals and remediation plan set out by WaterfronToronto. This includes the creation of a naturalized Don River mouth as developed by WaterfronToronto in collaboration with the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA), of which I am a member. I do not favour abandoning this approach for any alternative that I have yet seen, and I do not see good reason for doing so.

Further on that point: The current plan for the mouth of the Don is the product of years of collaborative work. It takes into account the needs of flood protection across the waterfront lands and upstream under extreme weather conditions, as well as lake water quality and water turbulence criteria under normal circumstances. Before I can support any alternative proposal I need to be convinced that it addresses these priorities satisfactorily.

Apart from the foregoing, the current plan is advancing toward regulatory approval. Changing the environmental plan risks upsetting the existing timelines.

 

3.     As for the development proposal itself, I am inclined to favour the original approach - mixed use - over the new proposal, which relies heavily on large scale commercial development. I believe that redevelopment of the vacant waterfront lands gives us a chance to build a community comprised of all the ideal elements – our chance to build the city that we wish we always had. To my mind this is what the original development model aims at. I have not been convinced that new commercial development in this area is needed or that its merits outweigh those of mixed use development. I also have questions concerning its likely effect of attracting the infiltration of cars from other regions and also its potential impact on the city's existing commercial areas, including the downtown commercial zone.

 

4.     I am uncomfortable with the transit system that is proposed in the recent recommendations. Whatever its value to the portlands, I have the concern that it may not be well suited to serve any of the other waterfront development areas. Transit systems are enormously expensive to build and operate (I am a TTC commissioner so I am confronted by these realities regularly); they must therefore be developed with considerable attention to cost, value, and impact on city building goals.  (Make this one of the reasons why I favour making all waterfront lands subject to a consolidated, coordinated development plan under a single authority rather than severing one component for independent development.)

 

The new proposal has some exciting elements: adaptive reuse of the enormous former Hearn station for recreational purposes, a yacht club in the harbour area, attractive roadways, streetscapes, etc.  These are all worth looking at closely and adopting as part of the overall plan if practical. To my mind these elements can be considered within the context of the existing proposals and possibly introduced by way of amendment. I do not see a need to reject the current plan altogether in order to include certain good new ideas.

 

In short, I support taking a good look at the new proposal and determining the practical impact of its recommendations. I see a number of hurdles to overcome in advancing its recommendations. On the key features I am going to need a lot of convincing before I can be persuaded to change course. In general approach I do not support abandoning the present tripartite commission as lead player.

 

I am hopeful that, if everyone just takes a deep breath, the best ideas in the new proposal – if they test out after due analysis – can be adopted by way of amendment without jeopardizing the development plan and approach currently in place. My efforts as a member of council will be applied towards that end.

 

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Parker E-News is circulated every now and then to email addresses on my e-News subscription list. It is intended to keep Ward 26 residents and other interested persons updated on matters of possible interest.

www.johnparker.ca

facebook: Councillor John Parker

twitter: johnparker26

"Dawn of a new Gay" author's take on Rob Ford and Pride

First, The Grid published Paul Aguirre-Livingston's essay, "Dawn of a New Gay", that argues he's part of a twentysomething generation of urban gays who, by dint of their social freedom and opportunities, "don’t need to categorize or define ourselves as gay." He goes on to say: "We don’t march in Pride and we probably never will. (After-parties only, please.)"

The essay ignited such a backlash that The Grid felt compelled to publish an explanation of why it was published.

Then, Mayor Rob Ford announced he was going to the cottage instead of continuing a 13-year tradition of Toronto mayors marching in the Pride parade. Neither he nor his staff have explained why Ford doesn't plan to go to one of the many other many Pride activities.

We wondered if Aguirre-Livingston would be as disappointed with Ford as some of the Pride supporters who criticized his essay.

He answered our questions, with the caveat: "I don't shun Pride (in fact, I loathe that word - shun) - it's just not 'my thing' right now. I do, however, enjoy all the events before, around and after it, for the record!"

Here is his take on Ford and Pride:

Q: What do you make of Rob Ford’s actions?”

A. I think it's unfortunate that the city has such a half-hearted, short-sighted mayor like Ford. His decision to forgo Pride, although equally unfortunate, is rather embarrassing and telling of the legacy he'll leave on our city - that is, no legacy at all. If he were voyaging for peace talks in some remote corner of the world, I'd throw him a bone. But Hunstville? A cottage? Give me a break. This is a question of civic duty and integrity as the figurehead of our city. It's a slap in the face, and, if we're talking bottom lines like Ford always does, just bad business.

Q. Do you think there is any onus on him to participate, in some way, in Pride?

A. Sure, a lot of people say Ford can't be at every parade, or at every opening, or at every cultural celebration. Well, fine, I agree. But let's put this into perspective. On the hierarchy of Toronto social and cultural (city-wide) functions, Pride is way up there. Big bucks up there. Millions of people up there. I'm not saying Pride is more important than any other event, but, it has an undeniable significance to a lot of people in the city, and that's been made clear over the last few weeks.
There's obviously been strong opinions voiced over his decision, and that alone should be enough to make Ford concede. Now, of course, the question is whether or not the community at large even wants him at Pride if he's going to grumpy about it. To that, I say force him. Force him to do his job and represent for the city because it's important to its citizens. I'm not saying his appearance won't be in vain nor will it prove he's actually interested in the community, but it will at least teach him a valuable lesson about the strength and solidarity of the gay community and how to pick his battles. If he can find time to coach high school football at 3:40 p.m. on a Wednesday (office hours!), then he can do something that actually relates to his job, like, you know, marching in Pride. No ifs or ands, just plenty of butts.

It's sad, I don't think the problem is that Ford is uncomfortable around gay people. I just don't think he's that interested in us, or understands the scope of the community he's dealing with. Trust me, if my tiny article can bring out the activist streak in even the most apolitical person, Ford has no idea what he's up against if he continues to screw up or piss off the gay community even more. And although after reading my piece you'd think I don't care about politics or have any idea what's going on, it's quite the opposite. I'm grateful for Toronto and the freedoms it has allowed me to enjoy and the progress we've made (and the miles left to go), but if Ford ever did anything to infringe on these freedoms and rights, I would be the first in line to help organize the most vicious and resilient rally and gay rights campaign this city has seen in decades. 

Cheers,
Paul

 

Art bike inspires councillor, but will he save it from the scrapheap?

An old Raleigh bike sat chained to a post -- alone, unloved and unclaimed -- outside a stretch of Dundas St. W. for years, just another piece of urban clutter.

When Caroline Macfarlane decided to turn the bike into eye-pleasing art, painting it a neon shade of orangey-pink, the city promptly slapped a removal notice on it. Macfarlane, who envisions using abandoned bikes as a city-wide art project, found the notice while returning to put plants in the bike's basket.

Gary Crawford, the city councillor for Ward 36 Scarborough West, was taken with Macfarlane's beautify-it-yourself ethos, saying in a news release: "I was really taken away by the whole idea. There are probably 1000's of unsightly abandoned bicycles in the City. Imagine if we woke up one morning and all these bikes were transformed into wonderful works of creative expression.  What these artists have done has brought attention to how a small act of creativity can make the City of Toronto a more beautiful place to live."

He knows of what he speaks. A conservative who usually votes with Mayor Rob Ford, he's also a professional landscape and portrait painter, and part-time drummer in a classic rock band.

After meeting with Macfarlane, Crawford announced he's launching an initiative called "10,000 Ideas for Creative Change in Toronto" and is urging residents to tell him their ideas on his Facebook page, through Twitter or by calling (416) 392-4052.

But is he going to save Macfarlane's art bike from death row? An aide says the councillor is talking to city staff to see what he can do.

 

Lobbyist Jeff Lyons schmoozes Mayor Rob Ford, Gus Cusimano

Back in early March we told you how Jeff Lyons, the once-powerful lobbyist virtually banished from Toronto City Hall after being tarred by the MFP scandal, was attempting a political comeback.

We noted how he was active in last year's civic election, and quoted an adviser to Mayor Rob Ford saying Lyons "sold some tables at some dinners and practically vaulted over them to try to get a photo with Rob. He may be putting out there that he has special access, but he doesn’t."

While Ford's office has tried to push back, it's a free country and anybody could buy a $300 ticket to former (and maybe future) Ward 9 candidate Gus Cusimano's fundraiser attended by about 50 people Wednesday night.

Local politicos watching CityNews's coverage were startled to see video of Lyons (left in the photo above) in a small group chatting with Ford and Cusimano.

The Ward 9 byelection set to rematch Cusimano and incumbent Councillor Maria Augimeri (pending the city's appeal of a court ruling ordering the revote) already promises to be an epic donnybrook, with "Ford Nation" marshalling behind Cusimano and local unions doing anything possible to help Augimeri hang on to her seat.

Indeed, John Cartwright, perhaps the city's most powerful unionist as president of the Toronto and York Labour Council -- and a close friend of Augimeri's and husband of her council colleague Paula Fletcher -- was seen talking to a lawyer outside the courtroom before a Ward 9 hearing last week. Augimeri was at council at City Hall at the time. Cartwright did not return calls from the Star to ask what he was doing there. Augimeri said she didn't know, and no union is paying any of her legal bills.

Throwing in legendary "Brother Jeff", a bit of a bogeyman to City Hall's left, who inserted himself into several campaigns last year with varying degrees of success, can only heighten the intrigue.

Taxpayers bought Case Ootes a Toronto Sun reprint extolling his frugality

Tucked deep in the 2010 city councillors' office expenses is this: Councillor Case Ootes charged $113 to his council budget, under "office equipment and supplies", for a reprint of a Jan. 6, 2010 column in the Toronto Sun.

The Jan. 6, 2010 column, by City Hall waste-watcher Sue Ann Levy, is titled: Case closed: Ootes retires.

Levy gives Ootes a deserved pat on the back for 21 years of service, lauding him as "a voice for fiscal restraint."

But we can't note that without looking at the expense above -- $339.72 for a subscription renewal for the Toronto Star.

Ootes is now, of course, Mayor Rob Ford's non-elected point man, first helming his transition team and now, temporarily, Toronto Community Housing Corp. Ford, of course, has railed against councillors charging taxpayers for non-essentials.

A curious case indeed.

 

 

TCHC board already removed ... from the agency's website

Mayor Rob Ford wants the entire TCBC board to resign in the face of two scathing audits.

Seven citizen appointees heeded Ford's demands Thursday, but two tenant picks are hanging on, as is at least one of the councillors, Maria Augimeri.

But the board names and biographies that were online Thursday have been scrubbed, replaced with an "Access Denied" notice.

Ford chief of staff had security remove senior official from boardroom, fired him

Persistent rumours of turbulence within Mayor Rob Ford's office broke open Friday.

Nick Kouvalis, Ford's outgoing, outspoken chief of staff, confirmed to reporters that on Jan. 21 he ordered City Hall security to remove senior official and longtime Ford confidant Andrew Pask from a meeting in the mayor's boardroom and then fired him.

In an impromptu scrum in the City Hall press gallery late Friday afternoon, Kouvalis, accompanied by the mayor's brother, Ward 2 Councillor Doug Ford, also said he would have already returned to his family and campaign strategy company in Windsor except that he is "this close" - holding two fingers barely apart - to reaching agreement with the province on a transit expansion plan to replace Transit City.

"Transit City is alive and well and it’s going to be buried underground," Kouvalis said, referring to Ford's determination that rapid transit be buried, away from car traffic. The four Transit City lines the province had agreed to fund under Rob Ford's predecessor David Miller were primarily to run on the surface.

The scrum was another odd media relations chapter in the Ford mayoralty, where an attempt to douse a smouldering story only seemed to fan the flames. The mayor's older brother, who is also his closest advisor, and his top staffer, who managed his unorthodox but hugely successful election campaign, said they came down from their second-floor offices because stories were leaking out that they felt left the wrong impression.

They said the reports falsely suggested Kouvalis was leaving his job less than three months into Ford's mayoralty because of his decision to fire Pask, who was Rob Ford's loyal executive assistant for eight years, helping guide the lone-wolf councillor through debacles including Ford lying to cover up a drunken outburst at the Air Canada Centre.

Pask left City Hall in 2008 to become Bell Canada's manager of municipal affairs, and quit that job in December to return as Ford's senior policy advisor and head of council relations.

Kouvalis fired him the afternoon of Jan. 21. Hours later, Kouvalis confirmed to reporters that he himself was leaving the mayor's office. Kouvalis didn't reveal Pask's departure at the time, but the Star learned it from another source and reported that both men were leaving Ford's office.

Kouvalis and Doug Ford insisted there was no connection, that Kouvalis was leaving anyway for personal and professional reasons. While confirming the details, they also asked the gathered reporters not to write about the episode for Pask's sake.

The Star has repeatedly tried to contact Pask since Jan. 21, without success. He has had told friends: "Don't believe what you hear," about his departure, and noted that he still had his city-issued cellphone and email address. That led many to believe he might return when Kouvalis's replacement, Amir Remtulla, who was executive assistant for another councillor while Pask served Ford, starts Feb. 22. A reporter's email to Pask's city hall account Friday bounced back, with notification that it is not working.

Below are excerpts from the scrum:

Doug Ford: “We have bigger fish to fry in this city than worrying what Andrew and Nick are going to do. Andrew is still a good guy, he’s a great guy, I’m sure Rob communicates with him all the time ... Nick is still part of the family, part of the team. He’s going to work for a dollar a year (as an advisor to the mayor).

Kouvalis, after reporters asked if the reports of a confrontation that ended with him calling security to escort Pask out are true: “There was no big blowup or dustup. It was just chatter, it was talk, him and I. I asked him to leave," and he refused so Kouvalis called security. Kouvalis later said Pask was insubordinate in front of others during a staff meeting, and he ordered him to go to Rob Ford's office and wait for the mayor to return. Kouvalis didn't deny a report that he issued an ultimatum that he would quit if the Ford's didn't back up his decision to fire Pask.

Kouvalis: “We don’t want to hurt the guy (Pask). He’s got a family. Seriously. He’s a good guy ... He’s a good guy, leave him alone.

Reporters asked if he might return when Remtulla starts. Kouvalis: “Maybe.”

Doug Ford – "All I know is he still communicates with Rob ... Andrew’s a good guy, Nick’s a good guy”

When a reporter asks if this is a sign that the mayor's office is in discord and disarray, Doug Ford says: “I totally 100 per cent disagree with that comment."

Kouvalis – “We have a big office, we’ve got big files. We’ve done more than Miller did in like seven years in a month and a half. Right? Are people always going to be able to keep up with me? Right? Am I going to demand the best out of everyone? Yes."

Doug Ford: “We’re busy. All I know is you go the mayor’s office, you guys come in at 7, 8 o’clock at night, people are still there working. Everybody’s working hard … We have a great team."

Kouvalis confirmed he leaves his job Feb. 11. “The subway deal is this close. Otherwise I’d be gone already.  Transit City is alive and well and it’s going to be buried underground. So let me just finish that and go back to my life and you guys can write whatever you want.”

Doug Ford: "And then, public record,  he’s going to privatize garbage," as part of a task force to expand residential curbside garbage pickup beyong Etobicoke.

Doug Ford: "When somebody’s let go or whatever, they don’t show up, they’re gone, see ya later Jack. You guys have seen Nicky every day ..."

To listen to the scrum, click here: Download Memo

 

 

 

 

 

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