Rob Ford, Drunk Canadian Mayor, Dies
Current Events –
Rob Ford, Drunk Canadian Mayor, Dies
Rob Ford, the comical Canadian politician who was frequently seen drunk in public, has died. The former Mayor of Toronto died on Tuesday at the age of 46 after battling cancer, his family said.
Current Events
Ford frequently battled alcohol and drug addiction, often being seen completely intoxicated in public. He gained international notoriety in May 2013, when a video surfaced showing him smoking crack cocaine. He denied any wrongdoing and ignored calls for him to resign.
“I do not use crack cocaine, nor am I an addict of crack cocaine,” Ford said at a news conference.
However, when more videos of Ford in compromising circumstances continued to surface, the scrutiny became more intense and his relationship with the City Council became more rancorous.
Months later, Ford eventually told reporters he “probably” smoked drugs at some point.
“Yes, I have smoked crack cocaine,” he said. “Am I an addict? No. Have I tried it? Probably in one of my drunken stupors.”
His admission embarrassed Canada and prompted citizens to call for his resignation. However, the bombastic Ford refused to step aside, even after the City Council stripped him of most mayoral powers.  Those close to him begged him to go to rehab.  Instead, Ford continued to campaign for reelection.  Soon, Ford was a global laughing-stock, as late night TV comedians ate him alive in their nightly monologues.
Despite his crack-smoking scandal, Ford’s popularity surprisingly grew with fans who often lined up to take a photo with him. Although he was unable to run for reelection as mayor in 2014, Ford won a city council seat in a landslide result.
Rob Ford was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer in 2014.  He underwent multiple rounds of chemotherapy for tumors on his bladder, which did not force the disease into remission.  His health deteriorated substantially, with his loved ones realizing this past week that his days were few.  He passed away early Tuesday morning.
“A dedicated man of the people, Councillor Ford spent his life serving the citizens of Toronto,” his family said in a statement.
Rob Ford is survived by his wife Renata and his 2 children, Stephanie and Doug.
Rest in peace, Rob Ford. You lived life on the edge. Hopefully, it was well worth the ride!
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Sadly, all that I remember about this guy was bad news. He seemed to me to be a tortured soul.
Hopefully now he has at least found some Peace.