Ford’s people raise a glass for their guy
People in the heart of Ford Nation staunchly behind PC leader
In the heart of Ford Nation, they gathered to celebrate a champion.
Schuey’s Bar and Grill is a working- ww class neighbourhood bar just across Highway 409 from Deco Labels and Tags, the business built by the Ford family. They speak hockey here. Like two solitudes, pictures of the tt Toronto Maple Leafs cover t the north wall, the Montreal Canadiens cover the south. It’s bar with a history; feels like they might’ve even served $ 1 beer at some point.
But on a night when the Stanley Cup could be presented to the Washington Capitals, most of the love was for local hero Doug Ford and his push to capture tt both the seat here in Etob- icoke North and the premiership of Ontario.
More eyes were on the election returns than the game and when ww it became clear Ford was headed for a majority, cheers went up through the bar.
“The province of Ontario woke up,” screamed Mike McLean, throwing his arms up in celebration. “They saw through ( NDP leader Andrea) Horwath. This means an end to all aa the stupid spending previous governments have been doing.”
Down the bar, Kevin Corrigan was even more concise: “Ford Nation lives on. That’s fantastic. They’re for the people.”
This is a place where Ford drops in periodically. A place where, ww said patron David Nov- ello “if you said you were voting for the NDP, something bad would happen to you.”
As an Etobicoke son, Ford is one of their own, more family than politician. Talk to the regularsr and most have a story of being helped by one of the Fords, FF whether it be fixing a sidewalk or helping to get a hedge removed.
“He’s the farthest thing from a politician,” says 53- year- old Novello, who manages a used car dealership across the road.
“And people are fed up with politicians. We tired of getting lied to all the time and all the promises about how they’re going to spend our money. Ford is unable to look you in the eye and lie to you. It’s time to give a businessman a chance.”
Ford, 53, has been a longtime booster of his hometown Etobicoke. Not only is his business here he represented Etobicoke North ( Ward 2) on Toronto City Council for one term and then tt was unsuccessful in his bid to be mayor in 2014, losing to John Tory.
“He’s been here his whole life and aa he’s run a business here,” says Mario, who declines to give his last name. “( The Fords) don’t need money so they’re only doing it either for the recognition or to make a change.”
Provincially, this riding in the northwest corner of Toronto has been represented by Liberal Shafiq Qaadri who is seeking his fifth term as MPP. He was first elected in 2003, taking the seat away from the PCs.
McLean, standing at the bar, doesn’t need much prompting to start railing about the deficit Kathleen Wynne ran up as premier.
“And this Andrea Horwath is just Wynne on steroids,” says the 65- year- old plant maintenance man. “She’s 10 times worse.”
So does McLean think Ford can bring more jobs to Ontario? This neighbourhood is peppered with empty factories.
“I don’t know if he can bring businesses back but I can tell you this, Horwath would only make more businesses go away.
“If he’s going to cut taxes and save money for people like me, I’m all for it.”
Ford, like his late brother Rob, the one- time mayor of Toronto, showed an ability during the campaign to tap into voter support with his self- styled populism, casting himself as “for the people.”
He played the populist chords saying he would cut gas by 10 cents a litre, reducing hydro bills by 12 per cent and reducing the tt tax burden on middle- class families. ff There was also his call f for $ 1 beer.
If this local watering hole is an example, ee Ford Nation has total- l ly bought in.
“You go around the neighbourhood and the signs are almost all blue now, they used to be red,” Novello says of the move away from the Liberals to the Tories.
“The Fords get s--- done and as long as ( Doug) gets s--- done he’s going to fine. The Fords just put their heads down and go to work.”