Ford’s key man: Mayor set to honour Queen’s Park-bound Doug Holyday
Mayor Rob Ford is giving a ceremonial key to the city to Doug Holyday, his political idol who has tirelessly defended him on issues both political and personal.
Ford will hand the key to his former deputy mayor, who now represents Etobicoke-Lakeshore at Queen’s Park, at a city hall ceremony at 2 p.m. Tuesday.
It will mark the third time Ford has chosen to bestow the honour for outstanding civic contributions.
The first recipient was McDonald’s Canada co-founder and philanthropist George Cohon, followed by boxing legend and anti-drug crusader George Chuvalo.
Ford’s decision to honour Holyday, a partisan ally barely out the door, has raised eyebrows at City Hall. There is precedent, however. As mayor in 2003, Mel Lastman honoured his deputy mayor, Councillor Case Ootes, with a key.
Holyday, who represented Ward 3, Etobicoke Centre, on the amalgamated Toronto council for 13 years, after stints as Etobicoke councillor and mayor, was elected the Progressive Conservative MPP for the area in an Aug. 1 byelection.
Holyday is credited, during Ford’s term that started in late 2010, with overseeing tough negotiations that led to unions representing city workers making considerrable concessions. He also helped make the case for expanding private trash collection, which he pioneered in Etobicoke.
Holyday stood resolutely by Ford’s side after the Star reported the existence of a video apparently showing the mayor smoking crack cocaine. Ford has said he does not smoke crack and no such video exists.
Just last week, Holyday visited city hall to again speak on behalf of Ford, saying videos of an apparently slurring Ford at Taste of the Danforth were “inconclusive.” David Rider