Mayor Rob Ford sought provincial money only for his own football programs

Mayor Rob Ford used his office to seek government money for only one Toronto football field: the one where his own teams play and practise.

A freedom of information request shows Ford’s staff sought provincial funding for a single football-related project or program — a major renovation of the field at Etobicoke’s Don Bosco Catholic Secondary School, where Ford is head coach and where his summer team, the Rexdale Raiders, holds practices.

As the Star previously reported, senior Ford aide Earl Provost sent a terse email on March 3, a Saturday, to David Black, senior policy adviser to provincial Infrastructure Minister Bob Chiarelli.

“I need to discuss the attached documents with you. I need to secure provincial funding for this project. Please let me know when we can discuss. Thanks,” wrote Provost, a Liberal who serves as Ford’s director of stakeholder and council relations.

The two attachments gave cost estimates for two renovation options. The first put the project at $2.1 million, including a $953,233.89 football field and a $337,125 track. The second pegged the total at $2.8 million, including $400,000 for bleachers.

Black said he would respond to Provost on Monday. When he did not, Provost followed up on Friday. “Did you have any thoughts on this? Please send me your cell number,” he wrote.

Black responded that infrastructure stimulus funding had been exhausted and that no grants were applicable.

“The Infrastructure Ontario (IO) loan program is the best thing we can put on the table right now. It allows municipalities, sports organizations, etc. to borrow from IO for capital projects and amortize the costs over a period of time. Here’s a link to the IO webpage on the program,” he wrote.

Provost’s efforts appear to have ended at that point. Prior to his request, five other Toronto sports fields had received money through the stimulus fund.

In 2010, Ford, then a councillor, negotiated a deal with Lowe’s, which was developing a property in his ward, to give $75,000 in “Section 37” funds to Don Bosco to improve the change rooms used by the football team. Council approved the arrangement, which was publicly disclosed.

Ford’s spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment.

Original Article
Source: the star
Author: Daniel Dale