Canada: police open criminal inquiry into billion-dollar green belt scandal

Canada’s federal police have opened a criminal investigation into a controversial plan to allow construction on greenbelt lands in Ontario, escalating a political scandal that has gripped the province and already forced a number of high-profile government resignations.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police announced on Tuesday that its sensitive and international investigations unit would investigate the C$8.3bn ($6.10bn) deal.

Greenbelt 2.0? Why Doug Ford's boundary changes in Ottawa and Hamilton could make developers rich

On the same Friday afternoon last November that Premier Doug Ford's government announced its plan to take certain developers' land out of the Greenbelt, it also made moves that benefited developers who own rural land on the outskirts of Ottawa and Hamilton. 

It did so by expanding each city's boundaries, instantly turning certain parcels of agricultural land from rural to urban, opening them up to future housing development and sharply increasing their potential value. 

DOUG FORD WON'T VIE FOR ONTARIO PC LEADERSHIP

Doug Ford has never been one to play by the rules, and on Thursday the outgoing city councillor defied political convention one more time by calling a press conference to announce that he won't be running for leader of the Ontario PC party.

When Mayor Rob Ford's older brother invited the press to the North Etobicoke headquarters of his family label business, many assumed it would be to kick off his leadership bid, reasoning that it wouldn't make sense to hold a press conference for a non-announcement.

As Fords exit mayor's office, conflict probes intensify

When Toronto city councillors were debating a zoning change in 2011, Doug Ford withdrew from the discussion because it could have affected a property leased by packaged-meats giant Maple Leaf Foods — a major client of his family printing business.

But then when the matter came up weeks later for final approval at city council, Ford and his brother, Mayor Rob Ford, voted on it.

As the Fords pack up their City Hall offices after last month's Toronto municipal elections, which saw Doug lose his bid for the mayoralty and Rob reduced to councillor, scrutiny of those votes and others is only intensifying.

If Toronto wants to ditch racism and homophobia, start with Rob and Doug Ford

In the wake of a mayoral debate in which supporters of Doug Ford, the recent doppelganger replacement for the ailing personality cult front man Rob Ford, ranted their homophobic and racist views, Toronto's media has, rather tentatively, begun to question why Doug Ford does not take a stronger stand against the bigots in his midst.

Edward Keenan in the Toronto Star noted of the debate:

One woman arrived at the debate with an unflattering caricature of the Ford brothers, only to have it torn from her hands and crumpled up, she told reporters. Iola Fortino was removed by police after disrupting the debate with a rant. According to other media reports, she proclaimed that Rob Ford “goes to the family cottage during Pride, that’s why we love him. We need Ford Nation.” 

Later in the debate, another proud Ford advocate, who identified himself to the National Post’s Christie Blatchford as Earl Cowan, shouted: “Go home, Olivia! Back to China!” When challenged by the crowd, Blatchford reported, he followed up with: “She’s Chinese! She’s not Canadian!”

Doug Ford has clearly revealed why he shouldn’t be Toronto’s mayor

Thanks, Doug. Your debate debut reminded us why you’re so utterly unfit to serve as mayor. Full of bluster, but empty of facts, it was a revealing performance. And what it showed was nasty.

Doug Ford followed a simple strategy in his first debate since entering Toronto’s mayoral race almost two weeks ago. He turned discussion into a shouting match and proceeded to yell loudest.

That’s enough to generate cheers in a hall packed with Ford Nation supporters, but it’s no way to run a city.

What’s unforgivable about the Fords

Here’s what I find unforgivable about the Fords; it took till now to figure it out. It’s not their right-wing politics. There’s lots of that around. It’s not the bullying, bullies can be dealt with. Nor their huge ambition and sense of political entitlement. It’s not Rob’s moral foibles or unsavoury social life or his crassness.

What’s unforgivable is their implacable need and ability to suck up attention in the public arena so there never seems room for anything or anyone else in the city. The stuff I just listed serves primarily to keep them at the centre of attention and stifle other matters. It’s all, always about them. That’s what the cancer episode revealed. It too becomes part of the Ford family circus. It’s not just a private experience; it takes over the public agenda.

‘Go to hell,’ Doug Ford tells autistic son’s dad after integrity complaint

Responding to an integrity complaint by the father of an autistic son, Councillor Doug Ford said the man should “go to hell” and accused him of being part of a “jihad.”

The man, Tommy Lenathen, is a 35-year city employee who sits on the executive board of Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 416. He filed the complaint with the city’s integrity commissioner after Ford said an Etobicoke home for teenagers with autism has “ruined the community” and suggested, with no evidence, that the teenagers are criminals.

Doug Ford’s Duck Dynasty

Wow, this city just experienced its own version of the Ole Political Sibling Switcheroo, a move more familiar in monarchies and fascist or communist dictatorships where the notion of divine rule is generally reinforced by bullets not ballots. Variations on the theme include the father-son and husband-wife swap in places like Pyongyang and Buenos Aires but not, until now, Toronto.

Doug Ford defends group home comments

TORONTO - The city councillor brother of Toronto Mayor Rob Ford did not back down Sunday from comments about a home for developmentally disabled youth in his ward, saying it is a "nightmare" for the neighbourhood.

Coun. Doug Ford told TV station CP24 that his "heart goes out" to families with autistic children, but he said this issue is about kids in the residential home who have "violent tendencies."

Doug Ford's Griffin Centre Comment Sparks Online Backlash

TORONTO - The brother of Toronto Mayor Rob Ford is being chastised on social media for reportedly saying a residential home for developmentally disabled youth has "ruined" a neighbourhood.

Coun. Doug Ford's comments have triggered an angry response on Twitter, with people including former Ontario premier Bob Rae blasting the Toronto city councillor.

Ford brothers helped business client lobby city for tax break

Toronto Mayor Rob Ford and his councillor brother Doug Ford helped one of the customers of their family business to lobby the city’s highest ranking bureaucrat for a special property tax break and repeatedly intervened with city staff without disclosing the company had a commercial relationship with the Ford family, a Globe and Mail investigation has found.

The Ford Brothers Are Addicted To Lying

Rob Ford is an addict.

Crack, cocaine, booze, attention -- the mayor appears to love them all. But it's the lies that concern me the most.

The drugs hurt the mayor. But the deceit hurts the city.

At this point, Ford has lied so much, about so many things, that Toronto wouldn't come to his aid if there was an entire pack of wolves at his door. Then again, we don't even know where his door is right now.

Doug Ford's Potential Candidacy Making Some Ontario Tories Nervous

It appears some Ontario Progressive Conservatives are expressing concern about the potential candidacy of Doug Ford and how the controversial Toronto city councillor may impact Tory Leader Tim Hudak's chances to become premier.

Doug Ford, a perpetual defender of his brother, Toronto Mayor Rob Ford, hasn't been shy about his interest in making the leap to provincial politics.

Doug Ford defends himself after handing out $20 bills to constituents

Doug Ford is being accused of “corrupt and corrupting” behaviour by a fellow city councillor for handing out $20 bills to constituents at a social housing complex for Christmas.

Councillor Gord Perks, who made the statement, is a frequent critic of Mayor Rob Ford and his brother Doug. Mr. Ford was filmed by a CBC television crew Wednesday night at a Toronto Community Housing building in his Etobicoke ward distributing toys and peeling off $20s from a stack in his hand for the crowd.

Doug Ford Hands Out $20 Bills At Public Housing Building

Toronto city Councillor Doug Ford was spotted handing out $20 bills at a Toronto public housing building Wednesday night, once again raising questions about whether mayor Rob Ford's brother is engaged in buying votes.

The footage was captured by CBC News and stirred discussion online Thursday after a tweet from Councillor Gord Perks, a prominent critic of the Ford brothers.

Doug Ford explains Pravda to journalists

As his brother’s frontline of defense against the media, the police, reality and anything else that may potentially rupture the mayor’s cozy delusion that he’s anything other than an embarrassment Katamari tumbling lopsided through civic governance, attaining layers of fresh humiliations as he spools through what’s left of his mayoralty, councilor Doug Ford deigned to speak to the press today, briefly.

Rob Ford Says His Brother Doug ‘Will Be Premier One Day'

Toronto Mayor Rob Ford believes his brother, Doug, will one day be elected premier of Ontario.

The embattled leader of Canada's largest city was a guest on The John Oakley Radio Show on Monday, where he again apologized, without specifics, for mistakes he has made in the past.

"I'm only human. There's a lot of perfect people out there, I'm not one of them," he said.

Brothers Ford stage PC coup

Big winner

Besides Andrea Horwath, whose NDP took two of five by-election races – and continued the party’s momentum from its earlier win in Kitchener-Waterloo – it was Doug Ford. Boing.

That’s right. The mayor’s big brother and councillor for Ward 2 got his fox, Doug Holyday, the new PC MPP for Etobicoke-Lakeshore, into the henhouse to stir up more trouble for PC leader Tim Hudak.

Rob Ford’s brother Doug raring to help re-elect him, but won’t run for council again

Councillor Doug Ford says he’ll have lots of time to help brother Rob campaign to be re-elected mayor in 2014.

That’s because Ford doesn’t plan to run to retain his council seat, but rather is interested in seeking provincial office in the next Ontario election, in 2015.

Councillor Ford said the firing of Councillor Jaye Robinson from the powerful executive committee wasn’t a big deal, but Mayor Ford needs to have close allies around him as the election looms closer.