Last Monday morning, Rob Ford’s mayoral seat was declared vacant. That afternoon, he somewhat somberly launched his regularly scheduled Mayor’s Toy Drive. Later, Ford’s bad lieutenant, Councillor Giorgio Mammoliti, put his thumb in the air and felt the winds of change, so he left the mayor’s Executive Committee. On Tuesday, the city solicitor offered her opinion that the mayor couldn’t run in a by-election, so Ford was sad. But at lunch he went to the Argos Grey Cup Parade, where he appeared to have a blast. With four hours remaining in a council meeting, Ford left to go to the Metro Bowl, where his Don Bosco Eagles lost 28-14.
On Wednesday, the mayor’s office reversed its decision not to commemorate the Nanking Massacre, and council voted unanimously to recognize the anniversary. Council also overturned its plastic bag ban.
On Thursday, a man walked through a glass door at City Hall, but he was okay. Mayor Ford didn’t show up to the budget launch that afternoon, and then later accused Councillor Adam Vaughan of a “shakedown” over legislation the mayor didn’t appear to understand. (He also called Vaughan a liar.) A brouhaha ensued, and Doug Ford told Vaughan and Gord Perks he would “whup your asses,” thus forcing copy editors to debate the merits of “whup” versus “whoop.”
On Friday, Rob Ford heard a clarified ruling from Justice Charles Hackland that he could run in a by-election after all, thus ensuring that the agony and ecstasy of City Hall will continue, along with whatever whupping or whooping that brings. When asked what they thought of the situation, a number of councillors all said basically the same thing: It wasn’t that different from any other week.
