“I will miss working with him,” Says Ford ahead of Tory’s Resignation
“He united Toronto behind an optimistic vision for the future and I will miss working with him to see it come to life,” he said
Ontario Premier Doug Ford, along with a number of former and current Toronto city councillors, expressed surprise and concern at John Tory’s resignation announcement on Friday.
His decision to resign comes after he admitted to having a relationship with an office staffer “in a way that did not meet the standards to which I hold myself as mayor and as a family man,” the mayor said during an abruptly called news conference Friday night.Ford thanked Tory, whom he called a friend, for his “many years of public service” on Saturday morning and wished him “nothing but the best in the days, weeks, and months ahead.”
Ford said, “John will be remembered as a dedicated and hard-working mayor who served as a steady leader during the most difficult days of the pandemic.” He further added, “He united Toronto behind an optimistic vision for the future and I will miss working with him to see it come to life.”
Deputy Mayor Jennifer McKelvie could now take over the job until a byelection can be held, according to the City of Toronto Act.
She will most likely be in the position for several months, as the City of Toronto Act requires candidates to be given at least 30 days and a maximum of 60 days to file nomination papers after a byelection is formally declared.
The election would then be held 45 days later.
Prabhnoor Kaur