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Rob Ford: Toronto Councillor, Mayor 2010 to 2014, and His Death

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Rob Ford (1969 to 2016) was born in Etobicoke and served on Toronto city council from 2000. He won the mayoral election in October 2010 and held office until December 2014. His term was marked by a low-tax platform, then by a public scandal in 2013. He died on March 22, 2016, at age 46.

Early life and years on council

Robert Bruce Ford was born on May 28, 1969, in Etobicoke, the western part of what is now the City of Toronto. The Canadian Encyclopedia gives that date and place. His background was in business, and The Globe and Mail reports that in 2000 he left the family label business to win a seat on city council. For the history of his home district, see the article on Etobicoke.

The Canadian Encyclopedia notes that he ran unsuccessfully for a council seat in 1997. He won a seat in 2000 and served three consecutive terms, representing Etobicoke North. He was re-elected twice, according to The Globe and Mail.

The 2010 election

Ford ran for mayor in 2010 under the slogan “stop the gravy train.” The Canadian Encyclopedia reports that he won with 47 percent of the vote. CBC reporting gives the figures as 47.1 percent for Ford and 35.6 percent for former provincial cabinet minister George Smitherman. The vote was held on October 25, 2010, and Ford took office in December. For earlier mayors and the way Toronto elects them, see Toronto mayors and municipal elections.

The city he led had existed in its present form only since 1998, when the old City of Toronto, Etobicoke, North York, Scarborough, York and East York were amalgamated. The first mayor of the amalgamated city, from 1998 to 2003, was Mel Lastman.

Policies and record in office

The Globe and Mail summarizes his term this way. He scrapped the vehicle registration tax, contracted out part of the city’s garbage collection, won concessions from public-sector unions and held tax increases below the rate of inflation. These measures were the core of his campaign promises. Readers who want exact figures should consult the budget documents published by the City of Toronto.

Council meetings at Toronto City Hall became tense during these years. His brother Doug Ford sat on council from 2010 and later ran for mayor in his place.

The 2013 allegations and the loss of powers

In 2013 media reports raised questions about the mayor’s behaviour. Al Jazeera’s timeline gives the main dates.

  • May 16, 2013: Gawker reported that a video said to show the mayor smoking crack cocaine was being shopped around. The Toronto Star made a similar report. Ford called the reports “ridiculous.”
  • October 31, 2013: Police announced that they had recovered the video from a seized hard drive.
  • November 5, 2013: Ford told reporters that he had smoked crack cocaine, and later apologized at a news conference. He said it happened in one of his drunken stupors.
  • November 13, 2013: After more court documents were released, Ford admitted that he had bought illegal drugs while in office.
  • November 18, 2013: City council voted to strip him of most of his powers.

Al Jazeera reports that the council vote cut his office budget by 60 percent, removed him as chair of the executive committee and moved his staff under the deputy mayor. He kept the title of mayor and could represent the city at official functions. Ford refused calls to resign and called the move a coup. Some reports describe an earlier vote on November 15 that removed some powers, but the timeline used here lists only the main vote on November 18.

Separately, Al Jazeera reports that a friend of the mayor, Sandro Lisi, was arrested on October 1, 2013, on drug trafficking and conspiracy charges.

2014: leave, illness and the end of his mayoralty

The reports continued into the new year. Al Jazeera’s timeline records a video from January 21, 2014, that showed the mayor intoxicated in a restaurant. The Canadian Encyclopedia notes that he appeared on the American late-night programme Jimmy Kimmel Live in March 2014. He remained in office through this period.

Ford announced his re-election campaign on April 17, 2014. On April 30, 2014, after new media reports, he announced a leave of absence to deal with substance abuse. The Canadian Encyclopedia says he entered a rehabilitation centre near Bala, Ontario, and that his brother Doug said he would return on June 30.

He came back to the campaign, but polls placed him behind Olivia Chow and John Tory. In September 2014 he was diagnosed with a rare cancer, pleomorphic liposarcoma. The Canadian Encyclopedia and The Globe and Mail both report that he withdrew from the mayoral race, and Doug Ford entered it instead. John Tory won the October 2014 election. Ford did win a seat on council in the same vote, according to CBC reporting, and he held the seat while ill.

Death in 2016 and funeral

Rob Ford died on March 22, 2016, at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto, surrounded by family. He was 46. CBC reported that the cause was the same cancer diagnosed in 2014 and that he had entered palliative care earlier that month.

Global News reported the public arrangements. His body lay in repose in the rotunda at City Hall on Monday and Tuesday, March 28 and 29, 2016. CBC counted about 2,500 people paying respects on the first day. The funeral was held on Wednesday, March 30, at St. James Cathedral, with a procession from City Hall that morning. Burial was private.

Opinions about his legacy remain divided, as they were during his term. People in Etobicoke and other suburban areas often remember him for his responsiveness to individual residents. Others remember the scandal and the strained relations with council. This article records dates and reported facts, and the sources named below allow readers to read further and form their own view.

Frequently asked questions

When was Rob Ford mayor of Toronto?

He won the October 2010 election and served from December 2010 until the end of the term in 2014. John Tory won the October 2014 election.

What happened to Rob Ford’s powers in 2013?

On November 18, 2013, city council voted to remove most of his powers. His office budget was cut by 60 percent and he no longer chaired the executive committee, but he remained mayor.

Did Rob Ford run for mayor in 2014?

He launched a re-election campaign on April 17, 2014, but withdrew in September 2014 after a cancer diagnosis. His brother Doug Ford replaced him on the ballot.

When and how did Rob Ford die?

He died on March 22, 2016, at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto, aged 46. The cause was pleomorphic liposarcoma.

Where was Rob Ford’s funeral held?

The funeral was held on March 30, 2016, at St. James Cathedral in Toronto, after two days of public viewing at City Hall.

Sources

  • The Canadian Encyclopedia, “Rob Ford” (accessed October 2026)
  • The Globe and Mail, “Former Toronto mayor Rob Ford dies at 46” (March 2016; accessed October 2026)
  • Al Jazeera, “Timeline: The Rob Ford crack scandal” (June 2014; accessed October 2026)
  • Al Jazeera, “Toronto council strips mayor of most powers” (November 20, 2013; accessed October 2026)
  • Global News, “Rob Ford funeral set for next Wednesday after 2 days of visitation at city hall” (March 2016; accessed October 2026)
  • CBC News, coverage of Rob Ford’s death, cancer diagnosis and the 2010 vote (search summaries, accessed October 2026)

Last verified: October 2026

Cite this page

APA: History of Toronto. (2026, October 31). Rob Ford: Toronto Councillor, Mayor 2010 to 2014, and His Death. https://historyoftoronto.ca/blog/rob-ford

MLA: “Rob Ford: Toronto Councillor, Mayor 2010 to 2014, and His Death.” History of Toronto, 31 Oct 2026, https://historyoftoronto.ca/blog/rob-ford. Accessed .

Chicago: History of Toronto. “Rob Ford: Toronto Councillor, Mayor 2010 to 2014, and His Death.” Last modified October 31, 2026. https://historyoftoronto.ca/blog/rob-ford.

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