Rio breaks off relationship with Toronto in wake of Rob Ford crack scandal
The mayor of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is no longer interested in a relationship with the City of Toronto in the wake of Mayor Rob Ford’s crack cocaine scandal, according to one councillor.
Councillor Michael Thompson travelled to Rio in October, spending 12 days pursuing a “friendship” arrangement with the city that could open up economic channels between the two municipalities.
“I was told this morning that the mayor of Rio has indicated that he has no interest in pursuing any type of relationship with the City of Toronto, given its current situation with the mayor of Toronto,” Thompson said Friday.
That afternoon, Thompson chaired a meeting of the economic development committee, at which it unanimously endorsed creating a Toronto Music Industry Advisory Council, a move that may shore up relations with Austin, Texas, in the wake of the scandal. Ford attended the Austin City Limits music festival in early October with the intention of creating a “Music City Alliance” between the cities.
“There was great concern in Austin as to whether or not we’d continue the relationship,” said Thompson. “There was a concern as to whether or not the issue surrounding the mayor would impact the (memorandum of understanding) as it has been signed.”
Thompson said he was going to address concerns about how the scandal might interfere in international affairs with Deputy Mayor Norm Kelly, who now holds many of the mayoral powers.
“You certainly don’t want to hear things like that. It’s not good for the reputation of the city, it's not good for the business of the city,” Kelly said Friday, noting he’d not yet had a chance to discuss the issue with Thompson.
Ford’s status as a figurehead is one of the few things he has left after council, by an overwhelming majority, voted Monday to strip him of most of his powers..
Ford could not be reached for comment on this story. He did not take questions when he arrived at city hall around 2 p.m. His newly minted chief of staff Dan Jacobs’ voicemail was full.
Council could not take away Ford’s statutory powers, which include acting as the city’s official representative. That was in evidence Thursday night, when he spoke at an economic development event at Casa Loma. However, Kelly indicated that he expects future invitations of that kind to come to his office.
Amid the scandal enveloping Ford over admitted crack cocaine use, public drunkenness and alleged criminal associations, he has had an increasingly difficult time acting even as the city’s symbolic leader, as group after group asks him to stay away from events. Earlier this month, Santa Claus Parade organizers asked him not to march.
The latest group to cut the mayor out is the National Ballet of Canada, which did not invite Ford to appear as a celebrity Cannon Doll in The Nutcracker, as he did in 2011. Instead, Councillor Karen Stintz, who has said she intends to run for mayor, will appear in the non-speaking, non-dancing role.
“The mayor, through his behaviour and his words, is not the kind of representative that we want associated with the National Ballet of Canada,” said spokeswoman Catherine Chang.
