Toronto Remembrance Day ceremonies

At Queen’s Park Monday morning, people gathered in the cold for the annual Remembrance Day ceremony. Premier Kathleen Wynne was among the crowd. And in her speech, the Premier honoured those who gave their lives, and fought for Canada’s freedom: “Whether young or old, many still bear the scars of combat. Some of these are visible. Not as an ideal, but as a right, they fought for our liberty. Bigger than themselves. For their country.”

Wynne also said that Canada stands as a beacon of hope to millions around the world, and says we should remember that the many freedoms we enjoy as Canadians, are because of the sacrifices our veterans made.

Toronto’s embattled Mayor Rob Ford attended his first official event since he admitted to smoking crack cocaine last week. He participated in the Remembrance Day ceremony at Toronto City Hall. But he couldn’t escape the controversy that continues to follow him. Kate Carnegie has those details.

Mayor Rob Ford was greeted by both boos and applause when he approached the podium and addressed the crowd. After the Mayor laid a wreath at the foot of the cenotaph at Toronto’s Old City Hall, he walked past a row of veterans and at least one, Tony Smith, refused to shake his hand: “I didn’t shake his hand because he’s a druggie. He’s the number one man in the city and he’s smoking up and boozing it up. I don’t mind people having a drink, but I certainly don’t agree with drugs because you don’t know what the hell happens.”

Many had called on Ford to skip the ceremony. The Mayor sat next to Federal NDP leader Tom Mulcair, who has called on him to resign and get help.

And despite calls to step down, Rob Ford says he isn’t going anywhere. In fact, he plans to make the motion suggesting he leave office from Councillor Denzil Minnan-Wong his “key item” on the next council agenda. If council adopts the motion, it would be symbolic, because the governing body has no mechanism to force the Mayor to leave.