TORONTO - Embattled Mayor Rob Ford is planning a Scarborough party for his Ford Nation supporters.
As the mayor's weekly Sunday radio show wrapped up, Councillor Doug Ford revealed the mayor's annual Ford Fest party is going on the road with one in Scarborough on July 5.
"Get ready for the big show out in Scarborough," Councillor Ford told listeners. "Ford Fest is coming to Scarborough. Ford Nation is going to be in full swing."
Mayor Ford has been battling crack cocaine allegations for almost a month but made little mention of it on his Sunday show other than to blast the ongoing media coverage. The mayor has denied reports there is a video of him smoking what appears to be crack and has said he doesn't use crack and is not addicted to the drug.
The mayor said Ford Fest Scarborough will be happening on Friday, July 5 at 5 p.m. but hasn't revealed a location for the event yet.
"We're going to announce the location, you'll hear it on the news this week but again folks, I want to thank you, our family wants to thank you, Rob wants to thank you - we're so grateful and we appreciate all of the support," Councillor Ford said as the show wrapped up.
"Remember folks, we work for you and God bless everyone in the GTA and Toronto and God bless Ford Nation."
Ford Fest has traditionally been an annual party the Ford family holds each fall at the mayor's mother's house in Etobicoke. While the Fords say they'll still be holding the event on their home turf as well, the push into Scarborough seems designed to shore up Ford supporters on the eastern end of the city who helped sweep the mayor into power in 2010.
At Ford Fest in Etobicoke last year, the mayor gave an almost 10-minute long speech highlighting his accomplishments in office and revving up the thousands of supporters in attendance for the 2014 campaign.
"So folks, I’m not going to list all our accomplishments but I have to tell you one thing – the campaign for the next election has started today," Ford said back in September 2012.
"The next election is two years away. We have to get out there, bang on the doors. As you saw this week, they are coming after us every which way. They want to continue the high taxes, the big spending and the out-of-control waste at City Hall."
