Say hello to Rob Ford Stadium: Toronto city council to rename Etobicoke venue after former mayor

Toronto's city council voted Friday to rename the football stadium at Etobicoke's Centennial Park after former mayor Rob Ford. 

Centennial Stadium, near Renforth Drive and Rathburn Road, will become Rob Ford Stadium once the change goes into effect. Ford coached high school football in the stadium both before and during his time at city hall.

The motion passed 17 to six. It came after councillors debated wether or not Ford deserved to have a stadium named after him, with Coun. Dianne Saxe calling him the most divisive figure in the city.

Coun. Paul Ainslie, who put forward the motion to rename the stadium, said it's simply the right thing to do. 

"Rob by no means was a perfect human being, but he had a great heart," Ainslie said. 

Other councillors spoke in support of Ford due to his personal approach in solving residents' issues as mayor. 

The debate came after Coun. Amber Morley tried to add more public consultation to the process, an idea that was voted down.

"There is no reason to make an extremely divisive, many people would say, despicable decision in a hurry without listening to the public," Saxe said.

Prior to Friday's vote, Coun. Josh Matlow also spoke against the motion.

"I can think of many people, all of whom who haven't been dishonest, misogynist, homophobic or caught smoking crack with gang members and disgraced our city, who would be more deserving," he said in a statement to CBC Toronto. "I cannot in good conscience support this motion."

Coun. Stephen Holyday said he recognizes Ford was a polarizing figure, as many politicians are, but beyond the politics no one could dispute his dedication to working for the city.

Ford would provide his personal phone number to anyone who wanted it, said Coun. Vincent Crisanti. 

"He reached out to everyone," Crisanti said. 

"He was a mayor that never said no, he was there to help everyone doesn't matter where you were."

The councillors who voted against the motion include Alejandra Bravo, Lily Cheng, Ausma Malik, and Josh Matlow, as well as Morley and Saxe.

Motion has previously gone before council

This isn't the first time the city has considered renaming the stadium after the football coach-turned mayor.

In 2017, just over a year after Ford's death, thenmayor John Tory backed a motion to name the stadium in Ford's honour. Council voted against it, 24 to 11. His brother Doug Ford, now Ontario premier, said the "fix was in" days before the vote even happened.

Ainslie was one of the councillors who said no to Ford's namesake being on the park at the time.

Now, Ainslie says it's the right time, citing in his motion upgrades coming to the park.

"As Centennial Park undergoes a significant re-imagining through the Centennial Park Master Plan, approved by City Council in 2021, the time is appropriate to consider renaming the Centennial Park Stadium the 'Rob Ford Stadium' in recognition of his decade and a half of public service.