[NYCBoy2305]

Huh. Was wondering about this. Not even Nathan Philips? So generally this type of honour has previously gone to mayors who died in office?

Sommerville died in office (while playing hockey) and Sam McBride was the first Toronto mayor to die in office. Well, one supposes that with a degree of mental gymnastics, R. Ford fits the bill. Still, seems an extraordinary thing to do.

Being Jewish, Nathan had to go into the ground within 24 hours. I know!
Traditionally a Jewish burial takes place within 24 hours of death because the Torah says, "You shall bury him the same day....His body should not remain all night" (Deuteronomy 21:23). In modern-day practice, this speed is rare outside of the Land of Israel except in Orthodox communities, but the funeral should take place as soon as possible following the death. Burials never take place on Shabbat or holidays.
http://kehillatisrael.net/docs/chevra_timeline.htm

 

[riffraff]

Dougie, the Bedazzler! What an organizer! Dragging everybody into that ball of confusion he's strategically creating. If Wynne shows up at the Celebration she'll hear about it. Hell, if Robbie could boycott World Pride Day but everyone's got to show up for this, the more uncomfortable it is for all the better for Doug. He's crafted the perfect lose-lose situation for both those he's courted and those he's viciously attacked in all political camps.

This has the Made in Chicago label all over it.

 

[Blacksheep]

They rebranded the "Get Well Rob Ford" page at http://getwellrobford.com/.

Thanks, I didn't quite have the stomach to actually check the website to see what they did

Related to that, Goldsbie just posted something on twitter about how the Fords registered the website name rememberingrobford.com -the day before he actually passed away. I don't know how to put a twitter post on here, though.

 

[hper]

Are they going to walk behind the casket as Prince Charles and his sons did behind Princess Diana?

Cue Jenny James singing "Candle In The Wind"?

Honestly, though it's indeed a terrible thing for a guy so young to pass in such a way, he should really be remembered for his role as a father, uncle, brother, son and husband by those who knew him as such. At the risk of being waaaay cold, this is becoming an infliction. His civic contribution was not a positive for the city, obviously. So why ought it be treated as if it were. It's a grim pantomime.

Yes, Tory was in an impossible position, but the comparative precedents are slim at best. The condolence book and the half-hearted chalking ought to have been the extent of it.

 

[hper]

Being Jewish, Nathan had to go into the ground within 24 hours.

Ahhh, of course. Forgot about that. Were there any ceremonial honours, at the time, for the man given the impossibility of his 'lying in repose'? The naming of the greatest public square in the world aside.

 

[TOBorn]

My condolences - that seems like a lot of family for that short length of time.

When I used the word "tradition" it wasn't so much as an ethnic, cultural or religious tradition but the practice of people in public life, or rather those where public funerals seem reasonable or expected whether they're royalty, a world leader (or their spouse like Nancy Reagan), politicians or a fallen police officer or firefighter. In these cases, the trend always seems to be to have a casket present. Not "keeping score" or anything, I just can't recall ever not seeing a casket. In my little world of non-public life with good but mostly ordinary people it seems odd. Not to sound glib but I guess the casket facilitates the draping of a flag because what would you do otherwise?

My sister had a casket for the funeral and then was cremated.

 

[pattycakes]

FFS enough already:

"Doug Ford on his brother Rob: 'I miss him like crazy'
Family wants public to join them for Wednesday's funeral: 'That's what Rob would have wanted'"

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/doug-ford-rob-ford-1.3507556

 

[tiffer24]

Seems that plans are already underway for Wednesday. Sources close to the Fords confirm that John Tory will be there (Tory says he won't). Although she doesn't know it yet, councillor Pam McConnell will be performing a moving rendition of "Stand By Me" (McConnell says she won't) and there's an unsubstantiated rumour that Sandro Lisi will recite the lyrics to "Bitch Better Have My Money" accompanied by Kathy Ford on the harp.

 

[Kat_YYZ]

Thanks, I didn't quite have the stomach to actually check the website to see what they did

Related to that, Goldsbie just posted something on twitter about how the Fords registered the website name rememberingrobford.com -the day before he actually passed away. I don't know how to put a twitter post on here, though.

The "remembering" site just redirects to the now re-purposed getwell site. Seems like it ought to be the other way around, but whatever.

 

[AlbertHWagstaff]

The "remembering" site just redirects to the now re-purposed getwell site. Seems like it ought to be the other way around, but whatever.

Didn't they get "the best computer guy in the country" to set it up for them?

Doug on CTV News this evening said something to the effect that a walking funeral procession is what Rob would have wanted... the black limousine procession was "not him".

 

[fishie]

Doug truly is a goon - what's with the funeral promo tour? Have the other councilors heard that they're expected to walk en masse to St. James? Are they going to walk behind the casket as Prince Charles and his sons did behind Princess Diana? For all their promotion of Rob Ford as the "common man" they seem to want to elevate him wayyyy above his "station". It' effin ridiculous.

Doug also said Diane's doing the walk too. Door to door it's at least a kilometre. Hope she wears better shoes than she had on the other day when she visited the little memorial in the park with Randy. Looked like a major over-pronator walking back towards the house. I think it's also supposed to rain. Might wreck all the K's Jimmy Choos. Although they're all so suitably sporty they'll probably each have a pair of Nikes in their over-sized Coach bags.

 

[W. K. Lis]

Didn't they get "the best computer guy in the country" to set it up for them?

Doug on CTV News this evening said something to the effect that a walking funeral procession is what Rob would have wanted... the black limousine procession was "not him".

Rob wouldn't be "walking", the body will be in a hearse. He drove just about everywhere, unless there's a photo op of course. This procession will be a photo op for the Ford family.

 

[NYCBoy2305]

Wed, 30 Mar A mix of sun and cloud. High 10.

 

[JGHali]

Well, we mustn't forget this:

Rob Ford takes a midnight ride on the TTC
At 1 a.m. Thursday morning, Mayor Rob Ford was on the Scarborough RT talking to riders about his defeated subway plan.

By: Daniel Dale Urban Affairs Reporter, Published on Thu Feb 09 2012
At the news conference he held Wednesday after Toronto city council defeated his transit plan, a defiant Mayor Rob Ford said he would continue making the case for subways.

He didn’t say he planned to do so immediately after he left City Hall for the night.

Ford’s news conference ended before 8 p.m. More than five hours later, at about 1:10 a.m., one of his communications assistants posted a photo of him sitting on the Scarborough RT, still dressed in his suit and tie, speaking to a lone rider.

“1:10 and Mayor Ford is still talking subways on the SRT!” wrote the assistant, Isaac Ransom.

At 1:26 a.m., Ransom posted a photo of Ford standing on a station platform. “Mayor Ford waiting for the last ride of the night on the SRT heading west,” he wrote.

A third photo, posted by Ransom at 1:58 a.m., showed Ford on a bus, standing alone. “Taking the Eglinton bus west,” Ransom wrote.

The mayor, who usually drives around town, frequently stays up past midnight returning phone calls. Such one-on-one conversations, he has said, help him relax.

Some late-night tweeters expressed admiration for Ford’s passion and energy. Some suggested he was riding the rails to help himself cope with the loss. Others, pointing to Ransom's presence, sniffed a publicity stunt.

“So we have two possible explanations: Publicity or psychodrama,” wrote journalist Ivor Tossell.

“This is like legends you hear about politicians of yore,” wrote City Hall pundit Jonathan Goldsbie.

“Is Rob Ford okay? This is kind of concerning,” wrote City Hall blogger Matt Elliott.

Council voted to move part of the Eglinton Ave. LRT to street level, to build an LRT on Finch Ave., and to appoint an expert panel to offer suggestions for Sheppard Ave., where Ford wants to build a subway extension.

The defeat was the most significant of Ford's mayoral term. At the news conference, however, Ford seemed unwilling to concede that he had been defeated. He said council’s vote was “irrelevant,” drawing rebukes from both council allies and foes.

“I think that the mayor may have misspoke,” said Councillor Denzil Minnan-Wong, a conservative who voted with him. “I don’t believe that he thinks it’s — well, I respect the will of council, we made a decision today, and I respect that decision...you don't always get the vote that you'd like to get, but we all have to move forward.”

 

[YPQ]

The Fords put Tory in a horrible position. If he had said no to their request, he would have appeared to be cold and if he agreed, people like us would be furious. The Fords should never have asked, but as we know, they have zero class.

Well I heard Doug saying that he hopes the Premier will be able to "put their differences aside" and walk with them, hell maybe even Justin Trudeau if he knows what's good for him. Also, I heard Donald Trump himself could even be there in the rain blocking traffic with us.

Gawd, Doug is such a sociopath. Apart from knocking all the other markers out of the park, he has no idea, concern or regard for how his bullshit is playing to the room.