Canada clinic confirms crack-smoking Toronto mayor is in rehab
Rob Ford is under treatment in Ontario for alcohol-related problems, rehab clinic confirms after widespread rumours over his whereabouts
Toronto Mayor Rob Ford is confirmed to be undergoing treatment at a rehabilitation facility, the clinic in a small Ontario town has confirmed.
GreenStone Clinic Muskoka in Bala, Ontario, said in a news release on Friday that Ford consented to having the facility confirm his stay.
Ford announced late last month that he was seeking treatment for an alcohol problem after a new video surfaced that appeared to show Ford smoking a crack pipe late last month. It was only the latest twist in the ongoing saga of Ford, whose notorious and frequently filmed behaviour led the city council to strip him of most of his powers after he admitted last year that he had smoked crack in a “drunken stupor” and was depicted on video threatening to “murder” someone.
There was speculation about whether the embattled mayor of Canada’s largest city was in rehab after he was spotted taking photos with residents of a small town neighbouring Bala last week. A few days later, the mayor’s car was impounded after a Muskoka resident was arrested behind the wheel and charged with impaired driving.
“We ask that the public and the media respect the privacy of all the patients at GreenStone, to ensure they receive the most comprehensive and effective treatment,” the statement read. “We take our patient care and confidentiality very seriously and as a result will not be commenting further on this matter.”
Last week marked a year since the Toronto Star and the US website Gawker first reported seeing a video that appeared to show the mayor smoking crack cocaine.