Mayor Olivia Chow, the Honourable Doug Ford, Premier of Ontario, members of the Ford family, other elected officials and local community members, were in attendance to officially rename Centennial Park Stadium in Etobicoke as the Rob Ford Stadium.
The City of Toronto held a renaming ceremony earlier today on the date of the late former mayor’s birthday, unveiling a new sign for the stadium located at 56 Centennial Park Rd.
Rob Ford served as the 64th Mayor of Toronto from 2010 to 2014. Before and after his term as Mayor, Ford was a City Councillor representing Etobicoke North from 2000-2010 and from 2014 until his passing.
The City is paying tribute to the former mayor who passed away from cancer in 2016 at the age of 46. The renaming comes following a Toronto City Council decision in December 2023. Details of this motion can be found on the City’s website.
Quotes:
“Today’s naming ceremony was a beautiful tribute to a long-serving public official. I personally know the pain of losing a loved one, which is why I supported the motion to rename the stadium. I understand what this means for the Ford family and I understand how difficult it is to lose someone so prematurely. I’m glad we were able have this ceremony on the same day as Rob Ford’s birthday.”
– Mayor Olivia Chow
“Rob’s greatest joy was the chance to serve the people of Toronto and give back to his community, and that was especially true when it came to the young people he coached. Today’s renaming on what would have been Rob’s 55th birthday is a beautiful tribute to his legacy of public service and one that is deeply appreciated by our entire family, especially Rob’s kids, Dougie and Stephanie. I want to thank Mayor Chow, Councillor Ainslie, Councillor Carroll and all the other members of council for this incredibly thoughtful gesture.”
– Premier Doug Ford
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