George Brown students showed plenty of enthusiasm for the mayoral debate held at their school on Wednesday. Crowded into the foyer of the college’s state-of-the-art waterfront campus building they cheered as the candidates scored rherotical points against one another, hooting and applauding the politicians so rowdily that at one point someone in the audience started chanting “Jerry! Jerry!”
But for Evan Carter, the debate, which was co-hosted by the Globe and Mail, was a chance to finally confront Doug Ford over comments he made earlier this year about an Etobicoke group home for kids with autism and other developmental issues.
Carter, a second-year marketing student at Geroge Brown, has Asperger syndrome, which is on the spectrum of autism disorders. At a May community meeting Councillor Ford described the Griffin Centre residence as a “nightmare,” and charged that it had “ruined” the neighbourhood.
“I never usually get too offended about stuff,” Carter told Ford when he took to the microphone. “The fact that you reduced people like me to animals and common criminals is really insulting. What I’m asking is for you to either explain yourself or apologize.”
As cheers from the audience died down, Ford blamed the media for twisting the Griffin Centre story, and claimed he has helped many parents of children with developmental disorders through his volunteer work with the Rotary Club.
“The first thing I’d advise you is, don’t believe everything the media says. That’s the first thing,” Ford said, to some applause from his supporters. “I can assure you Evan my heart goes out to you. I’ve helped numerous, numerous families, up to last week.”
Contradicting statements the Griffin Centre made at the time of the original controversy, Ford also asserted “there wasn’t any kids with autism in that house.” The organization told media in the spring the Etobicoke residence, which opened in March, was home to up to five youth with mental health issues and developmental disorders, including autism.
The Griffin Centre did not immediately return a request for comment.
When their turn came to address Carter’s question, Ford’s rivals expressed support for the residence, but refrained from directly criticizing the councillor for his original remarks or his response to Carter.
Olivia Chow said people with developmental issues “have a right to be in every community,” while John Tory said “the job of a leader” is to “produce more understanding” so that people with autism can better integrate with the rest of society. He too touted his charitable work, saying he’d volunteered with groups like Unity for Autism and the Reena Foundation.
After the debate, Carter said he was “completely unsatisfied” with Ford’s response.
“He was just doing what he always does, and dancing around the truth,” he said, recalling that when he first heard Ford’s comments about the Griffin Centre he felt “degraded and taken down a level.”
“I’ve had to deal with that stuff in my life before and I really expect better from someone who could be the leader of our city.”
In July, Tommy Lenathen, whose son is autistic, filed a complaint with the city integrity commissioner over Ford’s comments about the Griffin Centre. Ford responded by telling the Toronto Sun that Lenathan was waging a “jihad” against him, and that he could “go to hell.”
bens@nowtoronto.com | @BenSpurr
