The DJ set included ‘Cheap thrills’ by Sia, ‘Rich Girl’ by Gwen Stefani, ‘Kill em with kindness’ by Selena Gomez, and ‘Get busy’ by Sean Paul.
And there were a few long time Ford Nationals in attendance – Deputy Mayor Vincent Crisanti, Councillor Giorgio Mammoliti, and newly-elected Conservative MPP for Scarborough-Rouge River, Raymond Cho.
The first several hundred people to arrive at the 2016 version of Ford Fest got free T-shirts that read “Ford Fest Rocks Toronto” on the front and “Ford Nation, In Memory of Rob Ford, 1969-2016” on the back.
For better or for worse, the loss of Rob Ford seems to have emotionally strengthened the bond Ford Nation has with the Ford family.
“I’m smiling, inside I’m crying,” said David Menzies, the former Sun News Network personality and regular fixture at Ford Fest, who evokes a familiarity that only fictional reporters Kent Brockman and Ron Burgundy may rival.
“There’s a great sense of remembrance of Rob Ford as being an honest guy, as being the guy that fought the elites, fought for the common person – the tax payer,” said Menzies.
It was an emotional Ford Fest for Gail Chernesky, too. “We have Rob in our hearts very deeply right now,” she said.
“In all my years, Rob Ford is one of the first mayors who I felt a connection to and I can actually put a real face to,” added Ward 2 resident Beuna Livingston.
With Michael Ford in office, serving Etobicoke North Ward 2 in City Council, and Doug Ford widely expected to seek a Conservative nomination for a seat in the Ontario legislature in the 2018 election, there’s still hope in Ford Nation.
Said Kenny Neville, “Once Ford Nation gets back in office the gravy train will stop automatically.”
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