Mayor Rob Ford’s spokesman says the scandal-plagued mayor will participate in the Santa Claus Parade on Sunday — though the parade’s co-chair and general manager say they were told Ford would not be marching.

Parade co-chair Ron Barbaro said Ford’s chief of staff, Earl Provost, said last week that the mayor “won’t be marching in the parade.”

Minutes after Barbaro spoke to the Star, however, Ford’s spokesman, Amin Massoudi, said Ford would indeed be “participating.”

“The mayor will be participating in the parade, as he does every year. The details are still coming together,” Massoudi said in a text message.

Ford marched in 2011 and 2012 as mayor and in 2010 as mayor-elect, glad-handing and tossing out candy canes with a smile. The parade, now in its 109th year, draws hundreds of thousands of spectators.

The confusion over Ford’s involvement is reminiscent of the curious 2012 saga of the mayor’s annual New Year’s levee. Ford’s office first announced its cancellation, then announced that Ford was actually thinking of replacing the levee with a family skating party, then held a traditional levee after all.

Ford is struggling to maintain his grip on power while ignoring a chorus of pleas to take a leave of absence or resign. And he has faced criticism from parents who say he is a poor role model for their children.

Police Chief Bill Blair confirmed Oct. 31 that there is a video that appears to show Ford smoking crack cocaine. Ford admitted on Nov. 5 to using crack while in office.

Barbaro said Provost didn’t provide a reason for Ford’s supposed non-participation — “Why would they give me a reason? I’m not the Governor General, yet,” Barbaro said — but he said it was “logical” that Ford might have qualms about participating in a children’s event as he deals with a crack cocaine scandal.

“I’m sure he’s thought of that. Otherwise he’d be marching, because he loved it,” Barbaro said — before Massoudi said Ford would indeed participate. “Loved walking in the parade. If he’s not going to walk in the parade, that’s fine — probably the right thing to do. He’ll do the right thing, I’m sure.”

Barbaro said he did not raise the scandal with Provost. He emphasized that Ford had not been “uninvited.”

“We’ve discussed with his people — Santa’s the celebrity of the day, and you don’t want to disrupt that if you can. That’s his business, though, from that standpoint,” he said.

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The parade starts at 12:30 p.m. at Bloor St. and Christie St. It will run along Bloor St. to University Ave., down University Ave. to Wellington St., and finish at Front and Jarvis Sts.

“This is a non-story, I think,” Barbaro said. “Santa’s the hero. Mrs. Claus. A million people, 20-some floats, and 3,000 kids marching. That’s the news.”