

Chris Fox, CP24.com





Mayor Rob Ford is coming under fire for misleading remarks he made suggesting that costly improvements to Sugar Beach were approved while he was away in rehab.

Ford has criticized Waterfront Toronto for spending $900,000 on 36 pink umbrellas and two large rocks for the man-made beach in the past and in a recent interview with Cantonese TV Ford seemed to suggest that the expense was authorized while he was unable to oppose it.

In reality, the cost was approved by the Waterfront Toronto board in 2010 when Ford was still a councillor.

The Waterfront Toronto board is made up of representatives appointed by all three tiers of government.

“It simply is not true and I think he is trying to find a gravy train item to convince people that he needs to be in charge as mayor,” Coun. Paula Fletcher told CP24 on Tuesday morning. “The fact that it is not true is very, very concerning and he really needs to clarify that and admit that he is wrong.”

“Rob Ford hasn’t changed. He is still making things up,” mayoral candidate Olivia Chow added in a one-on-one interview with CP24. “Over and over again he is misrepresenting the truth.”

Ford told Fairchild TV that as soon as he checked himself into a rehab facility to seek help for substance abuse issues council went and spent “$1 million on rocks and umbrellas,” suggesting that the expense is proof that the gravy train “goes right back on the rails” without him in the mayor’s chair.

In a statement, however, the mayor’s office seemed to indicate that Ford was only taking issue with the cost and not the timing of it in the interview.

“Mayor Ford is highly concerned about issues around lack of oversight with public money at Waterfront Toronto. While the mayor was away, it was revealed that Waterfront Toronto had spent a million dollars on umbrellas and large rocks from Quebec,” the statement read. “The mayor maintains this is a complete waste of taxpayers’ money, especially when the city is facing major challenges around its infrastructure funding.”

Coun. Denzil Minnan-Wong first brought the issue of the cost of the umbrellas and rocks to the public’s attention and on Tuesday told CP24 that Ford has his “heart in the right place,” but clearly has his facts “muddled.”

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