For the Toronto Star, covering local news is fundamental.

It is, quite simply, our bread and butter — and a journalistic responsibility we take most seriously.

If our local democracy is to flourish, it is essential Torontonians be well informed and conversant on all local issues.

Which brings us to the “Ford freeze” — the specific order by Mayor Rob Ford that all official notices and pronouncements from his office not be provided to this newspaper.

The ban has been in place ever since Ford won the mayoral race more than a year ago. It stems from Ford’s rage over a piece the Star ran during the campaign about his conduct as a football coach.

There is no purpose served in rehashing the details. However, the Star has always stood by the story, noting it was carefully checked by our lawyer before publication.

Candidate Ford was furious and filed an immediate notice of libel, which is entirely and appropriately his prerogative. But he never followed up, as required, and his suit has now lapsed.

Mayor Ford has repeatedly said his freeze will stay in place until the Star runs an apology above the fold on page 1. As he recently told reporter Daniel Dale, “I don’t talk to the Star till you guys apologize. You guys (are) liars.”

Thus we have the chief magistrate of the city, his legal remedy expired, using the tool of blackout to prevent the city’s largest newspaper from receiving notification of public events, briefings or announcements from his office.

In my view, this tactic is not only high-handed and inappropriate, but also raises a serious issue of abuse of power.

Mayor Ford has no obligation to speak to or be interviewed by the Star. That is entirely his choice. However, when it comes to public press releases and public notifications from his office as mayor of all the people, that is another matter. That directly affects our ability to cover city hall and serve our readers.

Indeed, the Ford freeze recently went a step further. The mayor’s staff was holding a briefing on arts funding and other members of the city hall press gallery were told about it privately. In this case, they were also specifically asked not to tell the Star about it. In other words, the mayor’s staff was trying to use other journalists to enforce its freeze. Thankfully, they did not go along.

Interestingly, other journalists have been outspoken in their criticism of the Ford freeze. David Nickle, president of the city hall press gallery, wrote: “the offices of the mayor and members of council are public, taxpayer-funded institutions. It is fundamental that all official communications be provided in an equal manner to all members of the press gallery. To exclude any gallery member … is an abuse of process and office.”

Globe and Mail reporter Karen Howlett, vice-president (print) of the Queen’s Park press gallery, describes the Ford freeze as “totally ridiculous.”

“You can’t prevent one press member hearing about press conferences and public events,” she said.

Chris Rands, president of the Ottawa press gallery, put it this way: “The right to free speech guaranteed in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms includes the right to gather information. Barring reporters from access to information from public institutions diminishes values Canadians hold dear.”

The Ford freeze also became a political hot potato when Councillor Adam Vaughan, entirely of his own initiative, proposed a motion guaranteeing all media outlets equal access to releases from the mayor’s office. His motion, however, was shelved by the city’s executive committee as all the mayor’s cronies banded together.

One option would be for the Star to do nothing. Certainly our reporters and columnist Royson James have found elegant ways to work around the freeze.

Yet that approach ignores the journalism issue at hand — the blatant attempt by the mayor to block the flow of public information to one newspaper.

This conduct cannot be allowed to continue unchallenged. The issue is far too important.

Since the council motion has been shelved and all requests by the Star and the press gallery have been ignored, we must seek other redress.

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Thus the Star will file a formal complaint with the city’s integrity commissioner and ask for a ruling.

Quite simply, the mayor must be held to account for this.

John Honderich is chair of Torstar, the parent company of the Toronto Star.