Toronto Mayor Rob Ford (right) gestures to Councillor Paul Ainslee in the council chamber as councillors look to pass motions to limit his powers in Toronto on Monday, November 18, 2013. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young
December 22, 2013 - 7:03 AM
TORONTO - Quotes from news directors and editors who chose Toronto Mayor Rob Ford as Canada's top newsmaker for 2013 in the annual poll of news organizations by The Canadian Press:
"Is there really a choice? Rob Ford is clearly not Canadian of the Year, but there is little doubt he generated the most sensational news consistently throughout the year. His infamy even spread abroad. How many other Canadians have the been subject of Saturday Night Live's opening sketch?" — Chris Hannay, online politics editor, Globe and Mail.
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"Rob Ford was repeatedly 'the' story that stopped you in your tracks. Just when you felt there could be no further fuel for the Ford story fire, it seemed he provided another splash of kerosene. I've never seen anything like it." — Phil Andrews, managing editor, Guelph Mercury.
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"Ford eclipsed any other possible choice for newsmaker and the gong show just kept rolling. His antics weren't known solely in every corner of Canada, but around the world. As one editorial cartoon suggested, Canada became known internationally as that country where Santa lives in the far north, and where 'the crack mayor' lives to the south." — Tracy Gilchrist, editor, Kamloops Daily News.
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"I would actually prefer to have picked Lac-Megantic mayor Colette Roy-Laroche for symbolizing the people of Lac-Megantic: calm, firm, constantly present, a very human authority figure amid the destruction and the posturing of some others. Or Mike Duffy, for personifying the Senate debacle: we have no clear idea yet how far this story will go. Or Chris Hadfield for his view of the Earth, of all the countries and geographies and cities and colours and wonders, that made his time in space so captivating. But ultimately Ford was the person no one could stop watching: mayor of Canada's largest city acting like Toronto is his private amateur football team; the astonishingly unguarded wording of his comments; the attacks on the media and the police; the potential tragedy of a man looking like he will literally explode at any second ... and he has been the perfect story for the age of instant video. Unbelievable theatre that also raises the question about our society: Who have we become?" — Catherine Wallace, managing editor, Montreal Gazette.
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"Rob Ford may be the greatest one-man headline generator of our time. Just when you think the situation can't get anymore insane, he finds a way to take it to the next level." — Leo Pare, news and new media editor, Red Deer Advocate.
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"In 2013, Rob Ford was probably the most famous (infamous?) mayor in the world. Just ask David Letterman, Jay Leno, Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, Seth Meyers, Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon, etc." — Scott Metcalfe, news director at Toronto radio station 680News.
News from © The Canadian Press, 2013