Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre said he doesn鈥檛 want anything to do with Toronto Mayor Rob Ford, echoing the sentiments of other Quebec mayors attending Wednesday鈥檚 Big City Mayors Caucus.
At a midday news conference, Quebec mayors discussed the day-long meeting in Ottawa and were asked about Ford鈥檚 presence.
Coderre spoke first, initially responding with 鈥淐鈥檈st qui ca?鈥� (鈥淲ho is this?鈥�) when asked about Ford.
Coderre went on to say that he did not talk to Ford or shake his hand during the morning session.
鈥淗e did his job, that鈥檚 okay. But that鈥檚 it. He鈥檚 not my friend,鈥� Coderre said.
鈥淗e鈥檚 got the right to be there, but I don鈥檛 care about him. It鈥檚 a caucus, not a circus.鈥�
Quebec City Mayor Regis Labeaume then took the microphone to say Ford 鈥渃an behave as he wants.鈥� But Labeaume said he did not want his children to see him working with Ford.
Labeaume had told the Journal de Quebec that he would not attend any press conference with Ford during the meetings because the Toronto mayor鈥檚 behaviour discredits other mayors.
Ford returns to meeting after leaving early
Ford caused a stir when he decided to leave the event halfway through the day, even though the afternoon sessions included a visit from Candice Bergen, the federal minister of state for social development.
Ford told reporters in Ottawa he would skip the second half of the meeting to have lunch with a friend and tour the city's new CFL stadium. However, after learning Bergen would be at the afternoon session, he decided to return to the meeting. He said he planned to speak to the minister about social housing.
Ford said he didn't realize Bergen would be at the session, even though it was on the event's agenda.
Earlier Wednesday morning, Ford held his own press conference and was asked about whether it 鈥渕ade sense鈥� for him to make his first-ever appearance at the Big City Mayors Caucus given the scandal hanging over his mayoralty.
鈥淚 represent the people of Toronto, so I鈥檓 not quite sure who else would be here,鈥� Ford said.
鈥淯nless there鈥檚 another person I鈥檓 not aware of that got 380,000 votes.鈥�
Asked whether other mayors might view his presence as a distraction, Ford replied that, 鈥淓veryone has their own prerogative. They can think and do what they want.鈥�
Ford added that all of the mayors in attendance have been friendly to him.
Before the Quebec mayors spoke, caucus chair and Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson sidestepped a Ford question at a separate news conference, saying that 鈥淲e鈥檙e glad to have a great showing of mayors.鈥�
During his morning press conference, Ford also faced questions about his alcohol and drug use. On Tuesday, Ford appeared on the 鈥淭oday鈥� show and told host Matt Lauer that he doesn鈥檛 use illegal drugs. 鈥淚 experimented with them, probably a year ago,鈥� Ford told Lauer.
When asked about the interview by reporters at City Hall later Tuesday, Ford was evasive and accused them of being jealous that he had spoken to an American network.
On Wednesday, CP24鈥檚 Katie Simpson repeatedly asked Ford to clarify if he鈥檇 use illegal drugs since November, when he admitted to previously using crack cocaine 鈥減robably in one of my drunken stupors.鈥�
Ford said Wednesday that he was 鈥渜uite clear, I said no.鈥� He admitted that he did drink during the incident at Steak Queen, when he was filmed at an Etobicoke fast-food restaurant in January speaking in a Jamaican patois.
鈥淚 have not done drugs since probably a year ago,鈥� he said.
鈥淚鈥檓 not going to sit here and get brow-beaten for the mistakes that I鈥檝e made. I鈥檝e made mistakes, we鈥檝e all made mistakes in this room, but we all carry on.鈥�
Ford said he鈥檚 looking forward to getting back on the campaign trail ahead of the coming civic election in October, when he will 鈥渓et the people decide鈥� on whether he should remain Toronto鈥檚 mayor.
