Mayoral candidate John Tory has received endorsements from a number of politicians in the supposed heart of Ford Nation.
Tory held a press conference on Saturday morning to accept the support of Etobicoke-Lakeshore Member of Parliament Bernard Trottier, Etobicoke-Lakeshore Member of Provincial Parliament Peter Milczyn and retiring Etobicoke Centre Councillor Gloria Lindsay-Luby. Departing Etobicoke-Lakeshore Councillor James Maloney, who was appointed to the vacant seat in July, was also among the group.
“I think this is a bit of a statement. In fact it is more than a bit of a statement to have a Conservative member of parliament, a Liberal member of the provincial legislature and two councillors talking about why they believe the type of leadership I am offering will be good for the City of Toronto,” Tory told reporters. “This is the kind of team we are building, a team that has people of all political parties and people who have no political party. These are people that are just interested in moving the city forward and getting results for people.”
Tory has held similar press conferences to announce endorsements throughout the campaign, though the location of Saturday’s affair on Islington Avenue near Lake Shore Boulevard appears to be a direct shot at Doug Ford, who has previously referred to Etobicoke as his “home turf.”
Depsite that assertion a recent Ipsos-Reid poll gave Tory a 20 point lead over Ford in Etobicoke.
“I think a lot of people who may have voted for the Ford’s in 2010 have now had their eyes opened and as I speak to members of my community they say ‘I’ll never do that again,’ so those people are definitely shifting to John,” Lindsay-Luby told reporters. “ I have no doubt about it and I feel good about it too.”
Elsewhere on the campaign trail Saturday, Doug Ford attended an Eid celebration at the Direct Energy Centre, where he told reporters that he was getting a "phenomenal" reception from attendees.
"These are great, great people, hardworking people, they are fiscally conservative and they want to build subways and have money put back in their pocket; not the government's pocket," he said. "There is only one person that is putting moeny back in their pocket and that is Doug Ford.
Olivia Chow is also scheduled to attend the Eid celebration at the Direct Energy Centre before canvassing in Wards 24, 39 and 41 this afternoon. Chow will then take in Nuit Blanche events, beginning at 9:15 p.m.
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