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Rob Ford crack allegations resurface |

Toronto police chief announces investigators have elusive crack video

Patrick ] Vailancourt § News Editor Fe) news@theotherpress.ca

he Toronto Police Service

has confirmed that it is now in possession of a “digital video file,” which is said to show Toronto Mayor Rob Ford at an Etobicoke house, showing images that are allegedly consistent with previous reports on Ford's activities—a reference to the allegations that Ford was filmed smoking crack cocaine.

Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair said at a press conference that he was “disappointed,” after announcing that his officers were now investigating the contents of the video.

Reports of the video being in police possession came as a shock to residents of Canada’s largest city, and occurred on the same day of the arrest of Ford’s occasional driver and friend Alexander Lisi, who is charged with attempting to retrieve a video of Ford through extortion.

Several persistent reports suggest that Lisi, in addition to being Ford’s occasional driver,

also procured drugs for the Toronto mayor.

Earlier this year, a source tipped off the Toronto Star and Gawker.com about having a damning video of Mayor Ford smoking crack cocaine. The reporters met with the video's owner in Toronto and were shown the video. Reporters were convinced of its authenticity, but were met with the demand for a hefty payment to purchase the video. Gawker successfully raised the $200,000 to purchase the video, but when

Toronto Mayor Rob Fard | Photo courtesy of www.shedoesthecity.com

the money had been raised, the video and its owner had mysteriously disappeared. Chief Blair’s press conference has revived the nationwide debate about the mayor’s capacity to lead Toronto’s 2.8-million people. All four of Toronto’s major newspapers have called on the mayor to resign—including the Toronto Sun, formerly one of Ford’s supporters. In response to media questions about the video, the mayor said that he has no plans

to step aside. “I have no reason to resign,” said Ford.

Ford added that he is unable to comment on the video because “it’s before the courts right now.” The video, however, is currently in police custody, and there is no provision preventing the mayor from commenting publicly on the video.

It is a change of tune in the embattled mayor’s version of events: in May, he repeatedly told residents and reporters that he could not comment on “a

video I haven't seen or does not exist.”

Ford’s brother, Toronto City Councillor Doug Ford, has called for the Toronto Police Service to release the video to the public to allow residents to make their own conclusions.

Toronto Police spokesperson Mark Pugash has asserted that the police must turn evidence over to the courts, and the courts “have the authority to decide whether that should be released...” He continued, stating that, “I know that media lawyers are already working on that process to get the video released.”

Dennis Morris, Ford’s lawyer, has been particularly critical of police Chief Bill Blair for comments he made at the press conference, specifically the comment about him being personally “disappointed.”

“{Chief Blair] has a duty to report news in a dispassionate fashion,” said Morris, adding that Blair should immediately make the video public.

Toronto police have confirmed that they are trying to interview Ford in relation to their criminal investigation of Alexander Lisi, but thus far the police have not received a response from the mayor’s office.

Jack-o-lanterns, costumes, and more

Halloween at Douglas College

Fr

alloween is a time when

most schools dress up—either the hallways or the students—in order to have an appropriate holiday atmosphere. Douglas College was no exception, with the Douglas Students’ Union (DSU) putting on several displays of Halloween spirit in the concourse of the New Westminster campus.

The pumpkin carving contest saw about 20 jack- o’-lanterns spread across a square arrangement of tables, along with a voting booth. The designs ranged from grotesque (a pumpkin with gruesome extra bits glued on), to cute (a pumpkin crying with pumpkin seeds as its “tears”),

Cazzy Lewchuk Staff Writer

to referencing pop culture (the Batman symbol carved into a pumpkin). A box to put the votes in sat alongside, with a student to answer questions about the procedure. For example, he reminded me to write my name on my vote, as many students were accidentally casting anonymous votes. He also informed me that by writing my name, I was eligible to win a Tim Hortons’ gift card—another bonus to participating in the festivities.

Also going on in the concourse from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. was the Douglas College Costume Contest. All participants had their photo taken against a backdrop holding a number. The photos were then displayed on a large screen so that students could cast their vote. There were pirates, Disney characters, horrifically made up faces, a werewolf, and even SpongeBob SquarePants. It was quite a sight, as the participants contrasted with the majority of students,

who were not dressed up. The winner of the contest received a $100 Metrotown gift card.

After partaking in the Halloween festivities, a DSU representative directed me to complete a survey about student services in and around Douglas College. Students who completed the survey were entered into a draw for either a $250 Ticketmaster gift card or $50 to Walmart. There is no date yet set for the draw, but the DSU advised that the draw would take place once they had 1,000 completed surveys.

Look out for other opportunities to participate in DSU events post-Halloween, including Cinema Politica’s screening of Status Quo? The Unfinished Business of Feminism in Canada on Tuesday November 12 at 4:30 p.m., and the Around the World Pub Night on Thursday November 21 at 7:30 p-m. for International Day. To give your opinion on student services, take the DSU student services survey.

Photos courtesy of Cazzy Lewchuk

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