Toronto Mayor Rob Ford named Maclean’s ‘Newsmaker of the Year’

TORONTO – Rob Ford’s ongoing scandals have garnered the Toronto Mayor the title of Maclean’s “Newsmaker of the Year.”

The magazine made the declaration following a whirlwind of national and international media attention over the mayor’s controversial behaviour.

Ford publicly admitted to smoking crack cocaine in November just weeks after Toronto police said they recovered a video of the mayor appearing to smoke the illegal drug.

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This followed the release of police documents which revealed Ford and his friend Sandro Lisi were under surveillance by police for several months.

Lisi has since been charged with drug offences and extortion in connection to the alleged video of the mayor smoking crack.

Further unredacted information showed that some of the mayor’s former staff members believed he had a substance abuse problem.

None of the allegations have been proven in court and Ford has not been charged with any criminal offences.

In late November, the mayor was also stripped of most of his powers by council that has left him little more than a figurehead at city hall.

Ford has been prominently featured on late night television as the butt of jokes across the United States.

Meanwhile, the other five public figures to make the list of 2013’s top newsmakers include Prince George, Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield, Afghan girl Malala Yousafzai, Senator Mike Duffy and Pope Francis.