TORONTO – Toronto Mayor Rob Ford won’t be able to buy a piece of parkland that sparked his now infamous clash with a journalist last month.
The Toronto and Region Conservation Authority has denied Ford’s bid to purchase the roughly 275-square-metre parkette next to his west Toronto home.
The authority says selling the public land would go against its conservation mandate.
Ford said he wanted the property to create a security buffer around his home.
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The mayor last month confronted a Toronto Star reporter who came to see the parkette, accusing Daniel Dale of spying on him.
He admitted to angrily chasing Dale on May 2 and said the journalist looked frightened. Dale’s version of events had Ford charging him with a cocked fist.
A week later, police ruled out any charges against Dale, despite the mayor’s assurances he had turned over incriminating video of the incident.
Dale said at the time he wasn’t allowed to view the footage but believes it cleared him of any wrongdoing.
The dispute sparked widespread debate over press freedom and privacy rights, with many residents and commentators picking sides.
Some political pundits and insiders suggested Ford’s antics are jeopardizing Toronto’s reputation.
The mayor painted the incident as the latest in a series of personal attacks by the Star, with whom he has clashed repeatedly over the years.
(AM640, The Canadian Press)
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