Former Toronto Mayor Rob Ford Dead At 46

Rob Ford, the outspoken former Toronto mayor whose struggle with drugs and alcohol dominated his tenure and garnered international headlines, has died. He was 46. Ford was undergoing treatment for a rare form of cancer, according to The Toronto Star. His family confirmed his death to The Associated Press. Ford became mayor of Canada's largest city in 2010. His administration became embroiled in scandal after a series of controversies involving inappropriate and bizarre behaviour and incidents, including the surfacing of a video in 2013 that appeared to show the mayor smoking crack cocaine. He later admitted using the drug in what he called "one of my drunken stupors." Other incidents involving slurring and incoherent remarks were also caught on video. Ford eventually took a leave from office for drug and alcohol treatment in 2014, but vowed to run for re-election. Despite his personal issues, he continued to attract support from voters in that bid, as the CBC notes. But his campaign was cut short later that year when he was diagnosed with cancer. In a statement to the CBC, Ford chief of staff Dan Jacobs praised the former mayor, saying he "won a devoted following for being a straight talker who championed the average taxpayer." "A dedicated man of the people, Councillor Ford spent his life serving the citizens of Toronto," the statement read. Ford is survived by his wife and two children.