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Rob Ford, Toronto ex-mayor, dies aged 46 from cancer | |
(35 minutes later) | |
Former Toronto Mayor Rob Ford has died at the age of 46 after fighting cancer, his family has said. | |
Mr Ford, who battled drug and alcohol addiction, was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer in 2014. | |
He gained international notoriety after admitting smoking crack cocaine in 2013, but he was loved by supporters. | |
"A dedicated man of the people, Councillor Ford spent his life serving the citizens of Toronto," his family said in a statement. | |
He could not run for re-election as mayor in 2014 due to his cancer diagnosis, but won a city council seat in a landslide result. | |
His image contrasted sharply with Canada's usual calm, buttoned-up politics. | |
While serving as mayor, he was videotaped and photographed intoxicated in public areas. | |
During Canada's national election last year, he threw his support behind former Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who lost to Justin Trudeau, a liberal. | |
Despite the crack-smoking scandal, his popularity remained high with fans lining up to take photo with him. | |
He appealed to conservative, working-class people with his populist message. Many of his supporters in the 2010 Toronto mayoral election came from the outer suburbs of the city. | |
One of his key campaign promises was to "stop the gravy train" of government spending and he pledged to end "the war on the car". | |
He is survived by his wife Renata and his two children, Stephanie and Doug. |