Toronto councillor tried to cancel FordFest after resident raised concerns

A Toronto city councillor asked staff to look into cancelling FordFest after a resident complained that the event was being used for political promotion in a city park. The concerns centred on whether the Progressive Conservative Party’s annual event complied with Toronto’s nonpartisan rules for public facilities. Internal communications reviewed by Global News show that Coun. Dianne Saxe forwarded the resident’s email to city parks staff on June 4, 2026, asking whether the event could be stopped. City staff responded that FordFest had already been reviewed and met the requirements for a park permit, and said they could not refuse access based on the political views of the organizer or attendees. The article says staff had raised similar neutrality concerns in 2023, including whether party branding and related activities were appropriate in a cityowned space. Emails also show officials were preparing for possible protests ahead of this year’s event, with police resources already stretched by Toronto’s World Cup planning. When FordFest went ahead in Thomson Memorial Park in Scarborough, protesters disrupted Doug Ford’s speech.