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Doug Ford is getting blasted for visiting a former Ontario mayor on her 100th birthday

Though most regions of Ontario have now been transitioned out of the province's blanket pandemic shutdown, which went into effect on Boxing Day, regions such as Toronto and Peel are still under a full lockdown and stay-at-home order — which is why so many people are freaking out at Premier Doug Ford for visiting a friend for their birthday this weekend.

Ford went to Mississauga from his home in nearby Etobicoke on Sunday to wish that city's former mayor and current Ontario Special Adviser on Municipal Affairs Hazel McCallion a 100th birthday, along with a slew of other people who stopped by over the course of the day.

Though the publicized event took place outdoors and looked to be safely socially distant, constituents are enraged that the premier wasn't heeding his own advice to the public to stay home for all but essential purposes and to avoid gathering with anyone outside of their own household.

What aggrieved people even more was the fact that the following day, for Ontario's Family Day holiday, Ford tweeted out a message reiterating that "the most important thing you can do for your family is to celebrate with ONLY those you live with."

"Thank you so much for staying home Ontario. It’s working," he continued.

"I love her, she's a mentor and she's taught me so much and she's always there for everyone," a seemingly well-intentioned and masked Ford told CTV News about McCallion live from the scene after handing the centenarian a gift while wearing an Ontario Women's Hockey Association jersey that read "Hazel" with the number 100 on the back.

The network's coverage included shots of McCallion waving to a distanced group of people that appeared to exceed the outdoor gathering limit of five for those regions still in shutdown mode, including Mississauga.

"It's quite a celebration in spite of the pandemic," McCallion told a CTV reporter, maskless, in her driveway.

Toronto, Peel, York and North Bay Parry Sound are expected to have the stay-at-home order lifted and to move into an amended version of the province's old colour-coded reopening framework in one week, on Feb. 22.

But, it's likely that at least some of these urban centres, which have understandably served as COVID-19 hotspots compared to more rural areas, will transition into the Grey-Lockdown zone on that date, effectively changing lockdown rules very little.

If that is the case, bars, restaurants, gyms, event spaces, gambling facilities, personal care services, and other types of businesses will remain closed to in-person services, while retail stores will be permitted to open their doors once more with reduced capacities.

Lead photo by

CTV News Toronto


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