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Morning Brew: Rob Ford will attend Remembrance Day service, city probes pro-Ford sign, WWF stars a PR stunt, traffic deaths spike in 2013, and a Rob Ford bobblehead

Rob Ford will attend today's Remembrance Day service at Old City Hall, according to Doug Ford. "He will be there 100%," Doug told the Toronto Sun. A source close to the mayor told Joe Warmington Ford met with a doctor, personal trainer, and nutritionist over the weekend. "He feels like a champion - like he has been reborn," said Doug.

At 11:00 a.m. today the city and TTC will pause for two minutes to honour those who made the ultimate sacrifice and soldiers who continue to serve. A special ceremony will convene at the cenotaph outside Old City Hall at 10:45. The mayor will then make a speech.

The City of Toronto says it's investigating a strange pro-Ford billboard that misappropriated the city logo.The sign appeared near the Gardiner at Islington bearing the message "Ford = Fiscal Responsiblity [sic]" and a Bible verse. It has since been replaced by an ad for cheese.

It turns out The Iron Sheik and Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake didn't drop by City Hall to lay a smack down on Rob Ford of their own volition - it was all a PR stunt. Both ex-wrestlers share an agent, Page Magen, who also co-owns Belly Buster Submarines. The Sheik and Barber have both openly promoted the hoagie outfit recently, according to Toronto Life.

The weekend was the first since February 2012 that Rob and Doug Ford have been without their weekly radio show, The City. According to a press release, Newstalk 1010 and the Fords mutually came to the decision to stop broadcasting. The end of the show means Ford has been silent for several days on the ever-deepening drug scandal.

Former Washington mayor Marion Barry knows what it's like to be snared in a drug scandal - too bad he isn't offering any advice to Rob Ford. Barry was filmed smoking crack cocaine in 1990 and arrested by the FBI. He successfully returned to politics following a 6-month jail term.

Traffic fatalities are at an 5-year high in Toronto. 50 people - 16 motorists, 3 cyclists and 31 pedestrians - have been killed on the city's streets so far this year, up from last year's total of 44. Contrary to popular belief, most accidents happen on sunny days in dry weather. Stay safe out there.

Finally, Rob Ford's office is selling bobblehead figures of the mayor. The strange little toys, dubbed the "Robbie Bobbie," were purchased before the crack controversy ignited and will be used to raise cash for the City of Toronto's United Way campaign. $20 each from the City Hall rotunda.

FROM THE WEEKEND:

IN BRIEF:

Chris Bateman is a staff writer at blogTO. Follow him on Twitter at @chrisbateman.

Image: Dominic Bugatto/blogTO Flickr pool.


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