Doug Ford facing criticism for visiting former Mississauga mayor Hazel McCallion amid stay-at-home order

Mississauga | Ontario | Latest News |

Published February 16, 2021 at 8:20 pm

cpdougfordmask

Premier Doug Ford is facing some heat online after visiting former Mississauga mayor Hazel McCallion outside of her home over the Family Day long weekend. 

McCallion, who served as mayor from 1978 until her retirement in 2014, turned 100-years-old on Feb. 14, 2021. 

Although a stay-at-home-order banning all non-essential travel remains in effect in Mississauga (as well as Toronto, Brampton, Caledon and York) until at least Feb. 22, a CTV News video shared to Twitter by Adam Lockett shows Ford and others arriving at McCallion’s home to wish her a happy birthday on Sunday. 

“Despite telling people to ‘stay at home’ and only ‘gather with those you live with’, Doug Ford travelled to another city to gather with people from several households the SAME afternoon as this tweet,” Lockett wrote, referring to Ford’s tweet asking residents to celebrate Family Day with members of their own household exclusively. 

“Ford’s never-ending hypocrisy is infuriating.”

Other social media users argued that the visit wasn’t a big deal, especially since guests wore masks and stayed outside. 

“It’s a small group. I count [under] 25 and they are outside, I see clusters separated by space (this would be family groupings). This is how birthdays are celebrated today…I seriously doubt anyone is at risk here,” one user wrote on the Toronto Reddit page. 

“Are we looking for outrage?”

But while some defended Ford for showing up to support McCallion on her milestone birthday, others said that the footage is hurtful to those who have had to miss birthdays, funerals and other events due to lockdown measures, adding that those who break the rules can face stiff fines

“Just because others couldn’t go to funerals of loved ones, visit family of new births, celebrate milestones,” one user wrote on Reddit.  

“Why are others surprised that we peasants can’t do what the elite can do?” 

Under the current stay-at-home order, residents in Peel are asked to only leave home to purchase groceries or medication or attend work, school, or essential medical appointments. Outdoor exercise is permitted, but residents are asked to gather with no more than five people outdoors. 

People caught violating the order can be fined up to $750. 

insauga's Editorial Standards and Policies advertising