Mayoral candidate George Smitherman held a press conference outside the gates of Ontario Place this afternoon to call on the province to bring those very gates down, and open up the Toronto waterfront he remembers from his childhood.
However, the topic of discussion quickly changed to accusations against him from the campaign of rival candidate Rocco Rossi.
At a mayoral debate held Thursday night, Mr. Smitherman allegedly swore at a volunteer for Mr. Rossi’s campaign. The young volunteer accused Mr. Smitherman of cursing at her as she handed him papers before he took the podium.
Denying accusations that he “dropped the f-bomb” or used expletives, Mr. Smitherman admitted:
“I said ‘screw off.’ ”
Asked if that was appropriate language for a mayoral candidate, Mr. Smitherman said, “For sure,” adding that it must be taken into the proper context.
“We’re in the midst of an election campaign, not a spring cotillion,” he told media.
The papers handed to Mr. Smitherman by the rival campaign volunteer, “questioned my record of working with youth,” which he called “muckraking” from a volunteer he said approached him without identifying her campaign affiliation.
Drawing attention again to his ideas for a waterfront revitalization, Mr. Smitherman said it isn’t yet possible to form specific plans, but referred to a government report produced during his time as deputy premier of Ontario which he said explored the idea.
At the end of the conference, Mr. Smitherman purchased a single adult admission to Ontario Place grounds, and entered through the gates he wants to tear down.
