A couple whose night out was ruined by the drunken antics of a Toronto city councillor say they've accepted his "heartfelt" apology.
Councillor Rob Ford sent an e-mail to Dan and Rebecca Hope on Wednesday, apologizing for his conduct at a Toronto Maple Leafs game on April 15, when he ranted, shouting expletives and insults, in a section where the couple were also seated.
"I offer you my heartfelt apology. . . . My complete lack of manners were unprofessional, immature, and do not in any way reflect my usual behaviour in public," Mr. Ford wrote.
"I serve the public every day to the best of my abilities and work tirelessly to go above and beyond to help people, not harm them or hurt their feelings."
"Please accept my apology. I'm very sorry."
Mr. Hope said yesterday that he and his wife accept the apology. However, the incident is "not forgotten."
The couple, who live in Enniskillen, about 20 kilometres from Toronto in Durham Region, wrote a letter to the city, outlining how their night out in Toronto was ruined by the tirades of a large man who shouted insults and obscenities at them in the last eight minutes of the game.
They realized that the man was the Etobicoke North councillor after they received his business card from another fan.
When faced with the allegations on Monday, Mr. Ford told reporters he was being slandered, and wasn't at the hockey game that night.
He came clean a day later, telling reporters that he had lied because he felt "embarrassed and humiliated."
Mr. Hope said an e-mail apology is "better than nothing," although it would have been nicer to receive a more personal gesture, such as a phone call or written letter.
The Hopes, who have two young sons, say they are not interested in pursuing any formal action against the councillor, or taking part in an investigation by the city's integrity commissioner.
"I'm not here to drag Mr. Ford through the mud," Mr. Hope said. "What he did was wrong. I conveyed that point. I haven't belaboured it in any way."
However, Mr. Hope said he hopes the voters in Etobicoke North remember the incident if the two-term councillor decides to run again in the Nov. 13 municipal election. Mr. Ford said this week that he is still considering making a run for the mayoralty.
"The voters of Ward 2, I'm hoping, will make their own informed decisions from here on in," Mr. Hope said.