• Search
    • Sign up for our newsletter
    October 15, 2019
    SHARE
    COMMONS
    DYNASTIES #3 – The Fords
    They call themselves the Canadian Kennedys. And they’re one of the most famous political dynasties to ever exist in this country. But the rise of the Ford family has been marred by violence and self-destruction at almost every turn. The story of the Fords is tragic — for them, for everyone who falls into their orbit, and for the people of Toronto.
    Arshy Mann
    Host & Producer
    Jordan Cornish
    Producer

    They call themselves the Canadian Kennedys. And they’re one of the most famous political dynasties to ever exist in this country. But the rise of the Ford family has been marred by violence and self-destruction at almost every turn. The story of the Fords is tragic — for them, for everyone who falls into their orbit, and for the people of Toronto.

    Featured in this episode: Jonathan Goldsbie (Canadaland).

    CORRECTION [Nov. 18, 2019]: We state in this episode that Rob Ford died in 2014. He died in March of 2016. We regret the error.

    To learn more:

    Crazy Town: The Rob Ford Story by Robyn Doolittle

    The Only Average Guy: Inside the Uncommon World of Rob Ford by John Filion

    “The Rob Ford Story” by CBC’s The Fifth Estate

    This show was brought to you by our patrons. Please consider becoming a monthly supporter. 

    This episode is sponsored by Freshbooks and Audible.

    Additional music:

    I dunno by grapes (c) copyright 2008 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. Ft: J Lang, Morusque

    ＭＩＬＬＥＮＮＩＡＬＳ by Analog By Nature (c) copyright 2018 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license.

    Reverie (small theme) by _ghost (c) copyright 2010 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. Ft: Pitx

    “Unanswered Questions” by Kevin Macleod, adapted. 

    More from this series
    WORK #16 – Boss Fight
    This is the story of Canada’s first-ever video game union. And the lengths that the industry went to try to stop it in its tracks
    July 3, 2024
    WORK #15 – Canada’s New Underclass
    The huge rise in international students in Canada — most of them from Punjab, India — has become one of the biggest stories in the country.
    June 26, 2024
    WORK #14 – The Colossus of Roads
    She expected to face opposition from tech companies and governments that are hostile to workers. But what she didn’t anticipate was that one of the biggest obstacles in her path would be a labour union. 
    June 19, 2024
    WORK #13 – Flying Under the Radar
    Mandalena Lewis is one of far too many flight attendants who have been harassed or assaulted on the job. And her story is just one example of a culture of sexism and abuse that she alleges pervades the airline industry.
    June 12, 2024
    WORK #12 – The Crucible of Confinement
    In 2006, Zakaria Amara was arrested and imprisoned for planning what could have been one of the deadliest terror attacks in Canadian history. A ringleader of the so-called “Toronto 18,” he’s one of the most infamous Canadian convicts of the last few decades. 
    June 5, 2024
    WORK #11 – The Way the Music Died
    ♩♪ But Spotify, it’s nearly killed us Ticketmaster’s ground us to dust The companies got too large Now monopolies are in charge ♩♪
    May 29, 2024
    WORK #10 – Prison Labour Industrial Complex
    Not only do Canadian prisoners work for for-profit businesses, but they’re sometimes doing the most dangerous and nauseating work around
    May 22, 2024
    WORK #9 – Working Behind Bars
    If we want to truly understand our criminal justice system and Canadian labour, we need to examine how prisoners work.
    May 15, 2024
    all podcasts arrow All Podcasts
    COMMONS