It was a day of reminiscing, mourning, and celebration.
Rob Ford supporters gathered in front of City Hall early Wednesday morning to join the former mayor’s funeral procession. The mood amongst the crowd varied.
Those to the left of the front doors were more boisterous, singing hymns and chanting.
On the right, mourners stood in quiet reflection. Among them was Sharon Young who brought her son along. She remembers Ford for personally responding to a letter she had sent him regarding issues with her community housing unit.
“I wrote him and he made one call and everything was done,” Young said. “He’s that type of man. I took my son out of school to pay respect.”
Supporters sing hymns, Bob Marley songs and chant “best mayor ever” throughout the procession.
As the procession began, a large crowd sang, “When the Saints Go Marching In.”
Also in attendance were some of Rob Ford’s fellow politicians. Norm Kelly, who was Ford’s deputy mayor, said that he shared many of Ford’s ideas for the city. Kelly also explained that Ford had confided in him about his personal struggles.
“That’s why I felt so sad at the end because I thought he had finally understood his personal issues, confronted them and I thought he had overcome them,” Kelly said. “Only to be ambushed,” he added.
For supporters who marched along with the procession, Ford’s personal issues no longer mattered. During the procession the crowd erupted, chanting, “best mayor ever” and “Rob for the people.”
Joseph Daniel waits to join the procession in front of City Hall. “He was the politician of the day,” Daniel says.
One supporter, Joseph Daniel, who had waited two hours to visit Ford’s casket the day before, explained his love for Ford. It’s a sentiment that has been repeated in the countless anecdotes told since his death.
“Rob was a regular person, and he showed generosity and love,” Daniel said. “There’s no one like Rob.”
Here’s a look at some memorable moments from the procession:
