Mayor John Tory, donning  Toronto’s chain of office over his deceased father’s navy blue polka-dot tie, addressed his council for the first time Tuesday, pledging to lead a government with an “open door and open mind.”

He made the vow in front of a packed council chamber which included his family and a number of special guests, including his political mentor, former Ontario premier Bill Davis and Louise Russo, an anti-violence advocate whom Tory has often described as his personal hero.

“I will not let ideology of any kind stand in the way of a good idea or doing what is right,” Tory said. “With strong leadership and honest partnership, we will move this city forward.”

Moving forward as “one Toronto” was a continuing theme throughout the proceeding as Tory also vowed to “end the division that has paralyzed city hall in the last few years.”

Indeed, Tory started off his inaugural speech by paying homage to former mayor Rob Ford for his service to council and to former deputy mayor Norm Kelly who led the city after Ford was stripped of his powers amid erratic behaviour and a confession to using crack cocaine while in office. Ford is now sitting on council as a councillor for Ward 2.

To an embattled Ford, who ran for mayor until a cancer diagnosis in September forced him to step out of the race, Tory recounted their feisty exchanges during the mayoral debates.

“He would look at me and say, “John, what’s on this page right here is going to lay you out. You’re going to be down on the floor, cold, finished,’ Tory regaled with a smile.

He also asked to move a symbolic motion, where council would formally wish their ailing colleague a speedy and full recovery. Ford has just completed his fourth round of chemotherapy and it only became clear this morning that he would be well enough to attend the proceedings. The former mayor laughed and smiled as he shook Tory’s hand.

Tory continued to preach collaboration throughout his inaugural address, telling his colleagues on council that Torontonians, no matter who they voted for, want results from “an accountable and effective leadership and the careful stewardship of their tax dollars.”

“All of you want what is best for your ward and for your city. I want the same things,” Tory said.

Once again, Tory listed the priorities that will challenge council in the years ahead, from transit and gridlock to affordable housing and job creation.

“It’s time to get to work,” he said, vowing not only to improve relations between council members but to “regain respect” for Toronto at Queen’s Park and in Ottawa.

He rallied for the modernization of process and technology at city hall and for building a reputation for the city that will convince new entrepreneurs to make Toronto their headquarters.

Russo, who was given the honour of putting the chain of office around the mayor’s neck after he took the oath of office at the special council ceremony Tuesday afternoon, told the crowd that she is confident Tory can lead the city to a future full of promise.

“He has the skills and the drive to lead us there,” she said during her speech. “I believe that under John Tory’s leadership, we will become one Toronto and one of the world’s greatest, most livable cities.

Russo was left paralyzed after being caught in the crossfire of a drive-by shooting at a North York sandwich shop in 2004. In the wake of the shooting, Russo created the charity Working Against Violence Everyday. Tory has said he “developed a special bond” with Russo when he reached out to her after the shooting and has been a long-time supporter of WAVE.

For her part, Russo hailed Tory as a champion of the youth, who would make safety and opportunity a reality for many disenfranchised young Torontonians.

“I see that John Tory genuinely cares about Toronto, its’ safety and especially its’ youth,” she said. “(He is) a genuine, caring, dedicated community leader.”

The ceremony, which ran for just over an hour, was not without moments of humour and raw emotion. At one point, Tory’s voice cracked when he spoke about his wife and their 36-year marriage.

“I’ve learned how important the perspective of a spouse is to keep your feet on the ground,” he said. “Beyond love, we have a great relationship and I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for her.”

After the ceremony, Tory was asked about some of the advice given to him by his mentor Davis.

“Bland works,” he said with a smirk.

Today’s meeting, which started at 2 p.m., is largely ceremonial in nature. Seven new councillors and 37 incumbents all made a declaration of office before taking their seats. At the ceremony, each was called up to receive a plaque commemorating their position on council by the mayor.

Committee appointments

A Striking Committee was also appointed today to review councillors’ preferences for various committee positions and to recommend appointments to council.

Tory has already unveiled his list of four regional deputy mayors and members of his executive committee. His choices have been criticized for not giving key positions to left-of-centre council members, but he defended himself by saying, “I had choices to make… and I’ve made them.”

“I have to put somebody in place who is going to help me get results as mayor,” he told CP24 Tuesday morning, adding that Shelley Carroll, a left-wing councillor for Ward 33 Don Valley East, will be the deputy speaker and serve on the police services board, TTC board and budget committee.

“That’s a pretty good roster of activities for somebody who is seen as being on the progressive side of the council.”

He also offered Pam McConnell as an example of a progressive downtown councillor who will be a regional deputy mayor if council approves the post.

Carroll, for her part, called herself “somewhat centrist” and said the creation of regional deputy mayors is “window dressing” for the moment because these are roles that are not yet defined. Only the role of deputy mayor is defined by the city’s law on the books, Carroll said.

There is at least one left-leaning councillor – Coun. Sarah Doucette for ward 13 Parkdale-High Park - who says she has no idea what committees she will be on because Tory has not met with her. Meanwhile, right-wing Coun. Giorgio Mammoliti has also not been appointed to any committees. He says he feels singled out because he supported the Ford brothers during the election campaign.

Tory’s choice for deputy mayor is conservative Coun. Denzil Minnan-Wong who said his appointment is not about partisan politics.

“I look at the work that I’ve done in terms of reforming taxi cabs, bringing in the first bike lane network, fighting congestion and gridlock, negotiating a labour agreement and contracting out garbage,” Minnan-Wong said. “I think that’s a pretty strong resume of accomplishments and I’ll put that up against anyone’s record.”

Minnan-Wong added that he is humbled to serve as deputy mayor and represent Toronto’s Chinese-Canadian community.

The new mayor was officially sworn in on his first day on the job Monday. His private oath-taking ceremony at city hall followed a meeting with Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne to discuss public transit and housing issues.

@SandieBenitah and @VidyaKauri are on Twitter. Follow @CP24 for up-to-the-minute breaking news on this story and more.