Mayor Rob Ford was spotted by several people in the Muskoka region Friday afternoon but his brother and lawyer insist he is still receiving treatment at a rehab facility.
Coun. Doug Ford told CP24 that Ford is indeed in an in-patient facility but speculated that he could leave the premises on a supervised pass. The mayor’s lawyer, Dennis Morris, said Ford isn’t restricted at the facility.
“He is an in-patient. I don't think any individual is restricted to a facility 24/7. There are no gates or bars,” he said.
Though no one has confirmed where exactly the mayor is receiving treatment, there is a rehab facility in the area.
Ford said he would check himself into rehab late last month for what he has said is a problem with alcohol. That same night, two different newspapers came out with reports of drug and alcohol use by the mayor.
On Friday, two people confirmed to CP24 they saw the mayor and snapped a photograph of him out and about in the area.
Erine Strength, an employee with drycleaning service Fabricare for the last 14 years, said Ford came in at around 2 p.m. to have his suit cleaned and stayed between 10 and 15 minutes.
She told CP24.com the mayor was, "very nice, polite, very energetic."
Strength said he was friendly to all the employees there and took a photo with the group and no one questioned him about his stay in rehab.
She later told CP24 that Ford "looked in good health and was in good humour."
"He enjoyed joking around with all our staff and our customers and it was our pleasure to have him."
Strength said to her knowledge the mayor had never stopped by the shop before.
Carman Ribeiro, an employee with Marj's Homestyle Cafe, took a photo of the mayor posing with construction workers.
She told CP24 that she saw Ford with a woman at the Bracebridge Plaza. The mayor went into the bank and then walked around, posing for photos with people.
The Ford family does have a cottage in Muskoka but Doug Ford insisted to CP24 the mayor would not be spending the long weekend there.
