https://simplecast.com The Gravy Train The tragic life and enduring legacy of Toronto's crack-smoking mayor. © 2002-2019 Rogers Media. All Rights Reserved. en-ca Sun, 14 Apr 2024 08:00:00 +0000 Mon, 4 Aug 2025 08:44:54 +0000 https://thegravytrainpodcast.com The Gravy Train https://image.simplecastcdn.com/images/a353f84a-075c-4d76-86f9-e6b9e5c67e2b/ed652761-aa16-4dcf-af1d-d26eb929ed4d/3000x3000/tgt-albumart-1400x1400.jpg?aid=rss_feed https://thegravytrainpodcast.com serial The tragic life and enduring legacy of Toronto's crack-smoking mayor. Frequency Podcast Network true https://feeds.simplecast.com/QRW3yDn7 Frequency Podcast Network rogerspodcastnetwork@rci.rogers.com 4be9b3da-38d7-4427-bdf5-b9ad9c0fbd72 Introducing Paydirt: The Inside Story of Ontario's Greenbelt Scandal It was one of the strangest scandals in recent Canadian history, located right at the spot where the housing crisis collides with the climate crisis. From allegations of political corruption and  RCMP investigations to endangered species and Las Vegas massages.

Every Monday for the next three weeks, The Big Story, in partnership with The Narwhal, will take you into the heart of the Greenbelt scandal that rocked Ontario, speaking to the people who broke the story and people who lived it. If you think you know what happened... you don't know it all.

Series begins April 22 in The Big Story feed. Listen here. 

]]> Sun, 14 Apr 2024 08:00:00 +0000 rogerspodcastnetwork@rci.rogers.com (Frequency Podcast Network) https://thegravytrainpodcast.com It was one of the strangest scandals in recent Canadian history, located right at the spot where the housing crisis collides with the climate crisis. From allegations of political corruption and  RCMP investigations to endangered species and Las Vegas massages.

Every Monday for the next three weeks, The Big Story, in partnership with The Narwhal, will take you into the heart of the Greenbelt scandal that rocked Ontario, speaking to the people who broke the story and people who lived it. If you think you know what happened... you don't know it all.

Series begins April 22 in The Big Story feed. Listen here. 

]]> Introducing Paydirt: The Inside Story of Ontario's Greenbelt Scandal Frequency Podcast Network 00:02:08 It was one of the strangest scandals in recent Canadian history, located right at the spot where the housing crisis collides with the climate crisis. From allegations of political corruption and RCMP investigations to endangered species and Las Vegas massages. Every Monday for the next three weeks, The Big Story, in partnership with The Narwhal, will take you into the heart of the Greenbelt scandal that rocked Ontario, speaking to the people who broke the story and people who lived it. If you think you know what happened... you don't know it all. Hosted by Emma McIntosh, investigative reporter with The Narwhal. It was one of the strangest scandals in recent Canadian history, located right at the spot where the housing crisis collides with the climate crisis. From allegations of political corruption and RCMP investigations to endangered species and Las Vegas massages. Every Monday for the next three weeks, The Big Story, in partnership with The Narwhal, will take you into the heart of the Greenbelt scandal that rocked Ontario, speaking to the people who broke the story and people who lived it. If you think you know what happened... you don't know it all. Hosted by Emma McIntosh, investigative reporter with The Narwhal. false full 10 1 https://thegravytrainpodcast.com/?p=158 8: Legacy Toronto never got the chance to reelect Mayor Rob Ford. Nor did it get the chance to kick him out of office. It wasn’t the ending anyone wanted, it’s just what happened. And over the next few years, it would become clear just how profoundly Rob had changed politics, at home and around the world.

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]]> Thu, 12 Dec 2019 09:00:55 +0000 rogerspodcastnetwork@rci.rogers.com (Frequency Podcast Network) https://thegravytrainpodcast.com Toronto never got the chance to reelect Mayor Rob Ford. Nor did it get the chance to kick him out of office. It wasn’t the ending anyone wanted, it’s just what happened. And over the next few years, it would become clear just how profoundly Rob had changed politics, at home and around the world.

The post 8: Legacy appeared first on The Gravy Train.

]]> 8: Legacy Frequency Podcast Network 00:42:39 Toronto never got the chance to reelect Mayor Rob Ford. Nor did it get the chance to kick him out of office. It wasn’t the ending anyone wanted, it’s just what happened. And over the next few years, it would become clear just how profoundly Rob had changed politics, at home and around the world. Toronto never got the chance to reelect Mayor Rob Ford. Nor did it get the chance to kick him out of office. It wasn’t the ending anyone wanted, it’s just what happened. And over the next few years, it would become clear just how profoundly Rob had changed politics, at home and around the world. true full 8 1 https://thegravytrainpodcast.com/?p=153 7: Rehab More than a year after the first stories about a ‘crack video’ broke, and months after the mayor admitted he’d tried the drug ‘during one of (his) drunken stupors’, Rob Ford admitted to the public that he had a substance abuse problem, and that he needed help. And he went to rehab. For a few weeks. Then he returned to the race for reelection. A race he very much expected to win. So Toronto had a choice. Four more years of this…or something else.

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]]> Thu, 5 Dec 2019 09:00:56 +0000 rogerspodcastnetwork@rci.rogers.com (Frequency Podcast Network) https://thegravytrainpodcast.com More than a year after the first stories about a ‘crack video’ broke, and months after the mayor admitted he’d tried the drug ‘during one of (his) drunken stupors’, Rob Ford admitted to the public that he had a substance abuse problem, and that he needed help. And he went to rehab. For a few weeks. Then he returned to the race for reelection. A race he very much expected to win. So Toronto had a choice. Four more years of this…or something else.

The post 7: Rehab appeared first on The Gravy Train.

]]> 7: Rehab Frequency Podcast Network 00:44:37 More than a year after the first stories about a ‘crack video’ broke, and months after the mayor admitted he’d tried the drug ‘during one of (his) drunken stupors’, Rob Ford admitted to the public that he had a substance abuse problem, and that he needed help. And he went to rehab. For a few […] More than a year after the first stories about a ‘crack video’ broke, and months after the mayor admitted he’d tried the drug ‘during one of (his) drunken stupors’, Rob Ford admitted to the public that he had a substance abuse problem, and that he needed help. And he went to rehab. For a few […] true full 7 1 https://thegravytrainpodcast.com/?p=150 6: The Circus Mayor Rob Ford publicly admitted to smoking crack “in one of my drunken stupors” on Nov. 5, 2013. And then all hell broke loose.

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]]> Thu, 28 Nov 2019 09:00:13 +0000 rogerspodcastnetwork@rci.rogers.com (Frequency Podcast Network) https://thegravytrainpodcast.com Mayor Rob Ford publicly admitted to smoking crack “in one of my drunken stupors” on Nov. 5, 2013. And then all hell broke loose.

The post 6: The Circus appeared first on The Gravy Train.

]]> 6: The Circus Frequency Podcast Network 00:44:52 Mayor Rob Ford publicly admitted to smoking crack “in one of my drunken stupors” on Nov. 5, 2013. And then all hell broke loose. Mayor Rob Ford publicly admitted to smoking crack “in one of my drunken stupors” on Nov. 5, 2013. And then all hell broke loose. true full 6 1 https://thegravytrainpodcast.com/?p=144 5: Brazen The whole world was talking about whether or not Toronto’s mayor smoked crack. You might think that the mayor would change his behaviour following the headlines about his drug use. But he didn’t. We know this because the police were watching him with a secret investigation named Project Brazen II.

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]]> Thu, 21 Nov 2019 09:00:03 +0000 rogerspodcastnetwork@rci.rogers.com (Frequency Podcast Network) https://thegravytrainpodcast.com The whole world was talking about whether or not Toronto’s mayor smoked crack. You might think that the mayor would change his behaviour following the headlines about his drug use. But he didn’t. We know this because the police were watching him with a secret investigation named Project Brazen II.

The post 5: Brazen appeared first on The Gravy Train.

]]> 5: Brazen Frequency Podcast Network 00:39:33 The whole world was talking about whether or not Toronto’s mayor smoked crack. You might think that the mayor would change his behaviour following the headlines about his drug use. But he didn’t. We know this because the police were watching him with a secret investigation named Project Brazen II. The whole world was talking about whether or not Toronto’s mayor smoked crack. You might think that the mayor would change his behaviour following the headlines about his drug use. But he didn’t. We know this because the police were watching him with a secret investigation named Project Brazen II. true full 5 1 https://thegravytrainpodcast.com/?p=143 4: Headlines After months of absences and whispers and rumours, all of Mayor Rob Ford’s private life started to go public. It began with one story, which led to more, and more. The mayor’s response was denial—and to paint the media as the enemy and attack them by name. There’s a reason this strategy has become so popular. It works.

The post 4: Headlines appeared first on The Gravy Train.

]]> Thu, 14 Nov 2019 11:03:55 +0000 rogerspodcastnetwork@rci.rogers.com (Frequency Podcast Network) https://thegravytrainpodcast.com After months of absences and whispers and rumours, all of Mayor Rob Ford’s private life started to go public. It began with one story, which led to more, and more. The mayor’s response was denial—and to paint the media as the enemy and attack them by name. There’s a reason this strategy has become so popular. It works.

The post 4: Headlines appeared first on The Gravy Train.

]]> 4: Headlines Frequency Podcast Network 00:42:38 After months of absences and whispers and rumours, all of Mayor Rob Ford’s private life started to go public. It began with one story, which led to more, and more. The mayor’s response was denial—and to paint the media as the enemy and attack them by name. There’s a reason this strategy has become so […] After months of absences and whispers and rumours, all of Mayor Rob Ford’s private life started to go public. It began with one story, which led to more, and more. The mayor’s response was denial—and to paint the media as the enemy and attack them by name. There’s a reason this strategy has become so […] true full 4 1 https://thegravytrainpodcast.com/?p=139 3: Whispers As Rob Ford began his term as mayor by ending taxes and cancelling transit plans, his colleagues on city council and the reporters who covered them were starting to gossip. As his first weeks turned to months, Ford was around less and less, and people were starting to wonder: What was going on with the mayor? And then, two high-profile nights out added fuel to that fire…

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]]> Thu, 7 Nov 2019 09:00:10 +0000 rogerspodcastnetwork@rci.rogers.com (Frequency Podcast Network) https://thegravytrainpodcast.com As Rob Ford began his term as mayor by ending taxes and cancelling transit plans, his colleagues on city council and the reporters who covered them were starting to gossip. As his first weeks turned to months, Ford was around less and less, and people were starting to wonder: What was going on with the mayor? And then, two high-profile nights out added fuel to that fire…

The post 3: Whispers appeared first on The Gravy Train.

]]> 3: Whispers Frequency Podcast Network 00:42:45 As Rob Ford began his term as mayor by ending taxes and cancelling transit plans, his colleagues on city council and the reporters who covered them were starting to gossip. As his first weeks turned to months, Ford was around less and less, and people were starting to wonder: What was going on with the […] As Rob Ford began his term as mayor by ending taxes and cancelling transit plans, his colleagues on city council and the reporters who covered them were starting to gossip. As his first weeks turned to months, Ford was around less and less, and people were starting to wonder: What was going on with the […] true full 3 1 https://thegravytrainpodcast.com/?p=134 2: City Hall Rob Ford’s colleagues laughed off his campaign for mayor. They shouldn’t have. They assumed the numerous scandals he’d already suffered through, and the fresh ones that would dominate his campaign, would crush his chances. They shouldn’t have. They ran traditional campaigns and counted on Torontonians to make a relatively traditional choice, the kind they’d always made. They really, really shouldn’t have.

The post 2: City Hall appeared first on The Gravy Train.

]]> Thu, 31 Oct 2019 08:15:37 +0000 rogerspodcastnetwork@rci.rogers.com (Frequency Podcast Network) https://thegravytrainpodcast.com Rob Ford’s colleagues laughed off his campaign for mayor. They shouldn’t have. They assumed the numerous scandals he’d already suffered through, and the fresh ones that would dominate his campaign, would crush his chances. They shouldn’t have. They ran traditional campaigns and counted on Torontonians to make a relatively traditional choice, the kind they’d always made. They really, really shouldn’t have.

The post 2: City Hall appeared first on The Gravy Train.

]]> 2: City Hall Frequency Podcast Network 00:47:38 Rob Ford’s colleagues laughed off his campaign for mayor. They shouldn’t have. They assumed the numerous scandals he’d already suffered through, and the fresh ones that would dominate his campaign, would crush his chances. They shouldn’t have. They ran traditional campaigns and counted on Torontonians to make a relatively traditional choice, the kind they’d always […] Rob Ford’s colleagues laughed off his campaign for mayor. They shouldn’t have. They assumed the numerous scandals he’d already suffered through, and the fresh ones that would dominate his campaign, would crush his chances. They shouldn’t have. They ran traditional campaigns and counted on Torontonians to make a relatively traditional choice, the kind they’d always […] true full 2 1 https://thegravytrainpodcast.com/?p=131 1: The Suburbs This is the story of how our subject goes from the outskirts of the city to a seat in the building at the heart of its power. Before he was the Mayor of Toronto, and before all the insanity that came in the years following that, Rob Ford was just a young man working at the family business in the suburbs, looking for a spark. An unlikely business request led Rob and his family into politics, and Toronto hasn’t been the same since.

 

]]> Thu, 31 Oct 2019 08:00:32 +0000 rogerspodcastnetwork@rci.rogers.com (Frequency Podcast Network) https://thegravytrainpodcast.com This is the story of how our subject goes from the outskirts of the city to a seat in the building at the heart of its power. Before he was the Mayor of Toronto, and before all the insanity that came in the years following that, Rob Ford was just a young man working at the family business in the suburbs, looking for a spark. An unlikely business request led Rob and his family into politics, and Toronto hasn’t been the same since.

 

]]> 1: The Suburbs Frequency Podcast Network 00:39:31 This is the story of how our subject goes from the outskirts of the city to a seat in the building at the heart of its power. Before he was the Mayor of Toronto, and before all the insanity that came in the years following that, Rob Ford was just a young man working at the family business in the suburbs, looking for a spark. An unlikely business request led Rob and his family into politics, and Toronto hasn’t been the same since. This is the story of how our subject goes from the outskirts of the city to a seat in the building at the heart of its power. Before he was the Mayor of Toronto, and before all the insanity that came in the years following that, Rob Ford was just a young man working at the family business in the suburbs, looking for a spark. An unlikely business request led Rob and his family into politics, and Toronto hasn’t been the same since. true full 1 1 https://thegravytrainpodcast.com/?p=72 All Aboard! He was a joke. And then he won. He was a trainwreck. But it didn’t matter. He was a drug user and an alcoholic. But a lot of people loved him anyway. And most of all, Rob Ford was a sign of things to come—in politics, in the media and around the world. Welcome to the Gravy Train.

]]> Thu, 31 Oct 2019 06:00:00 +0000 rogerspodcastnetwork@rci.rogers.com (Frequency Podcast Network) https://thegravytrainpodcast.com He was a joke. And then he won. He was a trainwreck. But it didn’t matter. He was a drug user and an alcoholic. But a lot of people loved him anyway. And most of all, Rob Ford was a sign of things to come—in politics, in the media and around the world. Welcome to the Gravy Train.

]]> All Aboard! Frequency Podcast Network 00:02:26 He was a joke. And then he won. He was a trainwreck. But it didn’t matter. He was a drug user and an alcoholic. But a lot of people loved him anyway. And most of all, Rob Ford was a sign of things to come—in politics, in the media and around the world. Welcome to the Gravy Train. He was a joke. And then he won. He was a trainwreck. But it didn’t matter. He was a drug user and an alcoholic. But a lot of people loved him anyway. And most of all, Rob Ford was a sign of things to come—in politics, in the media and around the world. Welcome to the Gravy Train. true trailer 1 1