#WhereIsDougFord has briefly been trending on Twitter this week, after it was revealed that Ford’s director of media relations also left Ontario over the holidays to return to her family’s home in Saskatchewan, in addition to the Finance Minister who took a trip to the Caribbean.
Some users are claiming Ford’s security detail was staying at hotels in the Bracebridge area over the weekend and alleged he was staying at his cottage for Christmas, despite telling Ontarians to not travel to other areas to stop the spread of COVID-19.
Ford’s cottage is on Fawn Lake in Port Sydney, but the rumours have proven to be nothing more than speculation at this point.
Bracebridge Mayor Graydon Smith says he hasn’t talked to the Premier, heard from him or anything.
Meanwhile, Premier Doug Ford says he found out his finance minister was travelling abroad roughly two weeks ago, and should have pushed for his immediate return then, instead of now.
Ford says Rod Phillips “never told anyone” he was going to St. Barts on Dec. 13, but the premier learned of the trip shortly after it began.
Ford said yesterday, “My mistake. I take full responsibility. At that time, I should have said, ‘get your backside back to Ontario,’ and I didn’t do that.”
Ford said he will have a serious conversation with Phillips today upon the minister’s return, when he will enter a 14-day mandatory quarantine.
Opposition leaders are calling for Phillips to be removed from cabinet.
Would someone in Bracebridge check if the OPP detail for the Premier is still in residence at the hotel. That will tell you if he’s gone home or not. I suspect he planned to stay thru New Years but that may have changed with the condemnation of the Finance Minister in the press
— Janice Green 🇨🇦 (@jgreen0751) December 30, 2020
Ya think? His media person was in Saskatoon. Fords OPP detail was staying in Bracebridge. His minister in Caribbean. What the heck is going on? All of us stay home and don’t see family and they do whatever they want? Enough!
— DebG (@debgallant) December 30, 2020
https://twitter.com/Mike_L_Bailey/status/1344497357094850565
#WhereIsDougFord #FireRodPhillips this was not a mistake https://t.co/qLY2VPjClG
— 🇨🇦Jazzy🇨🇦💙💛 (@jjoyce4321) December 31, 2020
https://twitter.com/Baciandrio/status/1344508306799403008