Doug Holyday, Toronto’s outgoing deputy mayor and one of Rob Ford’s closest allies, called the short cellphone videos taken Friday night at Taste of the Danforth "inconclusive" and said he thinks the incident is being blown out of proportion.
"I have never seen the mayor take a drink … but even if he did have a couple of drinks, as long as he wasn't out of line, as long as he wasn't driving his vehicle while he was drinking or anything like that … You know he's human like the rest of us," Holyday told reporters.
During his weekly radio show on Sunday, Ford said that he "absolutely" had a couple of beers Friday night ahead of being spotted at the Taste of Danforth street festival, but said he didn’t think he crossed any lines.
"Did I have a couple of beers? Absolutely I had a couple of beers. But you know what, I had a good time, I think things are getting blown out of proportion," he said, before apologizing if he offended anyone with his behaviour.
"I don't believe I did offend anyone," he said. "I had a good time and let my hair down a bit."
On Monday, some at city hall were calling on the mayor to examine his behaviour.
"You're in public; you are a public figure. People look up to us, people respect us and if you appear to be drunk and you appear to be slowing your speech, I think you've had too much," Coun. Sarah Doucette said.
"The mayor either has to -- if he has a drinking problem -- deal with it. And if it's not a drinking problem, then the problem is how you present yourself at a events and you've got to work on that," Coun. Shelley Carroll said.
Coun. Denzil Minnan-Wong suggested all members of council have to be careful about alcohol consumption.
"I think a mayor has to act like a mayor and I think the mayor needs to be careful," he said.
With a report from Natalie Johnson and with files from The Canadian Press
