WARMINGTON: Former Mayor John Tory returning to radio roots, seven months after resignation

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He’s back!

At least temporarily.

Former Toronto Mayor John Tory will be back on Newstalk 1010 Monday morning as a fill-in host for John Moore who is taking a vacation day.

But for Tory, who resigned in February after eight years as mayor after admitting to having a personal relationship with a one-time female staff member, this is a return to his old chair at the old CFRB where he hosted the afternoon drive show host for five-and-a-half years before throwing his hat into the ring to run for mayor in 2014.

“I am looking forward to having some fun with the audience,” Tory told Moore in the surprise announcement. “I have not done a show for nine years but have been told it’s like falling off a bicycle.”

Of course, falling off a successful political career is exactly what Tory did earlier this year — just months after being re-elected for his third four-year-term which would have taken him into the record books as Toronto’s longest-serving mayor.

But the revelations of the relationship with a staffer ended his political career and after resigning, Olivia Chow was elected mayor in a by-election.

Tory did not address the scandal in his first appearance but did make light of the one-time bright light that shined on him by being paired with a golfer recently who didn’t know who he was or what he once did for a living.

But, in the round table that followed the announcement, Tory did discuss the current mess surrounding Premier Doug Ford on the Greenbelt issue by saying while this is a “red flag for the premier” that he would want to go away, he noted Ford is still leading in the polls with 38% support compared to 25 points for the Liberals and 24 for the NDP.

“This is a substantive issue no question and if you are the government just want it to go away,” he said, adding if you are Doug Ford, “you want to get rid of this and get back to what you want to talk about.”

The former mayor also said he has spoken with Chow several times since she took the reigns and said her success is everyone’s. The only other time he has popped his head back up since his resignation was a late public endorsement for Chow’s opponent Ana Bailao, who ended up second in the race.

The question has always been what Tory would do post-political career. He has worked with Premier Bill Davis, Prime Minister Kim Campbell, was an executive at Rogers, and was commissioner of the CFL.

So what’s next?

Tory said he has been working on a portfolio of varied business projects but was thrilled to be asked to come back to his first love of radio. While it’s scheduled only for one day, there is no question that if all goes well, there could be more appearances on the airwaves and, who knows, perhaps a permanent time slot.

Time will tell. For now, Tory is making his public comeback.

It starts at 5 a.m. Monday.