About 2,500 pay respects to Rob Ford at Toronto City Hall

An estimated 2,500 people paid tribute on Monday to Rob Ford, the former Toronto mayor who died last week, as he lay in repose at Toronto City Hall.

That estimate comes from Jackie DeSouza, the director of strategic communications for the City of Toronto.

Ford died last Tuesday at 46 after suffering from a rareform of cancer known as pleomorphicliposarcomathat was diagnosedin September of 2014.

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Dan Jacobs, chief of staff for Ford, said members of Ford's family greetedmourners who cametothe main floor rotunda at 100 Queen St. W. to pay their respects.

He saidmembers of Ford's family will be back Tuesday, when Ford will liein repose from 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.The casket arrived at Nathan Phillips Square just after 8 a.m.

Jacobs said he has been urging family membersto take breaks from the "emotionally draining" process in the rotunda.

"It's really hard for them," he said. "They're saying goodbye to their brother, their son, their husband, their dad as well."

Jacobssaid the show of support has lifted their spirits because they are seeing the hundreds of people that Ford helped while he worked at city hall.

He said the visitation is also hard on him as a staff member. "There's so much in front of me right now. He's a guy that I spent a lot of time with here."

The funeral is scheduled forWednesday. There will be a procession, involving Ford family members,from city hall to the church on Wednesday morning.

Members of the public can entercity hall through the western-most main door from Nathan Phillips Square. No other main entrances will be open to the public.

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Fordmade international headlines forusingillegal drugs and alcohol while in office. His death was reported bymedia outlets around the world, and people across Canada sent condolences.

Toronto residentshave displayed an outpouring of support for the Ford family, especially on social media.Mayor John Tory called him a "profoundly human guy" while former prime minister Stephen Harper said the former mayor was a "fighter throughout life."

Ford served as a citycouncillor fora decade before becoming mayorand was famous for never refusing to take a photowith anyone who asked for one. His cancer forced him out of the 2014 mayoral race, but he ran successfully for the Ward 2 council seat and held that officewhen he died.

Those imageshave been pouring into the CBC Torontoinboxand people are encouraged to continue sending them totonews@cbc.ca with the subject line "Rob Ford Photo" or tweet themat @CBCToronto.