Subway station sponsorship up to locals: Doug Ford

Coun. Doug Ford says any decision to sell naming rights to TTC subway stations and city parks is up to local communities.

The mayor's executive committee plans to look next week at how the city can bring in more money from the corporate sector through corporate sponsorships. Ford, who doesn't sit on the TTC boardbut is regarded as influential because he is Mayor Rob Ford's brother, mentioned on Tuesday the possibility ofcorporate sponsorships as one way to raise money for the cash-strapped TTC.

"I don't think it'd be any different than BMO field. Keep the main Spadina station, sponsored by 'abc' company," he told CBC's Metro Morning on Wednesday.

"If people didn't want their subway station named after a corporate sponsor, so be it. But I know quite a few people when it comes to parks and other areas of the city, they don't mind it."

Any potential candidate for a subway station sponsorship would have to be a "reputable" corporation, Ford said. He couldn't say exactly what the criteria would be, butwouldn't rule out the possibility of a franchise like Hooters being able to secure naming rights at a subway stop.

"I don't know if people in that community would want that exact name to be honest with you. But you know, let's see what the people say. The people make the decisions ... wedon't make decisions."

Ford stood by earlier comments in which he said people don't care about sponsorship so long as revenue comes in.

"Again, if Kraft, or 'abc' company comes up and they want to sponsor a park or a slide or whatever it may be, I think it'd be great. God bless them, we welcome them. At least we welcome them in my riding," he said.

"You're telling me at a park if you have a sign that's one foot by one foot [that bears] the company name and your kids are playing in new park equipment, that'll make a difference?"