North of the U.S. border, a Canadian city proclaimed the 69th anniversary of the birth of reggae legend Robert Nesta Marley as an official date to record.
Written into declarations made by the Toronto City Council, Mayor Rob Ford named Feb. 6, 2014 Bob Marley Day in that city.
“Bob Marley became one of the greatest ambassadors of peace the world has seen,” Mayor Ford said in a statement. “He used music to tear down the walls of apartheid and promoted African unity, culture and world peace both at home and internationally, with songs like ‘One Love’ and ‘Africa Unite.”
The controversial mayor who has been making news in U.S. media for his gregarious behavior and candid comments about his social vices and practices unveiled a list of events that would mark the birth-date of the Jamaican reggae musician. He issued an agenda for the annual tribute to the reggae icon and ultimately proclaimed the date.
“Now therefore, I, Mayor Rob Ford, on behalf of Toronto City Council, do hereby proclaim Feb. 6, 2014 as ‘Bob Marley Day’ in the City of Toronto,” he added.
This year’s celebration became more newsworthy than in previous years perhaps due to the mayor’s admission to smoking marijuana and an earlier appearance in the city council chambers dancing to Marley’s iconic “One Love” recording.
Reportedly, Ford has been urging the federal government in Ottawa to legalize the smoking of marijuana, a stance Marley might have taken had he lived past May 11, 1981. Throughout his adult life, Marley advocated for African unity, Rastafarians and the legalization of marijuana.
