Uncovering the Personal Life of Toronto Mayor John Tory: Is He Married?

John Tory, the mayor of Toronto, disclosed on Friday that he has decided to resign from office after acknowledging an affair with a former employee. The politician spoke on the subject in an official statement, saying:

“During the epidemic, I grew close to a member of staff in my office in a way that did not reflect well on me as the mayor and as a family man… I admit that it was a grave mistake on my side to allow this friendship to grow.

Tory said that the romance started during the “many extended times apart” he and his wife “underwent” when he was attending to his duties during the pandemic.

He noted that the employee obtained employment outside of his office throughout the relationship, and the romance ended early this year by “mutual consent.” The lawmaker also expressed regret and promised to take a break to consider his “mistakes” while attempting to win back his family’s trust:

“I sincerely regret my conduct and apologize to the people of Toronto, as well as to my employees, my fellow council members, and the public service, for which I have the utmost regard. My family, whom I have let down more than anybody else, and my wife Barb are the ones I want to apologize to the most.

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John Tory continued by saying that he had previously told the integrity commissioner about the predicament and requested that the office looks into it. He said that he will collaborate with the city manager, city clerk, and deputy mayor Jennifer McKelvie in the near future to achieve an “orderly transition”:

While I sincerely hate having to leave a profession I like in a city I adore much more, I firmly feel it is preferable to completely dedicate myself to the effort needed to mend these most crucial connections.

The mayor acknowledged that being mayor of Toronto was a “work of a lifetime” and thanked the people of Toronto for their confidence. The former employee who reportedly had an affair with Tory was a 31-year-old advisor in his office, according to The Toronto Star.

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John Tory’s Marriage and Family

Barbara Hackett and John Tory have been married for about 45 years, and they have four children together.

In Ontario, Canada, on May 28, 1954, John Tory was born to parents Elizabeth Bacon and John A. Tory.

His father was a Canadian lawyer and business leader who served as president of Thomson Investments Limited and as a director of Rogers Communications. His grandfather, John S. D. Tory, was a Toronto lawyer who founded the Torys law company.

The mayor, the oldest child of John and Elizabeth, grew up with his younger siblings Jennifer, Michael, and Jeffery.

While both were students at York University in 1976, John Tory met Barbara Hackett, a restorer and home builder, who would later become his wife. Eventually falling in love, the couple was married in 1978.

In an interview with Narcity Toronto, the politician talked openly about their initial encounter and said:

“We sat next to one other in a York University class 44 years ago completely by accident. Both of us had brought our respective boyfriends and girlfriends to the lesson.

Hackett continued by mentioning that Tory had “length, red hair” when they first met. The mayor of Toronto continued by saying that his wife had been the one to approach him first:

Barb essentially asked me out by inviting me to the grad bar for a beverage. She [didn’t] need to summon any bravery knowing her. In contrast, I had to summon some bravery to accept!

Hackett continued:

“We spent the entire afternoon talking about everything under the sun at the grad bar.”

The couple recalled their first formal date, which included watching Equus at the Royal Alexandra Theater and dining at a pasta restaurant on King Street.

On May 27, 1978, John Tory and Barbara Hackett exchanged vows in the Islington United Church. On a “very hot day,” they conducted a “conventional” wedding ceremony and held their reception at the Weston Golf Club.

Together, the couple gave birth to George, Chris, John, and Susan. The personal life of their children is not well known. There are five more grandchildren of Tory and Hackett.