This HuffPost Canada page is maintained as part of an online archive.

Sarah Thomson Robocalls Toronto Voters After Midnight, Sparks Anger

T.O. Mayoral Candidate Robocalls Voters After Midnight
Longshot Toronto mayoral candidate Sarah Thomson has apologized after robocalls from her campaign startled voters in the wee hours Friday.
CP
Longshot Toronto mayoral candidate Sarah Thomson has apologized after robocalls from her campaign startled voters in the wee hours Friday.

She may be living after midnight, but they are mocking past the dawn.

Long-shot Toronto mayoral candidate Sarah Thomson has apologized after robocalls from her campaign startled voters in the wee hours Friday.

The automated calls were released between midnight and 1:30 a.m., according to tweets from unhappy Torontonians.

Thomson took to Twitter and Facebook to apologize, blaming a computer glitch for the unwelcome wake-up calls.

But, according to The Toronto Star, Thomson immediately pushed the newspaper for an article on her platform when contacted about the snafu.

And that has some questioning if the robocalls represent another cry for attention.

Thomson, who ran for mayor in 2010 but pulled out before voting day, has used a number of stunts to attempt to gain publicity in a race dominated by Rob Ford, Olivia Chow and John Tory.

She took a horse-drawn carriage to city hall in March to announce her entry into the race, evidently to showcase the importance of public transit.

In April, she sent out a press release inviting the media to her campaign office for a "major announcement which may affect the course of the mayoral race."

The Toronto Sun's Don Peat showed up for what turned out to be a speech about her ideas to reform Toronto Community Housing.

"I wouldn't bet on a large media turnout at Thomson's next ‘major announcement,'" Peat wrote.

And, last month, Thomson showed up at the Ford Fest barbecue in Scarborough atop a horse.

Thomson sparked headlines last year after she accused Ford of grabbing her "ass" at an event and posted an unflattering photo of the mayor to Facebook.

She later told journalists that she thought Ford could have been high on cocaine at the time, but admitted she had no proof to back up her claim. The mayor denied being inappropriate with her.

Thomson, the publisher of Women's Post, was also lambasted last June after she teased that her magazine had "the video." Many naturally thought she was referring to the now infamous tape of Ford smoking crack cocaine.

"Just trying to get our video server embedded... releasing it tomorrow at noon," she wrote on Facebook at the time.

Instead, she posted a music video bemoaning Toronto's transit situation that begins with a cloud of smoke. Commenters on YouTube and online weren't amused.

But if the robocalls represent another stunt, it's safe to say it backfired.

Toronto dad Dominic Chan told The Star he already filed a complaint with the CRTC, incensed that his 4-year-old was woken up. Chan told the paper he thought it was an emergency call.

Toronto voters head to the polls on Oct. 27.

- With previous files

Close
This HuffPost Canada page is maintained as part of an online archive. If you have questions or concerns, please check our FAQ or contact support@huffpost.com.