Social media users claim Ford vacationed in Florida as trade war loomed. Here's what we found

Social media users proceed to assertion that Ontario Premier Doug Ford flew to Florida connected Feb. 28, the time aft his predetermination triumph — but CBC News has confirmed that Ford was successful Ontario erstwhile that formation took off.

The assertion primitively surfaced aft societal media users pointed retired that a charter level that was utilized by the premier's Progressive Conservative run was scheduled to alert to a Florida airdrome connected Friday from Toronto astatine astir 1:30 p.m. Flight tracking information confirms that the level did alert to Florida, returning connected Sunday morning. 

Social media posts dispersed the archetypal formation assertion and galore others, including 1 shared by former NDP MPP and national NDP campaigner Joel Harden connected Monday, boosting the thought that Ford was connected vacation. 

Many suggested the alleged travel was hypocritical since Canada and the U.S. are presently astatine likelihood implicit tariffs and U.S. President Donald Trump's threats of annexation, with Ford being 1 of the loudest voices successful the fight.

But CBC News' ocular investigation's squad has recovered that Ford could not person been connected that Friday day flight. Numerous visuals posted by users connected assorted societal media platforms spot him successful Toronto that evening attending a WWE event, hours aft the formation to Miami had already left.

Harden did not reply to CBC News' petition for remark connected his societal media post by deadline.

Reached for comment, the premier's squad said Ford was successful Ontario the full weekend, and did not alert to Florida.

Ford's bureau besides shared an archetypal representation of Ford attending the WWE lawsuit successful Toronto that was posted to X, and the image's metadata — accusation automatically appended to a photograph by integer cameras — shows it was taken aft 5 p.m., astir an hr earlier doors opened to the wide public.

Ford besides appeared successful a recorded unrecorded stream of a ceremonial work for the precocious Paul Bronfman held connected Sunday day successful Toronto, showing helium was successful the metropolis astatine that clip arsenic well. While the charter level did instrumentality to Toronto earlier that morning, each disposable grounds indicates that Ford remained successful Ontario and did not someway alert to Florida aft the WWE event. 

CBC News doesn't person ocular grounds of Ford from Saturday.

Ford's lawman main of staff, Ivana Yelich, had already earlier successful the week denied the claim that Ford had flown connected the Friday charter flight.

"The run is over, and truthful is the Ontario PC Party's usage of the charter services. The end," she said.

During the provincial election, Ontario Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie's war country account posted a screenshot of the charter plane's formation log, saying that the premier's "private jet" had flown to Florida during the campaign.

The level did spell to Florida doubly during the campaign, but Yelich said Ford and the run were elsewhere and that the charter institution "continued to service different customers" during the campaign.

CBC News reached retired to the charter company but nary 1 responded for comment.

Ford owns astatine slightest 2 condos successful Florida adjacent Miami, spot records show, and the premier has spent clip disconnected determination before.

On Monday, Ford — who has been among the harshest critics of Trump's tariff and annexation threats — said helium "can't archer radical to restrict their travel" to the United States.

Pushed connected his ain plans, Ford said "If I've gotta spell down connected business, I'll spell down connected business. If I person to spell to Washington, I'll spell to Washington, if I person to spell sojourn governors, I'll spell sojourn governors."