Toronto’s mayor declares Oct. 31 as ‘John Candy Day’

By Lucas Casaletto

One of the funniest men to ever hail from Canada is being recognized by the City of Toronto.

On Friday, one day ahead of Halloween, Mayor John Tory announced that Oct. 31 will now officially be “John Candy Day.”

“It’s our way of remembering a beloved actor and comedian with roots in Toronto,” Tory said on Twitter.

“Proud to help honour the legacy of John Candy on what would have been his 70th birthday.”

Candy was born on Oct. 31 in Newmarket, Ont. and rose to fame as a member of Toronto’s branch of the ‘The Second City.’

His major break came in 1981 in the comedy ‘Stripes‘ and Candy later appeared in a string of successful films such as ‘Splash‘, ‘Spaceballs‘, ‘Planes, Trains and Automobiles‘, and ‘Uncle Buck‘.

He died of a heart attack in early 1994 while filming ‘Wagons East‘ in Mexico.

He was 43 years old.

“His sudden death was felt deeply in our City and around the world,” Tory added.

“His legacy lives on through his family, his iconic performances and his induction into Canada’s Walk of Fame and the East York Hall of Fame.”

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