“I just swallowed a bee,” Ford said after momentarily choking during a media availability in Dundalk, Ont.
Ford was in the small rural area southwest of Barrie to announce a $500,000 investment in Ontario-based company Greenlid, which makes compostable and sustainable products.
The insect could be seen flying around the prime minister’s head before landing on his lower lip and eventually down his throat.
“I’m fine, he’s down here buzzing right now. He’s got a lot of real estate,” Ford exclaimed as he reached for a bottle of water.
Ford was nice about the incident and told reporters in attendance to replay the “blooper.”
Ontario Premier Doug Ford is seen choking on a bee during a press conference in Dundalk on Friday, Aug. 12, 2022. “This is good. This is the best I’ve ever seen,” he said at the end of the press conference. A spokesman for the prime minister said he was “well” after the incident. Ford was in the middle of answering a question about the staffing crisis in Ontario’s health care sector and recent comments by Health Minister Syvlia Jones about further privatization in the sector. Jones had said “all options are on the table” Wednesday when discussing staffing shortages at Ontario hospitals, which have seen some emergency departments close their doors this summer. The new health minister was pressed on the issue during question period a day later, in which she appeared to backtrack and said that “OHIP cards are used in the province of Ontario to fund publicly funded health care systems — which will continue under our supervision. “
