Rob Ford 'courageous' for seeking help: Margaret Trudeau

“To have to come clean and to have to say 'I have a problem and I need help,' is the most courageous thing he's done.”

Ford, who admits he has a problem with alcohol and drug abuse, took a leave of absence May 1 to enter rehab.

Trudeau, former wife of Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau and mother of federal Liberal leader Justin Trudeau, was in Sudbury to speak at a breakfast put on by the Influential Women of Northern Ontario Awards.

She often made headlines in the 1970s and 1980s, when, among other exploits, she tore apart a tapestry in the prime minister's residence, smuggled drugs in her husband's luggage and partied with the Rolling Stones.

Trudeau, who has since been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and has said she's also struggled with drug and alcohol abuse, is now a mental health advocate, encouraging other survivors to seek help.