The Recorder
GORE BAY—Gore Bay council has hired an integrity commissioner for the town.
“Hopefully we will never have to use this person,” stated Gore Bay Mayor Dan Osborne at a regular council meeting last week.
It was noted by town assistant clerk Stasia Carr that under provincial regulations, “all (Ontario) municipalities have to have an integrity commissioner appointed by March 1.”
Council was also informed that over the years, only one public complaint involving the town has been filed with the provincial integrity commissioner’s office.
“For the purposes of providing integrity commissioner services, Weaver Simmons LLP proposes to engage its labour department and Zachary Courtemanche to provide efficient and cost-effective services when the needs of the municipality arise. The labour department consists of a team of lawyers who have been practicing together for a number of years and represents the largest team of management-side labour lawyers in Northeastern Ontario,” a submission letter from Weaver Simmons explained.
“We appreciate that, when issues of integrity in decision-making arise, it is important to have accessible, practical and cost-effective advice. In responding to such issues, we draw on our many years of experience advising public sector clients, and our reputation for integrity in the practice of law and in our own decision-making in providing advice to our clients,” the letter continued.
“Further, as a team, our labour department will operate in a collegial manner in order to efficiently respond to the needs of the municipality, such that any member of our team would be fully apprised of the relevant affairs of the municipality involved and would be readily prepared to respond to any issue as it arises.”
Mr. Courtemanche was born in Sudbury and raised on Manitoulin Island, and has always called Northern Ontario home.
“Based upon the requirements of the Municipal Act and Municipal Conflict of Interest Act, as amended by Bill 68, we understand your municipality desires a multi-faceted and serious approach to the role,” the Weaver Simmons letter continues. In regards to complaints and inquiries, “the reactive components of the role of an integrity commissioner would principally involve the conducting of inquiries where a complaint is made against members of council or local boards. Where this occurs, the integrity commissioner must conduct an inquiry to investigate the alleged violation, make findings of fact and recommend actions up to and including the suspension of the member. It will be paramount, in order to ensure high quality and defensible findings, that inquires be conducted thoroughly and in accordance with the applicable code and the legal principles of procedural fairness and natural justice throughout.”
“Where called upon to conduct an inquiry, we will engage all relevant witnesses and review all applicable documentary evidence and act within the required timeless to make determinations as to the alleged violations,” the Weaver Simmons letter outlines. “Each new complaint will be evaluated by the integrity commissioner, who will determine where more information is required, what documentation will need to be reviewed, which witnesses will need to be interviewed, and what the anticipated scope of the inquiry will be.”
In the cost breakdown, the rate to hire the integrity commissioner will be $230 per hour, council was informed.
Council approved a bylaw to appoint an integrity commissioner (Mr. Courtemanche) for the town of Gore Bay as of February 11, 2019.
Mr. Osborne said “the rates that we were quoted (for the integrity commissioner) are pretty high,” noting, “Elliot Lake hired someone from Sault Ste. Marie for a lot less.” It was understood that council could at a later date hire a different company or integrity commissioner for the town.
