Elliot Lake to wait until appeal is heard before deciding fate of newly elected mayor
The City of Elliot Lake has agreed to wait until an appeal is heard before moving to replace Mayor Chris Patrie.
The move comes after last month’s ruling by an Ontario Superior Court judge that found Patrie guilty of conflict of interest and banning him from office for two years.
Under Ontario law, city councils have to decide how a vacancy will be filled within 60 days.
In 2019, Patrie was councillor in Elliot Lake when he was accused by the city's integrity commissioner of trying to influence the local government's decisions about where to build a new $30 million taxpayer-funded recreational facility.
While lobbying for the new multisport complex to be located behind the strip mall Patrie and his wife own instead of the recommended former Algo Mall site, Patrie is accused of impacting the council vote on the facility after threatening another councillor.
A complaint about the councillor was filed in March 2019 by former Mayor Dan Marchisella.
In a statement Monday, the city said it has agreed to wait until the appeal is heard. Patrie has agreed not to seek a stay of the decision while his appeal goes through the court system.
"Mr. Patrie has indicated that he will appeal the decision but will not seek a stay of the ruling, provided the city does not take any steps to fill the vacancy in the office of the mayor," Elliot Lake said in a statement.
A court hearing is scheduled Feb. 13 to add the City of Elliot Lake to the proceedings and seek formal approval for the city to wait to replace Patrie.
A court order is needed to allow the 60-day deadline to be extended.
A special council meeting is being held Tuesday to hear in more detail from the city’s solicitor, Aird and Berlis LLP.
"Legal counsel for Mr. Patrie, the integrity commissioner and the city will all be appearing before a judge on a case management conference scheduled for the morning of Feb. 13," the city said.
Correction
The City of Elliot Lake's integrity commissioner in 2019 was incorrectly identified as Robert Swayze. He was not retained until Sept. 14, 2020. Expertise for Municipalities (E4m) was appointed the city's integrity commissioner from Feb. 11, 2019.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Louis Gossett Jr., 1st Black man to win supporting actor Oscar, dies at 87
Louis Gossett Jr., the first Black man to win a supporting actor Oscar and an Emmy winner for his role in the seminal TV miniseries 'Roots,' has died. He was 87.
Weather alerts issued for 7 provinces, 1 territory
Warnings of up to 60 millimetres of rain and other alerts have been issued for seven Canadian provinces and one territory ahead of the Easter weekend.
He didn't trust police but sought their help anyway. Two days later, he was dead
Jameek Lowery was among more than 330 Black people who died after police stopped them with tactics that aren’t supposed to be deadly, like physical restraint and use of stun guns, The Associated Press found.
Luxury cruise line selling world cruise suite for US$1.7 million
Luxury operator Regent Seven Seas Cruises is raising their price tag to eye-watering levels, with a suite on an upcoming 140-day world voyage costing US$1.7 million.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
A Filipino villager is nailed to a cross for the 35th time on Good Friday to pray for world peace
A Filipino villager has been nailed to a wooden cross for the 35th time to reenact Jesus Christ’s suffering in a brutal Good Friday tradition he said he would devote to pray for peace in Ukraine, Gaza and the disputed South China Sea.
Ontario homeowner on the hook for $27,000 when contractor severed power line
An Ontario man who built a garage on his property has been locked in a battle with his electricity provider for a year and half over a severed power line.
Fluid in eye cells can 'boil' if you watch the eclipse without protection: expert
Millions of people in parts of Eastern and Atlantic Canada will be able to see the rare solar eclipse happening on April 8. But they should only look up if they have proper eye protection, experts say.
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.