Province boots mayor and council in small northern Ont. town out of office
An ongoing municipal strike, court battles and revolt by half of council has prompted the province to oust the mayor and council in Black-River Matheson.
In February, Ward 2 Coun. Keith Neal resigned, the third local councillor to do so this term.
In March, three other councillors began refusing to attend meetings in hopes of forcing a byelection.
And earlier this month, an agreement was reached to end a bitter six-month strike by municipal workers, but the deal was held up when the town refused to drop legal action and not take reprisals on staff for their conduct during the strike.
The union applied for a judicial review of the township’s conduct, claiming it violated Charter rights in February by banning CUPE members from town facilities.
Meanwhile, the township hired an investigator to determine whether union members have been displaying threatening and harmful behaviour.
Unwilling to call off the investigation, the town rejected the back-to-work protocol but stands by the settlement. It’s now appealing to the Ontario Labour Relations Board to order both parties to sign the deal.
With the chaos, Paul Calandra, the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, has ordered the mayor and council to vacate their seats.
“It is the job of municipally elected councillors to ensure the continued provision of services for residents,” Calandra said in his letter.
“This includes attending council meetings and filling council vacancies as soon as possible. The absence of meetings impedes decision-making and negatively affects local residents.”
- Download our app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
A byelection will be held to fill the vacant seats. Until then, Kathy Horgan, manager of local government and housing for the ministry’s northern regional office, has been appointed on an interim basis to exercise the duties and obligations of council.
“I intend to make a subsequent appointment of an individual who will exercise the duties and obligations of council,” the letter said.
“An appointee will be in place until the byelection is complete, and a new council is in place. The appointee will exercise the duties and obligations of council in an accountable and transparent manner.”
Correction
The original article incorrectly stated Keith Neal was the second town councillor to resign, he is the third in the term. Dan DeMarchi resigned last year after council voted to raise property taxes more than 34 per cent and Kim Drurer also stepped down.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Air turbulence: When can it become dangerous?
Flight turbulence like that encountered by a Singapore Airlines flight on Tuesday is extremely common, but there's one aspect of severe turbulence an aviation expert says can lead to serious injury.
B.C. serial killer Robert Pickton hospitalized after prison attack
British Columbia serial killer Robert Pickton was attacked and sustained life-threatening injuries in a Quebec prison Sunday in what officials described as a 'major assault.'
People in Gaza are 'wasting' from famine: World Food Programme director
World Food Programme executive director Cindy McCain says people living in Gaza are 'wasting' as famine concerns continue amid the war between Israel and Hamas.
WATCH Why today's inflation numbers are good if you have a mortgage
New inflation data is 'welcome news' for consumers and an economist says it could signal the possibility for a interest rate cut as several core measures also continue to ease.
Toronto Blue Jays fan struck by 110 m.p.h foul ball offered tickets, signed baseball by team
The Toronto Blue Jays have offered tickets and a signed baseball to a fan who says she was struck in the face by a 110 m.p.h (177 km/h) foul ball at Friday’s game.
OPP continues to investigate boat collision north of Kingston, Ont. that left 3 people dead
Ontario Provincial Police continue to investigate a long weekend fatal boat collision on Bobs Lake, north of Kingston, Ont.
Matthew Perry's death is being investigated over ketamine level found in actor's blood, reports say
An investigation has been opened into the death of Matthew Perry and how the “Friends” actor received the anesthetic ketamine, which was ruled a contributing factor in his death.
'Miscommunication' Liberals say of Speaker Fergus event invite Conservatives call partisan
House of Commons Speaker Greg Fergus is facing fresh Conservative-led calls to resign, this time over "very partisan" and 'inflammatory' language used – the Liberals say mistakenly – to promote an upcoming event.
'Mr. Trump doesn't worry us', says Canadian ambassador
As Prime Minister Justin Trudeau continues the 'Team Canada' charm offensive to U.S. lawmakers and business leaders, Canada's ambassador to the United States downplayed the effect of another Trump presidency on Canada.