Province boots mayor and council in small northern Ont. township 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
BREAKING 3 injured after man with knife enters Montreal-area Islamic cultural centre
Three men were injured after a man armed with a knife entered a Montreal-area Islamic cultural centre Friday afternoon.
Teen arrested in New Brunswick after emergency alert; 5 people in custody
A 15-year-old boy who was the subject of an emergency alert in New Brunswick has been arrested.
Police arrest 18-year-old woman who allegedly stole Porsche and ran over its owner
Police have arrested an 18-year-old woman who allegedly stole a Porche and then ran over its owner in an incident that was captured on video.
Woman nearly shut out of mother's estate sues brother in B.C. Supreme Court – and wins
Since she was a young girl growing up in Vancouver, Ginny Lam says her mom Yat Hei Law made it very clear she favoured her son William, because he was her male heir.
Parents of Ontario teen sue alleged poison salesman Kenneth Law
The parents of a teenager who died after allegedly consuming the poisonous products of a Mississauga man are now suing him, as well as several doctors involved in her care.
11-year-old boy dies after subway surfing in NYC
An 11-year-old boy died Monday after subway surfing in New York City. He's the fourth person to die from subway surfing in the city this year.
'We're still pushing hard': Search for missing Manitoba boy continues, RCMP find tracks
The search for a missing six-year-old boy in Shamattawa is continuing Friday as RCMP hope recent tips can help lead to a happy conclusion.
Recall issued for 38,000 GM vehicles in Canada over software safety glitch
Transport Canada has issued a recall for 38,000 General Motors (GM) vehicles for safety risks related to a software glitch, the agency reported in a notice on Wednesday.
Top Hezbollah commander among 12 killed in Israeli strike on Beirut
Israel killed a top Hezbollah commander and other senior figures in the Lebanese movement in an airstrike on Beirut on Friday, vowing to press on with a new military campaign until it is able to secure the area around the Lebanese border.