A sitting Chatham-Kent councillor and mayoral candidate is attempting to clear the air about a possible conflict of interest involving council grant funding.
According to the municipality’s records, Ward 6 Councillor Michael Bondy allocated $30,510 from the Hydro One Councillor Ward Funding Program in 2024 to construct a “weather protection pavilion” at TJ Stables in Chatham for the Acceptional Riders program.
The funding was directed to the program while Bondy was a paid employee of TJ Stables, where the Acceptional Riders charity operates its therapeutic equine program for those with disabilities.
TJ Stables Owner and Operator Terry Jenkins told CKXS News that she approached Bondy regarding the pavilion to inquire about the grant program. Bondy also confirmed the discussion with Jenkins, who was his employer at the time.
“Terry found out about this Hydro [One] funding and asked me if she could apply to build a pavilion for the Acceptional Riders program,” Bondy said.
In the application submitted to Bondy and the municipality, Acceptional Riders explained that the pavilion would be used to shelter riders from the elements during grooming and bonding time with the horses.
A cheque for the project was issued in June 2024, and the pavilion was constructed on property owned by TJ Stables later that year, with additional sponsorship provided by Crow’s Construction.
The project funding was made public in June 2026, two years later, in a report to council.
“I could see why people would say, ‘you did a favour for your employer,'” said Bondy. “Yeah, I guess one could see it that way. I did a favour for Acceptional Riders; that’s the way I see it.”
Bondy, who was named as a member of the Acceptional Riders Board in September 2024, said he’s not concerned about how the donation could potentially be perceived as a conflict of interest.
“I can see [the issue], and I thought about it before even entertaining the idea of submitting the application… But then I thought, no, it’s a worthwhile project,” he said. “I knew that some could say, ‘Oh well, he works at TJ Stables, and this thing is going to be built at TJ Stables.’ That’s all true, but there was no gain for me whatsoever. That’s why I didn’t see there was a conflict.
“I stand behind the decision.”
Prior to making the donation, Bondy added that he spoke to Mayor Darrin Canniff, who felt the pavilion project was a “great idea.”
“The mayor was totally supportive of it,” said Bondy. “I had the mayor’s support, so I felt pretty confident.”
However, according to Judy Shantz, CK’s clerk and director of municipal governance, it is the individual responsibility of each councillor to comply with the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act and the Council Code of Conduct.
“Avoiding conflicts of interest is essential to maintaining public confidence in municipal decision-making. Council members must act in the best interests of the municipality, and transparency, accountability, and fairness are fundamental to good governance,” said Shantz. “If a councillor is concerned about a possible conflict, they should seek advice before participating in the matter, including from the Integrity Commissioner or their own legal counsel.”
Bondy said he did not speak with the integrity commissioner before allocating the ward funding.
Canniff, who is currently running for re-election against Bondy, confirmed that the two elected officials spoke about the pavilion project in 2024, but he did not know of Bondy’s personal circumstances at the time.
“He has to be the one to determine if he has a conflict of interest. We didn’t talk about that,” said Canniff. “I wasn’t aware of his employment status, nor did we talk about that.”
Bondy, who announced his intention to run for the mayor’s seat in January 2025, has been an employee with TJ Stables for four years.
The Councillor Ward Funding grants are funded through Hydro One, which provides each ward councillor with $25,000 annually to apply to recreational or cultural projects the councillor believes are priorities. In addition to the pavilion, Bondy allocated more than $67,000 to 11 other projects through the program between 2023 and 2026.
