Chatham-Kent’s integrity commissioner has found that a recent information meeting between the Ontario Hockey League and local elected officials did not violate the Municipal Act.
Integrity Commissioner Suzanne Craig has released an information bulletin in response to inquiries from members of council and the public concerning a virtual information session that was held last month.
The virtual meeting was held in early March between the commissioner of the OHL, Mayor Darrin Canniff, CK’s CAO, and seven members of council. While Canniff had spoken openly about the meeting with the media, several councillors said they were unaware that the meeting had taken place and were caught off guard. Some cited concerns over transparency.
However, after reviewing the circumstances, Craig said the information session did not violate the Municipal Act or the Municipality’s Code of Conduct. She said the session was informational in nature, with no discussion, debate, decision-making, or direction provided that would advance council business. As well, no quorum was present, which would have required nine councillors and the mayor to be present.
Craig did point out that such gatherings can run the risk of undermining public confidence, particularly if concern or opinions about Council business are expressed during the gathering.
Mayor Darrin Canniff has since acknowledged that all members of council should have been invited to the virtual session and apologized for the oversight. He has also committed to ensuring broader inclusion of council members in future engagements, enhancing transparency, and keeping residents informed as OHL-related discussions progress.
The same OHL presentation delivered during the virtual session was also shared publicly during the March 23 council meeting.
The full information bulletin from the integrity commissioner can be found by clicking here.
