Saskatchewan’s Ombudsman says the Mayor and two Councilors in the northern community of Cole Bay did not act fairly or reasonably in addressing complaints of a conflict of interest.
In her 2018 annual report, Mary McFadyen says her office investigated a conflict of interest where some council members participated in the appointment of their relatives to the Primrose Lake Economic Development Corporation board and to the fire suppression crew.
“We also investigated whether the council used a fair and reasonable process when it received complaints about the conduct of two members of council,” the report reads.
“We found that the mayor and the two council members were in a conflict of interest. They participated in the council’s decisions to appoint their relatives to positions and failed to take appropriate steps to deal with the conflict. We also found that the council members participated in the council’s decisions about how to deal with them complaints about them. This was not fair or reasonable. All three were elected to act in the best interests of the community, but in these instances, they did not do so.”
A Government Relations spokesperson says the Ministry takes the Ombudsman’s report seriously.
“Our northern municipal advisors have been advising the council on how they can address the situation and move forward,” said Jonathan Tremblay Director of Communications, Ministry of Government Relations. “We are pleased to see that the Hamlet of Cole Bay took appropriate action and referred the matter to the Court of Queen’s Bench.”
(Photo: Sask. Ombudsman Mary McFadyen. MBC file.)