Caslin apologizes for illegal seizure
Region CAO, staff under fire for actions of external lawyer hired to handle Ombudsman
Regional Chair Alan Caslin has formally apologized for the illegal seizure of equipment of a Standard reporter and local blogger.
During a special meeting of regional council Thursday, Caslin said he apologizes “wholeheartedly and unreservedly” for the seizure of the computer and notes of journalist Bill Sawchuk and digital recorder of blogger Preston Haskel, and for their expulsion from the regional building during the Dec. 7, 2017, meeting.
Ontario Ombudsman Paul Dube recommended regional council apologize during an open session of council for the seizure which he said was “unreasonable, unjust, wrong and contrary to law.”
Prior to Thursday’s meeting both Caslin and chief administrative officer Carmen D’Angelo offered personal apologies for the “inconvenience” for the incident, which Dube said was a violation of the reporter’s rights under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Caslin’s apology was the first public apology for the incident.
Dube also found the Region violated the Municipal Act during the December meeting when staff locked the doors to the building while the meeting was going on and failed to properly pass a motion explaining why the meeting was moved into a confidential session.
He made 14 recommendations in his report. Along with the apologies, Dube recommended a number of changes to how council conducts itself, including ensuring there are recordings of closeddoor meetings.
Council had not provided any formal response to Dube’s draft report, which is usually how a municipality responds to an Ombudsman report before it is realized publicly. Thursday’s meeting was the first time council had gathered to discuss Dube’s suggestions.
When the meeting began Grimsby Coun. Tony Quirk and Niagara Falls Coun. Selina Volapatti attempted to prevent discussion on Dube’s recommendations by asking for a vote to accept them.
Their motion was defeated. D’Angelo and Caslin faced pointed questions from some councillors who wanted to know why council did not offer a response to Dube’s preliminary report in June.
Dube has told The Standard that municipalities usually meet
his SUV down the sidewalks, killing 10 and injuring many more.
“Overall there has been very positive feedback” to the barriers, said David Adames, chief operating officer for Niagara Parks Commission.
Blocking off the traffic lane basically doubles the amount of space available for pedestrians on the sometimes crowded thoroughfare.
“I think most guests see it as a nice pedestrian promenade, so it’s a larger walkable area now,” said Adames. “Bigger sidewalk, essentially.”
He said the barriers were tried as pilot projects in 2016 and 2017, and the plan was always to use them again this year. Coincidentally, he said, they went back up around the same time as the Toronto attack.
Each of the plain white interlocking barriers is about a metre long and filled with water. The NPC is looking at ways to make them a little more “esthetically pleasing,” Adames said, adding permanent barriers are being looked at.
In the three months since they’ve gone up, he said, rather than impede traffic they have helped regulate it. And there are still provincial offences officers in the area directing traffic.
“In the past people would stop in the one lane, the curb lane, to either let their passengers out or stop and take a quick photo,” he said. “So that’s eliminated that.
“In one way, it’s actually helping traffic move through.”
Adames isn’t aware of any incidents where pedestrians stepped off the curb in that area and were struck by a passing vehicle. But if it does slow traffic a little, it isn’t such a bad thing.
“It’s always been a busy corridor … but people are on vacation, so it creates a nice way to slow move through.”