Well-deserved honour for LaFleche

RE: LAFLECHE ONTARIO’S JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR, APRIL 15

I believe every taxpayer in Niagara should congratulate Grant LaFleche on being named top journalist in Ontario in 2018 for his extensive research and reporting in the series “All The Chair’s Men.”

If it wasn’t for LaFleche, the citizens of Niagara would have never known about the tainted hiring of regional CAO Carmen D’Angelo or the hidden contracts and golden parachutes arranged for regional staff. Last October’s municipal elections could have been quite different.

With LaFleche’s reporting on the abuse of taxpayers’ money, seven regional councillors were convinced to vote in a closed March 28 regional meeting to file a thirdparty claim against Alan Caslin as part of the region’s response to the $1.5-million constructive dismissal suit filed against the municipality by D’Angelo according to multiple sources at that meeting.

It’s sad to say that the majority of regional councillors who voted to not support this claim, apparently felt Caslin had suffered enough in his electoral defeat. The answer to that is, shame on you. And for the record, the ombudsman’s report still has not been released.

Niagara Falls regional councillor and former chair of the police services board Bob Gale once stated at a regional council meeting that The Standard reported fake news. I believe we can all agree awards of this magnitude dispel this myth. Keep up the good work.

Robert Milenkoff

Welland