‘Don’t always believe the press’: Gale
Regional councillor accuses paper of having ‘negative agenda’
As Ontario’s ombudsman is set to begin interviewing Niagara Region councillors as part of an investigation into the unlawful seizure of a local journalist’s computer and notes, some councillors are downplaying the seriousness of the issue in emails obtained by The Standard.
Grimsby Coun. Tony Quirk is “certain” the ombudsman won’t share the news media’s view of the Dec. 7 confiscation of Standard reporter Bill Sawchuk’s equipment and his ejection from regional headquarters by regional staff.
And Niagara Falls Coun. Bob Gale warns a resident not to believe news reports, saying senior regional staff are doing a “fine job” and public outrage is being manufactured by online commenters and journalists with an agenda.
“Sir, don’t always believe the press,” Niagara Falls Gale wrote in response to a scathing email from a St. Catharines resident, whose view the councillor believes is “tainted by opinions from self-appointed social media crusaders and from press with negative agendas.”
The ombudsman is interviewing councillors this week at the Holiday Inn on Ontario Street in St. Catharines as part of a formal investigation into the incident.
On Friday, the ombudsman released a statement that said the incident resulted in several complaints to the watchdog agency.
“The matter has raised serious concerns about the actions and processes of the municipality, and has understandably drawn high public interest,” Ombudsman Paul Dube said in the statement.
On Dec .7, regional clerk Frank Fabiano seized Sawchuk’s computer saying“someone” accused the reporter of secretly recording a closed-door session of council. Sawchuk was not recording the meeting, and after the incident Regional Chair Alan Caslin told The Standard neither council nor staff had the legal authority to seize anyone’s equipment.
The episode began after council moved into a closed-door session midway through the meeting. The public and press must leave chambers when meetings move in-camera. Sawchuk waited in the lobby for the open session to resume, leaving his laptop computer and notes on the media table.
Local blogger Preston Haskell, who left the room before councillors voted to move in-camera, left his camera, hat and scarf on the table, along with his digital recorder which was operating.
After the room had been cleared, Fort Erie Coun. Sandy Annunziata claimed to have found Haskell’s device under his hat, hidden to secretly record the meeting. Haskell said the recorder was in plain view and said he did not intend to record the closeddoor meeting.
Annunziata has not responded to multiple requests for interviews. The Region’s video recording of the meeting does not confirm either man’s account.
After Haskell’s property was seized, Fabiano confiscated Sawchuk’s computer.
Regional general manager Chris Carter — who has not answered multiple interview requests — then ejected Sawchuk from the building. Flanked by two Niagara Regional Police officers, Carter told Sawchuk he could not call his lawyer or manager, nor he could retrieve his notes. Sawchuk said Carter told him if he did not leave the building, he would have to “deal” with the two NRP officers. No reason for his ejection was given to Sawchuk.
The NRP has said they were called to regional headquarters to remove Haskell, who was not there when officers arrived.
Police say the officers were then advised of second unwanted man — identified as Sawchuk — in the building.
The NRP says the officers told officials to ask Sawchuk to leave if that is what they wanted. The NRP also said its officers did not interact with the reporter.
Asked Monday if the officers were specifically asked by regional officials to assist in removing Sawchuk from the building, a service spokeswoman declined to answer the question.
“With the constraints of our current investigation underway along with the ombudsman investigation also underway, we are unable to say more beyond our initial statement and the subsequent interview with the chief,” said spokesperson Stephanie Sabourin in an email.
Police are investigating Haskell’s recording, which the Region turned over to police, but not the seizure of Sawchuk’s equipment nor his ejection from the building. The service did not say what legal constraints prevent it from answering the question. Sawchuk’s computer and notes were only returned after calls to regional staff by a Standard reporter and the paper’s lawyer.
After the incident, Welland MPP Cindy Forster filed a complaint with the Ombudsman’s Office, which has since confirmed received multiple complaints. Along with investigating the incident, the ombudsman is determining if the closed-door session violated the Municipal Act.
While Caslin has said the incident was wrong, other councillors are not so contrite.
Last week, Gale told CKTB 610 AM the news media needs to “move on,” that Sawchuk was “collateral damage” in the incident and that Fabiano had held onto the reporter’s computer for “a bit too long.”
On Monday morning, a resident wrote a scathing email to all councillors criticizing The Standard’s reporting on embattled St. Catharines Coun. Andy Petrowski and blasting Region CAO Carmen D’Angelo over the Dec. 7 incident involving Sawchuk. The author called for D’Angelo to be fired, prompting replies from Quirk and Gale.
“I can’t speak for my fellow councillors but I am certain the ombudsman, once his team reviews the facts, may have a different characterization of the events than The Standard,” Quirk wrote. “I think we should all reserve judgment until the investigation is complete.”
Gale, who is the chair of the police services board, rose to D’Angelo’s defence, saying the CAO and other staff were doing a good job and that the letter writer should not believe the news media. D’Angelo’s role in the incident is not clear. Fabiano told The Standard he was acting on D’Angelo’s instructions. D’Angelo told The Standard on Dec. 8 that it was a “group decision,” he agreed with. Later, in an internal email to regional staff and councillors he said instructions were misinterpreted and he has spoken to Fabiano about it.
Both D’Angelo and Caslin have called Sawchuk to apologize for the incident. Sawchuk accepted the apologies as personal statements of remorse, but not as apologies from council or regional staff, saying he wants to see what changes the Region implements.