Parliament Oak battle not over
The Ontario Ombudsman’s Office is getting an earful from Niagara-on-the-Lake residents, including two town councillors, asking for an investigation into how District School Board of Niagara handled the recent sale of its Parliament Oak school property.
Couns. Paolo Miele and Martin Mazza, acting as private citizens, called the Ombudsman’s Office last week. Since then, “a slew of residents” have also made contact with the provincial watchdog agency, according to Miele.
Last month, DSBN sold the surplus school property for $4.9 million after failed negotiations with the town to purchase the 1.6-hectare property on King St. in the Old Town. The town was looking at turning the site into a community hub for use by nonprofit agencies.
On his Facebook page last Friday, Miele posted: “We received a call from the Ombudsman’s Office Friday afternoon that after their preliminary observations, there appears to be merits for an investigation and their office will be moving forward with one.”
On Monday night, Coun. Terry Flynn said he has received several emails from residents about the issue asking whether council supports the request for an investigation into the sale.
Lord Mayor Pat Darte said the request for a review of the process is going forward through the private sector. However, Flynn decided to give notice of a motion for the next council meeting regarding council’s position on going to the ombudsman.
After the meeting, Miele said he took action as a private citizen as he didn’t want to wait “forever” for council to make a decision.
Director of communications for the Ontario Ombudsman’s Office, Linda Williamson said her office does not comment on specific complaints or confirm their receipt due to confidentiality.
“We are an office of last resort and refer complainants to existing local complaint mechanisms where they exist,” she said in an email Tuesday. “We work to resolve complaints without formal investigation wherever possible.
“In reviewing complaints, our staff may gather relevant information from complainants and the organization in question (the school board, municipality, provincial agency, etc.),” she wrote.
“If the matter cannot be resolved and the ombudsman determines a formal investigation is necessary, our office gives formal written notice to the organization. Investigations are often publicly announced as well,” said Williamson, noting the agency’s ongoing investigation of Niagara Region, which pertains to an in-camera meeting and the seizure of a Standard reporters notes and laptop computer in December.
She said the results of investigations are reported after they are completed, but formal investigations are rare.
“For example, we have received more than 2,000 complaints about school boards since they became part of our mandate on Sept. 1, 2015, but we have conducted and reported on only one formal investigation of a school board (regarding a school bus driver shortage in Toronto in the fall of 2016),” said Williamson.
Three offers by the Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake to buy the 75-year-old school that closed in 2015 were rejected by the school board last year. A developer, Liberty Sites (3), purchased the property after it was put on the open market in early January.
Town council passed a bylaw just prior to the sale that temporarily freezes proposed changes for all institutionally zoned lands in the municipality, which includes school properties. The interim control bylaw will be in effect for the next year.
In an effort to protect the building from demolition, council asked the municipal heritage committee to look into the possible historic significance of two large stone features on the front of the building. That issue in on the agenda for the committee’s meeting Tuesday evening at the community centre.