WHO’S ON THE WALL
From employees to residents, an annotated map of everyone pictured on the wall.
1. Phil Bannon Former councillor and deputy mayor Lost to Justin Altmann in the 2014 Whitchurch-Stouffville mayoral race. “I was shocked and very disturbed,” Bannon said of the photos. “Stouffville residents should be disgusted.” 2. Susanne Hilton Former councillor Hilton chose not run in the 2014 election, after 11 years in office. Her husband, Ian Hilton, also made it on the mayor’s washroom wall display. “I find it disturbing that our mayor acts in such a questionable manner and hope that his behaviour is taken very seriously,” she said. 3. Richard Bartley Former councillor Bartley was a councillor for eight years and lost to Altmann in the 2014 mayoral race. “He’s put a lot of time and effort into doing that,” Bartley says of the display. “I really don’t know what his motivation was. . . . Some people (on Facebook) were saying it was normal. I think it’s abnormal.” 4. Wayne Emmerson Former mayor. Now Chairman of York Region
Emmerson became a councillor in 1988, and mayor in 1994, holding the post for 17 years. He became chairman of York Region in 2014, and works with Altmann, who also has a seat there. The two went head to head in the 2010 mayoral race. “I don’t know the reason why [I’m on the wall] and I have not talked to the mayor about this. . . .I guess I’m shocked to see my picture on his wall,” he said. 5. Ken Ferdinands Councillor for Ward 1 Ferdinands has served on council since 2003, and was a councillor under the two previous mayors. He was one of the first councillors to see the mayor’s photo display earlier this year. “I don’t know why it was up there. I couldn’t see any purpose for it, but certainly I wasn’t disturbed by it,” he said. 6. Councillor Rob Hargrave Councillor for Ward 6 Hargrave was elected in 2003, and has lived in the town for more than three decades. Long considered an ally of the mayor, he served as the master of ceremonies at Altmann’s wedding last summer. He could not be reached for comment. 7. Clyde Smith Former councillor Smith retired from office in 2014, just before Altmann was elected mayor. He has never had a working relationship with him. “I don’t know anything about this wall of photos and I haven’t heard anything about it,” he said. 8. Michelle Kennedy Former Director of Corporate Services/Clerk
Kennedy retired in January, after serving under four mayors and 10 councils in her 29-year political career. She worked with the current mayor since his election. “I’m retired from the town. I really have no interest in what is there, what isn’t there, why he may have or have not done it. I really don’t care. I’m retired,” she said. 9. Marc Pourvahidi Former Chief Administrative Officer Pourvahidi was “dismissed without cause” last November after being put on administrative leave since May 2016. Despite his absence from the job for most of the year, he was the highest paid city manager in Ontario, with a salary of $447,289.27. “I have no comment at this time . . . (The town government) is a chapter of my life that has passed. I’ve flipped the page and moved on,” he said.
10. Former Dave Chief Cash Administrative Officer
2013. Cash He left said his he positionhad minimalas CAO inter-in actionone meetingwith Altmann,when he ran recallingfor council only some years ago. “I barely remember meeting him so I really don’t have any comment (about being on his wall),” he said.
11. Rob McKenzie Current fire chief
McKenzie took on the role of Chief Administrative Officer in 2016 at Altmann’s request, but resigned after just one day. His photo appears twice on the mayor’s washroom walls. He declined to comment. 12. A female resident who runs a Facebook page on town politics. She asked not to be named for security reasons.
13. Andrew McNeely Former Chief Administrative Officer McNeely was put on administrative leave and eventually resigned from the job in 2015. He could not be reached for comment. 14. Rick Upton Councillor for Ward 4
Upton was elected to council in 2014. In 2016, Altmann told council Upton had sent an email to him and his wife “interrogating” them about a missing master key to town facilities. Upton could not be reached for comment.
15. Iain Lovatt Councillor for Ward 5
First elected to council in 2014, Lovatt is known as an ally of Altmann’s and has voted with him on key issues. “All members of council are included (on the wall). I don’t believe my inclusion is malicious or nefarious in any way despite what some have suggested.”
16. Hugo Kroon Councillor for Ward 3
Elected in 2014, Kroon has challenged the mayor on his actions, including the use of his mayoral chains. After the mayor invited the entire town to his wedding last summer, Kroon told the Star “all politicians need at all times to be very cognizant of the necessity to separate their official duties from their personal lives.” He did not comment on his inclusion on the wall.
17. Maurice Smith Councillor for Ward 2
First elected to council in 2014, Smith has lived in WhitchurchStouffville’s Ward 2 since 2004. “If that’s what turns his mind around that’s fine,” Smith said of Altmann’s photo gallery. “It’s not what I would do but he’s his own person and he does what he thinks is correct, I guess.”
18. Karen Gordon Communications profession, Gordon Strategy Inc. Gordon was contracted by the town to consult on media relations. She declined to comment on the photo display. 19. Sue Sherban Former mayor and city hall watcher
Sherban was mayor from 2003 to 2006. She has been critical of the town administration, telling the Star there is a lack of leadership. She initially supported Altmann, but has recently been critical of his performance. “I have questioned the leadership and progress of the mayor and even council specifically to procedures, policy and finance decisions,” she said.
20. Alec Cloke Owner of United Soils Management Ltd.
His ongoing dispute over a fill pit sparked controversy in the town last year. Part of the washroom photo display is dedicated to Cloke and his business associates. His lawyer, William Chalmers, appears on the wall six times. Cloke says he has “zero concerns for my personal security,” but finds the “existence of the mural beyond creepy.”
21. Tom Winters Former council candidate
Winters was one of two residents who asked for a compliance audit of the mayor’s campaign finances in 2015. A three-member committee decided not to move forward with the request. “I think it’s just a childish thing. He put (my photo) there be-
cause I questioned his authority.” 22. Samantha Farrow Local resident and business owner
Farrow said she has had almost no “direct communication with the mayor” but that her family does business with Alec Cloke. She says she was “horrified” when she saw her Facebook picture on his wall. “It was really unsettling.”
23. Ian Hilton Local resident and vocal critic of mayor
Hilton is married to former councillor Susanne Hilton and is an outspoken critic of the mayor. He was one of two residents who asked for a compliance audit of Altmann’s campaign finances in 2015. A committee decided not to move forward with the request. “This is part of a very long disturbing pattern with Mr. Altmann. My strong sense is that he is in deeply over his head, trying to run our (town).”
24. Alec Cloke and Darlene Shaw
Cloke owns United Soils Management Ltd. and Shaw runs a project management firm
Shaw said she grew up in Whitchurch-Stouffville and sits on many town committees. She said she is “concerned for her safety” and “disturbed” over seeing her photo on the wall. She said the only reason she can think of for being on the wall, is because she runs events for Tiny Seedlings, which is sponsored by United Soils Management.
25. Alec Cloke and unidentified woman
Cloke, who owns United Soils Management Ltd., appears several times on the wall. He said he has gone to police on behalf of some of the women on the wall. “I’m very concerned for my female staff members and business associates," he said. 26. Unknown 27. William Chalmers Lawyer with Toronto firm Aird & Berlis LLP
Represented United Soils Management Ltd. in a defamation suit against a Whitchurch-Stouffville resident. His picture appears on the wall six times. Neither he nor the law firm responded to requests for comment.
28. Noor Javed Toronto Star reporter
Covered stories on WhitchurchStouffville politics, including Altmann’s public wedding and the mass exodus of town staff. “I really don’t understand what I did to merit a place on the wall,” said Javed. “I guess he didn’t like the questions I was asking him.”
29. Rob Raycroft
Director of Leisure Services, former Chief Administrative Officer
In December, Raycroft wrote a letter to Altmann tendering his resignation and asking to go back to his position as director of leisure services. The letter was later leaked to the public. “It’s very disappointing that this is what staff have to endure at the municipal offices,” Raycroft wrote. He did not respond to a request for comment.
30. Katie Mohammed. Whitchurch-Stouffville resident Mohammed was involved in a legal
dispute with United Soils Management Ltd. after she spoke out about environmental concerns around a fill pit in town. She did not respond to a request for comment.
31. Arnold Neufeldt-Fast Local resident and former mayoral candidate
Neufeldt-Fast lost to Altmann in the 2014 mayoral race. He has been outspoken on council’s policy on bike lanes and libraries. “I do not know why I am on the wall. I ran against him in 2014 and disagree on various issues, but I can also have congenial, frank discussions with him. His mind works differently than mine,” he said. “A mind-map works for ideas, but not for people. No law has been broken. I have spoken with police; I am not fearful. That said, this cannot make for a safe workplace environment and is a major lapse in judgment for a leader. But now the mayor, council and staff can take positive steps forward. He will have to win back the trust of people in his office who keep our town working."
32. Attila Demjen Publisher of local newspaper SNAPD Stouffville/Uxbridge.
“I’ve just taken lots of great pictures of the mayor at grand opening of businesses. We’re not a political or opinionated newspaper, we just cover events.”
33. Adam Schickedanz Real estate agent
Works in Whitchurch-Stouffville. He could not be reached for comment. 34. Unknown 35. Justin Altmann Mayor of Whitchurch-Stouffville since 2014
Former poultry farmer. Altmann did not respond to multiple requests for comment.