No conflict after free trip to Cairo, Pitfield insists

Abstains from Bata debate Vote makes way for Ismaili centre

A Toronto city councillor who accepted a free trip to Cairo from Aga Khan officials says she has no conflict of interest even though the group wants to build a$200 million museum and cultural centre in her ward.

Councillor Jane Pitfield said yesterday she sought outside legal advice from a noted municipal lawyer about whether it would be improper to travel to Egypt last March.

“ I have a letter from George Rust-D’Eye that’s five pages long that explains why I do not have a conflict of interest,” Pitfield ( Ward 26, Don Valley West) said.

Pitfield said she also consulted David Mullan, the city’s integrity commissioner, who suggested that she not vote on any controversial matters relating to the Don Mills project, near the Don Valley Parkway and Eglinton Ave. E.

Yesterday, she abstained from debating or voting on a recommendation from city heritage staff to historically designate the former Bata Shoe headquarters on Wynford Dr., which the Aga Khan Foundation Canada bought in 2002. The new owners want to tear down the former office building to make way for the new centre. The North York community council of which Pitfield is a member voted unanimously not to designate the Bata building. The vote drew a standing ovation from supporters of the Aga Khan project.

Pitfield, Mayor David Miller and the city’s chief planner had been invited to Cairo to view the organization’s work — the opening of a park built on a 500- yearold garbage dump, said Aga Khan spokesperson Firoz Rasul.

Pitfield said she had told the organization her acceptance of the four- day trip, which she valued at $ 5,000 for air travel and $ 600 for hotel, meant she couldn’t vote.

Rasul said that wasn’t a problem.

“ We discussed it and we said, ‘ Look, we really want to educate you so you can educate Toronto,” he said.

“ It was more important for us that she was able to communicate first- hand to people, saying I’ve seen the type of work the Aga Khan organization does, so that she can speak about that.” Aga Khan officials say 250 individuals worldwide were invited to attend the ceremony, including Miller and chief planner Ted Tyndorf, but Pitfield was the only one from the city to go. The organization wants to break ground next year on an Ismaili spiritual centre that will include parkland, hiking trails, and a museum showcasing Islamic art. The project requires taking down the former Bata headquarters, completed in 1965. Heritage officials are opposed to that, saying the building is a good example of modern architecture, along with the former Inn on the Park, the JapaneseCanadian Cultural Centre and the Ortho Pharmaceutical building.

Sonja Bata, wife of the shoe company’s founder, said she would not be opposed to the demolition to make way for a major new asset for the city.

“ I’m truly excited about it and I wanted to help them,” Bata told reporters after the vote.

Rasul noted city council is to make a final decision next week.

Miller spokesman Brendan Agnew- Iler said there is no record of an invitation for the trip, but it doesn’t mean there wasn’t one. Both Tyndorf and Mullan were unavailable for comment yesterday.