Message from the Ombudsman Municipal governments are important democratic institutions. They are the level of government that is literally closest to home. Given the important local services municipalities provide, it’s essential that they operate in a way that is accounta...
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We received a complaint that the Economic Development Committee for the Township of McKellar held an illegal meeting over email in April 2015 and in person on May 5, 2015. Our review found that the committee contravened the Act and the township's procedure by-law by holding a...
/resources/reports,-cases-and-submissions/municipal-meetings/2015/township-of-mckellar
We received a complaint that council for the Municipality of St.-Charles discussed items in closed meetings on May 15, 2012, June 19, 2013, and May 29, 2014 that did not fit within the exceptions to the open meeting rules. The Ombudsman found that council for St.-Charles cont...
/resources/reports,-cases-and-submissions/municipal-meetings/2016/municipality-of-st-charles
The Ombudsman received a complaint alleging that council for the Town of Deep River inappropriately met in camera on May 17 and 18, 2017 to discuss a police service consultation plan. The complainant also alleged that a police service consultation “working group” formed during...
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The Ombudsman reviewed complaints that council for the Township of McKellar contravened the open meeting rules during meetings on August 24, August 31, and September 9, 2021, and April 12, 2022 relating to the public’s ability to observe meetings of council. The Ombudsman ...
/resources/reports,-cases-and-submissions/municipal-meetings/2023/township-of-mckellar
The Ombudsman investigated a special closed meeting held by the Grey Bruce Health Unit’s Board of Health on May 12, 2021 and a closed meeting held by the Board’s Executive Committee on May 10, 2021. The Ombudsman found that the Board of Health fits within the definition of a ...
/resources/reports,-cases-and-submissions/municipal-meetings/2023/grey-bruce-health-unit
The Ombudsman investigated a complaint about a closed meeting held on February 6, 2019 by the General Issues Committee of the City of Hamilton. The discussion in closed session related to a consultant’s report from November 20, 2013 that found that there were low levels of fr...
/resources/reports,-cases-and-submissions/municipal-meetings/2023/city-of-hamilton-2
The Ombudsman found that the in camera discussion held by council for the City of Niagara Falls on May 29, 2012 with respect to Marineland fit within the solicitor-client privilege exception to the open meeting requirements. The Ombudsman also found that informal "operational...
/resources/reports,-cases-and-submissions/municipal-meetings/2015/city-of-niagara-falls-park-protest
The Ombudsman found that council for the Municipality of Magnetawan contravened the Act and its own procedure by-law by failing to provide advance notice of the February 28 meeting. Due to the lack of notice, the public was unable to attend the meeting, such that the meeting ...
/resources/reports,-cases-and-submissions/municipal-meetings/2015/municipality-of-magnetawan
The Ombudsman found that the council for the City of Niagara Falls did not violate the open meeting provisions of the Municipal Act, 2001 when it informally discussed the council prayer on April 28, 2015.
/resources/reports,-cases-and-submissions/municipal-meetings/2015/city-of-niagara-falls-en