A northwestern Ontario council is appointing mayor and deputy mayor replacements. Is that allowed?
CBC
A small township in northwestern Ontario is looking to fill two of its five council seats, but instead of calling a byelection, the remaining councillors are appointing the replacements.
While a spokesperson for the communications company hired by the township says the move isn't "unique" in Ontario, one policy researcher is calling it "an unusual situation."
Ignace, about 250 kilometres northwest of Thunder Bay, is enduring "unfortunate times" — as interim Mayor Kim Baigrie put it — after Bill Gascon, mayor at the time, and Coun. Al Zimmer resigned April 3.
The resignations came less than six months after the municipal election brought in an entirely new slate of councillors and a new mayor for the 2022-2026 term. With a voter turnout of 69 per cent, Gascon achieved 81 per cent of the vote over his only competitor, former councillor Peggy Lucas.
Ignace has a population of about 1,200.
"Today, myself and Mr. Zimmer decided to resign our positions on council of Ignace due to which we feel is the irresponsible behaviours of our colleagues and administration this past month," Gascon said.
"I cannot in good [conscience] work alongside people who are ignoring their responsibility to this community in which they serve and were elected," Gascon posted April 3 on the Ignace Discussion Group on Facebook.
Neither Baigrie nor Rhonda Smith, the township's municipal administrator, responded to interview requests by CBC News at time of publication.
However, in a news release April 3, Baigrie and remaining Councillors Jodie Defeo and John Taddeo called the resignations "warranted and accepted."
The township issued a statement April 5 saying an investigation would be conducted into the circumstances surrounding the resignations, which involve township staff, councillors and others.
Gascon and Zimmer were not available for interviews by time of publication.
Expertise for Municipalities Non-Profit Association, known as E4M, is aiding Ignace township through the process of filling Gascon's and Zimmer's seats. E4M is run by Wishart Law Firm LLP, based out of Sault Ste. Marie.
"Ignace council, after review and professional advice on municipal matters, carefully and efficiently decided to pursue this process instead of conducting a costly byelection in the township to replace the two vacancies," said a news release Wednesday from the township.
An expression of interest was issued Wednesday, and the timeline is as follows:
Recent cyberattacks in Newfoundland and Labrador should have been a wake up call for the federal government about the reality of an increasingly hostile world, says one cybersecurity expert.
A recent CBC News analysis found that Nova Scotia is rapidly losing some of its most affordable apartments, but housing experts say there are ways to prevent that.
Premier Susan Holt is defending her decision to not use electricity exports to Maine as leverage against U.S. tariffs, arguing the move might cause long-term pain for New Brunswickers.
Montreal's St. Patrick's Day parade first started on Saint-Paul Street in 1824, and a couple centuries later, this annual tradition is still going strong.
A congregation in Carman, Man., is coming to grips with the loss of their Anglican Lutheran church, a fixture in the community that was ravaged by a fire on Thursday.
Kayla DeMong fought tears as she described the dire conditions on the front lines, pleading for more help from the province as staff at the harm reduction site she leads try to keep up with the recent spike in overdoses.
A B.C. woman who has been detained by U.S. immigration officials for 11 days, after trying to enter the country, will be released on Friday, according to her father.
Toronto is doubling the number of automated speed cameras on city streets.
Health Minister Adriana LaGrange is alleging the former CEO of Alberta Health Services was unwilling and unable to implement the government's plan to break up the health authority, became "infatuated" with her internal investigation into private surgical contracts and made "incendiary and inaccurate allegations about political intrigue and impropriety" before she was fired in January.
Hudson's Bay Company filed for creditor protection last week, saying it's struggling to pay landlords, vendors and employees — and it's a process that could lead to the sale or closure of Canada's oldest company.
Still sleepy from this week's time change?
RCMP say a man died while in police custody on Wednesday in downtown Yellowknife, and Alberta RCMP are investigating the incident.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford and federal officials left an hours-long meeting with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick saying they feel more positive about the Canada-U.S. trading relationship after weeks of bad blood and heated rhetoric.