“An election is coming. Universal peace is declared, and the foxes have a sincere interest in prolonging the lives of the poultry.” George Eliot; Felix Holt, the Radical
VOTE on Monday, October 26, 2026.
From CTV February 23, 2026: Integrity Commissioner recommends Amherstburg committee member lose role over offensive language.
When asked about whether he would be in favour of removing the committee member, the deputy mayor said he would be open to what other councillors have to say.
“You’re dealing with incredibly misogynistic behavior. That language is targeted at women,” Gibb said.
As an appointed committee member, Gibb said there’s a “higher bar” set compared to the average resident. As part of a board appointed by council, members are bound by the town’s Code of Conduct.
“We did have to send the message that if you represent the municipality, there is a certain expectation in your behaviour,” Gibb said.
“When you see this behaviour, you have to say, this is not acceptable.”
I told Gibb that I felt his language was inappropriate during the October 10, 2023 council meeting.
the burg watch to Gibb: you were present at the county council meeting for the hiatus house presentation ‘shine the light on woman abuse’ awareness campaign. last night you thanked Ms. Prince and said, I know whenever you come here you probably leave with a few more bruises than you had before so I appreciate that. inappropriate and why would you appreciate that?
Listen to the audio of Gibb’s statement.
Gibb did not respond.
Amherstburg town council will consider a report from its Integrity Commissioner at the February 23 council meeting.
At the beginning of the October 27, 2025 council meeting, Councillor McArthur made a motion not to discuss the matter in camera because he thought ‘you folks would want to hear it.’
Everyone then heard it – in fact McArthur said it twice during his speech.
“I don’t think that a member of the public, and I don’t think a member of a town committee should go to a town event on town property and say to town employees that one of their co workers is a f***ing b**ch,” said McArthur.
McArthur continued, “I think if we did a poll in this room and we asked you, do you think it’s okay for someone to go on a town property and say to town employees that your co worker is a f***ing b***ch, I think you would say that’s not appropriate.”
Principles Integrity, the town’s integrity commissioner, completed its investigation of a complaint by council about a committee member’s conduct.
An integrity commissioner can make recommendations, but council decides to agree or implement a different remedy.
Whoever lives in the old Amherstburg core lives downtown, according to the map legend below.
The first question in the town of Amherstburg’s 2026 multi-year accessibility plan survey is, What area of Town do you live?
Zone 1: The Downtown or Boblo Island (Orange)
Here’s the embedded map in the survey:
With such a high population of Amherstburg residents living in the ‘downtown,’ no wonder there’s a focus on that area.
A short meeting lingered due to kudos to each other, to past councils, to staff and then there was a bit of grandstanding – it is an election year.
Memorable Meanderings:
About Crime Stoppers: McArthur snuck in the fact that he was a journalist: “I used to be a newspaper reporter, so I must have written 1000 briefs…”.
About reporting back after conference attendances:
McArthur: “I do think, though, we have to be very careful about managing expectations, sitting in an hour long seminar and summing it up in a cogent, concise manner that fully conveys to somebody that wasn’t in that room all the lessons that were learned is a very challenging thing to do. Ron does it for a living…to sum up something that takes place over an hour or two hours, you can’t really do it justice….Councillors aren’t journalists, and to expect them to have the same skills as someone like Ron is just, is just unreasonable.”
(Most, if not all, members of council attended post-secondary institutions where typical classes are three hours long. Are we supposed to conclude that elected officials should be journalists, like McArthur, who mentioned his skills twice during this meeting?)
Deputy Mayor Gibb: “my only concern that I want to put in front of Council to think about is, when we start directing each other’s behaviour we start down a slippery slope.”
(A procedural by-law directs council’s behaviour, as does the code of conduct).
Councillor Crain: “it says here, the report shall include, at a minimum, the name and date summary of the seminars, workshops and or sessions attended. Feels like a homework assignment.”
Environmental Achievements and Awards
Crime Stoppers Presentation
Crime Stoppers Program Details
Questions/Discussion
Reports
Fire Department Activity Report
Proclamation Request
Council approved a request from the Fibromyalgia Association of Canada for a proclamation and illumination of town hall.
(Another performative action in my opinion).
Sponsorship Opportunities
Council supports the Amherstburg Chamber of Commerce’s 2026 Business Excellence Awards with a $500 sponsorship for the Employer Award.
(Councillor Crain made the motion, seconded by Deputy Mayor Gibb; both are members of the Chamber of Commerce).
Notice of Motion on Conference Reporting – almost 25 minutes long discussion
Accountability seemed to be the basis for Councillor Allaire’s motion to seek a draft policy requiring a report following attendance at conferences, conventions, or similar events during the February 9 meeting.
Why now?
Accountability always gets mentioned during an election campaign.
Allaire has already declared she will run again as a candidate in the upcoming election to be held October 26.
Any member could’ve voluntarily given a written or verbal report any time during the last three years and two months.
Any member could’ve posted a report on social media, a tool used extensively by some.
Council’s first Accountability and Transparency policy was passed on November 25, 2019, as mandated by the province.
The policy was updated and presented in an annual report to council on December 16, 2024 – two years into this council’s term.
Councillor Allaire was the first to move the policy BE AMENDED in accordance with the November 26 report titled Annual Policy Report 2024.
The report noted, “there were no alterations to the policy’s core content.”
“Council and Staff are committed to practicing open and proactive communications and involving the community, business sector, developers, public partners and other in the ongoing work of the Town,” states section 6.8 of the policy.
I attempted to hold Allaire accountable for her April 14, 2025 statements about the library.
I asked her if she would explain how this library is not accessible; if this was just her opinion, or if she obtaIned an expert opinion; if she could cite an authority for her statement or a basis, and who is the ‘we?’
I followed up several times, but Allaire did not respond.
During the April 29 council meeting, Allaire asked for a bit more transparency.
Allaire mentioned more transparency again at the May 12 meeting, “which is what I would love,” she said.
In June, I emailed her some of her statements about transparency at meetings: “I’m genuinely asking for a bit more transparency in adding it to our social media” and “I feel that the transparency was limited recently, and I think that that’s what the public really wants” and “I actually appreciate the fact that it keeps some sort of transparency.”
A policy requiring reporting back after conferences might be just another document that gives the appearance of accountability.
People will continue to wonder if a commitment to accountability and transparency is credible until accountability measures are consistently utilized.
I was unable to find an Amherstburg Municipal Complaint Resolution Policy on the town’s website, although the Ombudsman Ontario site states every municipality should have a council approved general complaint policy.
The Ombudsman site includes the resource, Tips for Municipal Complaint Resolution Policies.
What is a complaint?
An expression of dissatisfaction made to or about a public organization about some aspect of its programs, services or people where a response is explicitly or implicitly expected. – Ontario Ombudsman
Contact Information:
483 Bay Street
10th floor, South Tower
Toronto, ON M5G 2C9
Since 2017, the town of Amherstburg is responsible for clearing and salting all 58 km of municipal sidewalks and trails.
There was some confusion and/or misinformation about sidewalk snow removal in response to my Slushy Sidewalk Barriers post and Facebook post about another dangerous icy sidewalk.
Image description: ice and snow covered municipal sidewalk posing a barrier to people with disabilities.
The town’s website states: Snow Removal on Sidewalks – “At the December 11, 2017 Council meeting Council approved a Town wide sidewalk snow removal program. By-law 2005-04 regulating residents performing sidewalk snow removal WAS REPEALED by Town Council and no longer in effect.”
“Please be aware that all municipal sidewalks will now be cleared of snow and ice by Town Staff.” – Town of Amherstburg
The town site lists 519-736-3664 as the Infrastructure Services Department number to call for a problem between 8 am and 4 pm.
The emergency after hours number is 519-561-6365.
The Supreme Court of Canada, in Nelson (City) v. Marchi, 2021 SCC 41, ruled municipalities can be held liable for injuries caused by its snow clearing decision.
Ms. Marchi was injured when she crossed a snowbank to access a municipal sidewalk.
The judges said the city owed her a “duty of care.”
Sidewalks that have not been cleared thoroughly pose dangerous barriers to people with disabilities, as I discovered last Friday during a trip to the downtown post office.
in 2025 Prue referenced the AODA and said, ‘this town has not been compliant. And I have promised, as mayor, and the council has promised, that we will hence for, hence forward, going forward, always be AOD compliant. And I want people to know that the those who have disabilities have every right to use every one of the services in this town, the same as everyone else.’ So, we have the right – we just can’t exercise it, right?
As a delegate denied speaking to the January meeting, I’m concerned about the application of the procedural by-law.
Kurt Reffle’s November delegation was deemed appropriate, while January delegates’ requests were in order but for a future date.
The committee was informed both must be true: there would have to be a report or by-law before the body and there would have to be an action or recommendation.
Yet administration approved Reffle’s delegation when neither was true. Admin confirmed the November brainstorming session.
The CAO advised me his delegation was pertinent to an agenda item as the committee was discussing its work plan for the following year and he had ideas regarding that which he shared with the Committee.
Reffle’s delegate application noted the item was not on the agenda, although he was to speak to item three, not item one – the work plan. The minutes also note he spoke to item three.
The Deputy CAO mentioned delegates could speak at a future meeting, but they wouldn’t be allowed to address town council on the same issue.
The procedural by-law does not contain a clause stipulating this exclusionary practice.
Specifically, the by-law states, “Delegations appearing before Council, who have previously appeared before Council on the same subject matter, shall be limited to providing only new information in any subsequent delegation request.”
Reffle spoke over 11 minutes uninterrupted. Although staff was in the room, and could’ve announced the time, the CAO advised me the chair was on zoom and didn’t receive the staff’s email in time.
Delegates have been allowed to exceed the time limit four times since 2022.
Since committees are mentioned 45 times in the by-law, including in the ‘Delegations’ section, it equally applies to committee meetings.
The inconsistent application of the procedural by-law validates concerns of inequitable practices.
the burg watch 