By: Linda Saxon, The Burg Watch
In my previous post, I shared that Amherstburg’s incoming council has five separate orientation and training dates scheduled—November 24, November 30, December 1, December 3, and December 7—and every single one is being held behind closed doors.
Following that email, I sent a formal reply to Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Valerie Critchley and copied both the town clerk and Mayor-elect Chris Gibb, who were included on the CAO’s original message.
In my follow-up, I reminded administration that the Ontario Ombudsman’s April 29, 2024 report explicitly suggested Amherstburg formalize the practice of treating training sessions as open public meetings to improve transparency. I also asked two direct questions:
- Whether council will pass open-session resolutions disclosing the general nature of the training topics beforehand, as required under the Municipal Act.
- Which of the five dates covers mandatory training under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) and the Ontario Human Rights Code, and who is delivering the curriculum.
What the CAO’s Reply Actually Revealed
CAO Critchley replied to defend keeping the sessions closed. Her response—sent in red coloured text, despite my explicit request to her in August 2025 not to use coloured text —revealed three major takeaways:
- A Sudden Legal Pivot: In her first email, the CAO stated the sessions would be closed “in accordance with section 239 (3.1) of the Municipal Act.” Yet when asked about the open-session resolutions required under that rule, she changed her argument. She claimed that because educational sessions do not materially advance council business, they do not meet the legal definition of a “meeting” and require no public resolution at all. She ignored the Ontario Ombudsman’s transparency recommendation completely.
- Recycling the Outdated 2022 Training Package: Regarding mandatory AODA and Human Rights education, she wrote: “This training is provided separately from the Council orientation dates and via the Town’s training software. I believe you have a copy of the version of that training already in your possession from the last Council orientation.” That confirms our incoming council is still receiving the exact same outdated curriculum from 2022—the one that required a Freedom of Information request to uncover and featured a 30-minute Folk Music Ontario video from July 2014.
- Ignoring Digital Accessibility Requests: Answering an accessibility watchdog’s email in red text—after being asked in August 2025 not to use coloured text—shows how lightly basic digital accessibility is treated at the top of Town Hall.
Mayor-Elect Gibb’s Silence Speaks Volumes
Just as telling as the CAO’s defence is the complete silence from Mayor-elect Chris Gibb.
Gibb was copied on the entire email exchange. He saw administration’s plan to lock the doors for five training sessions. He saw the reminder about the Ontario Ombudsman’s 2024 transparency advice. And he saw the CAO defend keeping taxpayers out before the new term even begins.
So far, he has said nothing.
During the recent election campaign, Gibb defended traditional municipal processes. By remaining silent while administration shuts the public out of council orientation, our incoming mayor is effectively condoning business as usual before even taking the oath of office.
Transparency Is a Choice
Even if administration argues these orientation sessions fall outside formal meeting rules, keeping the doors locked remains a choice, not a legal requirement. Other Ontario municipalities—like the City of Cambridge—actively welcome residents to observe open portions of council-elect training on governance and community priorities.
Ultimately, staff do not own the council table—elected officials do. Once the new council is sworn in, any member can put forward a motion to open these sessions to the public and formally adopt the Ontario Ombudsman’s April 29, 2024 report recommendation into the town’s Procedure By-law.
The Burg Watch will continue tracking how our newly elected officials handle transparency and accessibility from day one. When lawmakers start their term behind closed doors using decade-old training materials, taxpayers deserve to know.
