Tag Archives: amherstburg

Integrity Commissioner Recommends Committee Member Be Removed

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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.

Who Lives Downtown Amherstburg?

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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:

map of town of Amherstburg divided into three areas

With such a high population of Amherstburg residents living in the ‘downtown,’ no wonder there’s a focus on that area.

RECAP Council Meeting February 9, 2026 

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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

  • Councillor Allaire congratulates the town on its environmental successes and praises the administration’s recommendations.
  • Mayor Michael Prue shows the Robert Pulleybank award and shares the positive feedback from other mayors, including the mayor of Kingsbridge.
  • Mayor Prue emphasizes the importance of environmental protection for future generations and highlights Amherstburg’s superior tree cover compared to other municipalities in Essex County.
  • Councillor Courtney credits the Environmental Committee and council for their support and contributions to the town’s environmental efforts.

Crime Stoppers Presentation

  • Rick Surette, OPP officer, summarizes the role and value of Crime Stoppers in the community.
  • Crime Stoppers encourages anonymous tips that lead to crime solutions and offers cash rewards for successful tips.
  • The program’s principles include anonymity, cash rewards, and protection from subpoenas for tipsters.
  • Crime Stoppers has been successful in solving various crimes, including the 2011 Stanley Cup riots, with security camera footage and community tips.

Crime Stoppers Program Details

  • Crime Stoppers operates as a charity and relies on donations and fundraising events for funding.
  • The program receives tips through various methods, including phone calls, online submissions, and mobile apps.
  • Tips can lead to arrests, charges, seizures of illegal items, and good information that helps investigators.
  • The program also has a preventative aspect by deterring criminals from targeting the community due to the high visibility of Crime Stoppers.

Questions/Discussion

  • McArthur asks about the amount of money paid out as rewards in 2025.
  • Rick Surette explains that less than 10% of tipsters who qualify for a reward pick up the money, indicating a strong civic duty among tipsters.
  • McArthur inquires about the types of tips that qualify for rewards and the process for approving rewards.
  • Surette explains the board of directors uses a records management system to calculate estimated rewards based on the severity and impact of the tips.

Reports 

  • Reports from Corporate Services, Parks and Recreation, and Infrastructure Services are presented and approved without discussion.
  • A motion to approve a special event permit for the Good Friday procession is discussed, with Councillor McArthur suggesting to waive the policing fee, which is carried. 

Fire Department Activity Report

  • Councillor Courtney asks about the disconnect in the Fire Department’s call volume report.
  • Deputy Chief explains the merger of Station One and Three and the reallocation of staff between the North and South stations.
  • The Fire Department is currently hiring to fill the complement of paid on-call firefighters.

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

  • Councillor Allaire proposes a motion requiring council members who attend conferences funded by municipal tax dollars to provide a written or verbal report to council.
  • The motion is eventually amended to clarify that it applies only to conferences funded by the town of Amherstburg dollars and it is carried unanimously, directing staff to draft a formal policy for council’s consideration.

Inconsistencies: Councillor Allaire – Accountability

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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.

How To Complain About Your Municipality

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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

  • Submit your complaint to the municipality, preferably in writing. You’ll need names and titles of people you spoke to or emailed, when you contacted them (dates), what they told you (notes or copies of emails).
  • If you’re not satisfied with the response, determine if the complaint is within the Ombudsman’s jurisdiction. Learn more at What we can and can’t do.
  • If you’re ready, you can make a complaint online via this form: File your complaint, or by email, phone, or in person.

Contact Information:

Mailing address:

483 Bay Street
10th floor, South Tower
Toronto, ON M5G 2C9

Put Away Your Shovels

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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.”

Slushy Sidewalk Barriers

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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? 

Inconsistent Procedural Bylaw Application

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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.

Defamation And Disability Advocacy

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My defamation lawsuit against the town clerk and town of Amherstburg is the result of my disability advocacy four years ago.

In January 2022, I critiqued the draft multi-year accessibility plan council approved in December 2021.

I submitted what I perceived to be deficiencies of the draft plan to council, as I had done for decades.

I conveyed my concerns about the plan, council’s approval of the traditional voting method for 2022 and highlighted some barriers. 

I provided input on the town’s accessibility plans since the Ontarians with Disabilities Act (ODA) 2001 required organizations to create them annually.

The ODA’s purpose was to “improve opportunities for persons with disabilities and to provide for their involvement in the identification, removal and prevention of barriers to their full participation in the life of the province.” 

The ODA mandated plan contents. 

Plans were to include a report on measures taken, measures in place, and the next year’s measures to take to identify, remove and prevent barriers. 

The town was also required to assess, review and list its by-laws, policies, programs, practices and services to identify barriers.

I delegated to council and the accessibility committee; I emailed and wrote letters to the editor to help raise awareness of some barriers.

I had already advocated for ten years for an accessible library, but the town remained silent.

Throughout the decade the town pursued funding for other projects like a marina and arena, despite the provincial government’s grant stipulation that accessibility was the number one priority.

Finally, my human rights complaint against the town was settled and an elevator was installed in the library along with accessible parking spaces.

The town installed a plaque in the library lobby crediting others with my accomplishment.

I reiterated some of the barriers that were either not included in the plans or were not removed when they could have been.

For example, an accessible town website was relegated to year 3 of the town’s first accessibility plan, then listed as a priority for 2005, and then 2006.

A 2007 report informed council that the website was compliant with W3C accessibility standards but it wasn’t, according to an external expert. 

In 2009, a newly designed website was unveiled and problems continued. 

In 2011, I mentioned difficulty navigating the website. 

In 2014, Amherstburg was invited to hire esolutions when Essex County redesigned its site to meet accessibility standards; Leamington and Essex had already hired the company, but Amherstburg declined. 

According to the town’s site, esolutions redesigned Amherstburg’s site in 2016, although it still had issues.

Thousands of dollars and redesigns later, in 2020 administration recommended, and council agreed, to request the province to extend the AODA January 1, 2021 website compliance deadline to at least January 1, 2022 due to COVID-19.

Following the January 1, 2022 deadline extension request, the province agreed the town’s work should be completed prior to December 31, 2024. 

The new website redesign and refresh was not to exceed $70,000, excluding HST.

The AODA 2005 now requires organizations to review their multi-year plans every five years but report annually on barrier removal progress.

Although the town’s plan review is due by December 2026, the town posted a 2026 Multi-Year Accessibility survey on January 26, 2026.

The survey introduction states, “The Town’s Multi-Year Accessibility Plan outlines the outcomes and initiatives that reaffirm the Town’s commitment to an accessible community and to building an equitable and inclusive society that values the contributions of people with disabilities.”

I do not feel like my contributions have been valued – my decades of input parallel decades of barriers.

Despite my repetitive requests for a strong commitment to accessibility, the town failed to meet the 2025 AODA compliance deadline.

In fact, Mayor Prue even declared, ‘this town has not been compliant.’

Commentary by Linda Saxon

Is Peddie Being Petty?

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Richard Peddie, in his RTT letter to the editor, promoting the “What Makes Amherstburg Great” initiative, states, “Sure there are the small group of people who complain about its weaknesses and think it was far better years past; but how about we ignore them?”

Sounds like the toxic positivity that’s so prevalent in Amherstburg – focus on the positive and ignore any perceived negativity, even when it exists.

Positivity only becomes problematic when it functions to reject negative emotions—if someone responded to a disclosure of distress, for example, with “It’s all for the best, “Just try to be positive,” or “Good vibes only!”
– Psychology Today

Let’s not confuse complaints with constructive criticism, which good leaders welcome and incorporate to make improvements.

Also, one should avoid generalizations, for example, that if people complain they think it was far better in years past. People complain for any number of reasons.

I think those celebrating the town’s heritage must think it was far better in years past. Why else would historic buildings be restored to their ‘former glory’?

Richard Peddie explained during an am800 interview the River Bookshop is an 1887 building and they weren’t accessible in those days.

Too often heritage takes precedence over accessibility; sometimes accessibility is not even incorporated in the initial planning stages, all of which is contrary to the human rights code. Not everyone is aware that heritage buildings can be made accessible.

The River Bookshop, for example, wasn’t renovated to make the entrance level with the sidewalk, no elevator was installed to the second floor, and no automatic door was installed.

Sometimes it takes complaints, like human rights complaints, to effect change.

The Peddies, as the River Bookshop owners, are Respondents to a human rights complaint – not because it was far better in the past, but because we’re now in 2026 where a rights-based approach to disability inclusion is the best model of disability.