Wilmot councillors accused of 'bullying' by colleague cleared of code of conduct violations

Kate Bueckert · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 26, 2025 6:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 11 minutes ago

Two Wilmot Township councillors person been cleared of codification of behaviour violations aft a assembly workfellow accused them of "bullying and harassing" behaviour during a municipality hallway gathering successful January.

In a ailment to the township's integrity commissioner, Coun. Steven Martin said helium and Coun. Lillianne Dunstall planned to clasp a municipality hallway for residents connected Jan. 4 to sermon the township's fund and projected taxation increase. The fund had been a contentious contented successful the township due to the fact that the archetypal connection recommended raising spot taxes by 50 per cent.

Martin says helium sent an email to his chap councillors asking them not to be the gathering due to the fact that helium was disquieted they would accidentally deed quorum for a assembly meeting. Once much than 4 councillors are unneurotic astatine a meeting, it tin beryllium viewed arsenic a assembly gathering and if it's not antecedently advertised arsenic such, it tin beryllium considered an amerciable meeting.

On the time of the meeting, Coun. Stewart Cressman arrived, past Coun. Kris Wilkinson and Coun. Harvir Sidhu besides arrived.

Martin says helium asked Wilkinson and Sidhu to permission but some refused.

"I said that we mightiness beryllium fined, and I did not privation to hazard that. Some radical said that I should leave. I judge that Coun. Wilkinson encouraged oregon incited others successful the assemblage to accidental derogatory things to me. It is my content that Coun. Wilkinson participated and/or encouraged radical to marque amusive of me. At this constituent Coun. Cressman stood up and said that helium would permission truthful arsenic to alleviate the problem," Martin said successful his ailment to the integrity commissioner.

Martin ended up leaving his ain gathering to debar reaching quorum.

"It is my contention that Coun. Wilkinson and Coun. Sidhu were 'bullying and harassing' by not respecting my relation arsenic big of the meeting. They besides did not respect my determination connected the quorum issue. Even if I americium wrong, connected the contented of quorum oregon an amerciable meeting, they could person respected my interest since it was my meeting," Martin wrote successful his complaint.

Benjamin Drory of the mediation steadfast ADR Chambers is integrity commissioner for the township. In a study received by assembly Monday night, Drory said Wilkinson and Sidhu did not interruption the township's codification of behaviour by attending the meeting.

But Drory said it was wide to him, and apt to radical who attended the Jan. 4 municipality hallway meeting, that the councillors were not moving together.

"Nobody who attended the municipality hallway should consciousness peculiarly bully astir what took place," Drory wrote successful the report.

"[The] municipality hallway struck maine arsenic unseemly successful its evident lack of goodwill, and an unwillingness among members to simply enactment with each different towards a communal good."

Drory said it's not his relation to "resolve the rift" betwixt councillors, but helium hoped they could find ways to enactment together.

"I marque nary proposition astir however they could specifically bash that, but I anticipation they volition marque immoderate benignant of concerted effort to bash so," Drory wrote.

Wilkinson and Sidhu person since apologized to their assembly colleagues for what transpired astatine the meeting.

During Monday night's assembly meeting, Wilkinson said attending and not leaving the gathering was a "heat of the infinitesimal decision" that "in hindsight, we would bash differently."

"I invited the guidance offered by this report," helium said. "I instrumentality it precise seriously."

Sidhu said helium acted retired of what helium thought was the champion involvement of the radical helium represents.

"It conscionable comes down to we're each passionate for what we're doing. We each privation to do what's champion for our residents," helium said.

"Sometimes we disagree and person arguments, but we marque up and I'm assured that each councillor astir this horseshoe is doing it for the close reasons and we're doing it for the residents and the taxpayers."