A single pdf containing all four volumes of the Report is now available here.
The Report of the Town of Collingwood Judicial Inquiry is posted here. The Report is currently posted in four volumes. A single pdf containing all four volumes of the Report will be posted to the website tomorrow.
The report of the Town of Collingwood Judicial Inquiry will be posted to the Inquiry’s website at noon on November 2, 2020.
Justice Marrocco will make a few remarks at the time of the release. They will be live-streamed on Rogers' website here: https://rogerstv.com/home?lid=14&rid=72 and on Rogers television, channel 53 in Collingwood.
The virtual release of the Inquiry Report will be broadcast and live-streamed by Rogers at noon on November 2, 2020. Information about how to view the release will be posted to the website before November 2. Members of the media who wish to report on the release should contact the Inquiry's Director of Communications, Peter Rehak, at prehak@collingwoodinquiry.ca prior to October 30.
The Inquiry will hold a virtual public release of the final report on November 2, 2020. The report will be released electronically and posted on the Inquiry’s website. The time of the public release and directions on how it can be viewed will be posted on this web page before November 2.
Associate Chief Justice Marrocco has issued the following statement:
"I have agreed to Chair a Provincial Commission of Inquiry into the effects of COVID-19 on long-term care facilities. While the pandemic has had an impact on the Inquiry’s work, I will release my Report prior to October 31. I am pleased to be able to contribute in some small way to the issues presented by the pandemic, however I remain focused on delivering my report and recommendations to the Town of Collingwood."
After receiving closing submissions for Part 2 on January 8, Justice Marrocco and his staff are preparing the final report and related recommendations. As noted by Justice Marrocco on the final day of the hearings, the evidence before the Inquiry includes about a half million of documents as well as the testimony of witnesses and experts.
The report will be turned over to Town Council and made public once the writing, editing, production and publishing process is complete. The Inquiry anticipates the report will be completed in the summer.
The date, time and the venue of the public release will be posted on this web page and announced through media.
The closing submissions for Part 2 of the Inquiry have been posted to the Submissions page.
The Inquiry has concluded its public hearings on December 2, 2019 and Justice Marrocco has started writing his report. Once completed, the report will be turned over to Town Council and made public in Collingwood. The date for the public release will be announced on this web page and through media.
The panelist presentations for Part 3 are now available here.
The schedule for the Part 3 panels is now available here.
The participants in the Part 3 session have now been posted.
The public hearings for Part 2 of the Inquiry concluded on October 24, 2019. Part 2 dealt with the allocation of the share sale proceeds for recreational facilities at Central Park and Heritage Park, as well as any fees or benefits paid to any person or entity involved in the creation of these facilities. The Participants' closing submissions for Part 2 are due January 10, 2020. These submissions will then be posted online.
The Inquiry will hold hearings with experts in municipal governance and related areas on November 27-29 and December 2, 2019. At the hearings, Inquiry Counsel and the Town of Collingwood will have the opportunity to speak with the experts about good governance and policy matters arising from the Inquiry’s Terms of Reference. The hearings will assist the Commissioner in forming the recommendations that will be included in the final report.
The affidavit of Mel Milanovic is available here.
The Inquiry will hold hearings with experts in municipal governance and related areas on November 27-29 and December 2, 2019. At the hearings, Inquiry Counsel and the Town of Collingwood will have the opportunity to speak with the experts about good governance and policy matters arising from the Inquiry’s Terms of Reference. The hearings will assist the Commissioner in forming the recommendations that will be included in the final report.
Edwin Houghton has brought an application requesting that his evidence before the Inquiry be led by his own counsel, Frederick W. Chenoweth. A copy of Mr. Houghton’s application is available here.
Inquiry Counsel usually lead the evidence of a witness, who is then questioned by the other participants. However, under the rules of the Inquiry, a witness may request to have their own counsel lead them through their testimony. Mr. Houghton has made that request to the judge. Following his testimony, he would be cross-examined by Inquiry Counsel and lawyers for other participants.
Participants were invited to make opening submissions for Part II in writing. The opening submissions the Inquiry received for Part II are now posted to the website here.
Foundation Document 2 – a chronology of events, with links to documents that have been provided to the Inquiry – has now been posted.
Please note that the statements in this Foundation Document 2 have not been tested for the truth of their contents. The contents may be tested, challenged, supplemented, proven false, or discredited through the evidence called and the submissions made at the Inquiry. It will be for the Commissioner to consider all the evidence before ascribing any weight to anything contained in the Foundation Document 2.
The list of anticipated witnesses for Part II of the inquiry is available here. The list is subject to change.
The hearings for Part II of the Inquiry commence on September 11, 2019 at 10 a.m.
The closing submissions for Part 1 of the Inquiry have been posted to the Submissions page.
The Collingwood Judicial Inquiry has delivered a confidential draft of Foundation Document 2 to the participants in Part 2 of the Inquiry. The Foundation Document is a chronology of events, with links to documents that have been provided to the Inquiry. The Foundation Document will be posted on the Inquiry website once it is finalized. The Foundation Document was created to provide:
The Foundation Document will also provide structure and context for the evidentiary hearings in the context of the large number of documents produced to the Inquiry, the length of time that has passed since the events that are the subject of the Terms of Reference occurred, and the nature of the transactions which the Town of Collingwood asked the Inquiry to examine.
Justice Marrocco has granted BLT Construction's application for standing for Part II of the Inquiry. The decision is here.
BLT Construction has submitted an application for standing for Part II of the Inquiry. BLT Construction built the recreational facilities at Central Park and Heritage Park that are the subject of Part II.
The public hearings for Part 1 of the Inquiry concluded on June 28, 2019. Part 1 dealt with the 50% share sale of Collus to PowerStream Inc. The Participants' closing submissions for Part 1 are due August 31, 2019. These submissions will then be posted online.
The public hearings for Part 2 will begin on September 11, 2019. Part 2 deals with the allocation of the share sale proceeds for recreational facilities at Central Park and Heritage Park, as well as any fees or benefits paid to any person or entity involved in the creation of these facilities.
Inquiry Counsel will prepare the Foundation Document for Part 2 over the summer. After the Participants for Part 2 have had the opportunity to review a confidential draft of the Foundation Document, a public version will be posted online in advance of the Part 2 hearings.
Following Part 2, there will be hearings with experts in municipal governance and related areas. These hearings will take less time than either Part 1 or Part 2.
Mr. Houghton's application that his evidence be led by his own counsel has been granted.
Edwin Houghton has brought an application requesting that his evidence before the Inquiry be led by his own counsel, Frederick W. Chenoweth. A copy of Mr. Houghton’s application is available here.
Commission Counsel usually lead the evidence of a witness, who is then questioned by the other participants. However, under the rules of the Inquiry, a witness may request to have their own counsel lead them through their testimony. Mr. Houghton has made that request to the judge. Following his testimony, he would be cross-examined by Commission Counsel and lawyers for other participants.
Starting today, the public hearings will start at 9 a.m. except for Mondays when they will start at 10 a.m.
In the interests of efficiency, Inquiry Counsel will be leading the evidence of several witnesses through affidavits. The affidavits will be posted to the Inquiry website. Participants will have the opportunity to examine any witness who swears an affidavit at the hearing. The use of affidavits will reduce hearing time while preserving the Participants’ rights to ask questions before Justice Marrocco.
The following affidavits are now available:
Pam Hogg
Cindy Shuttleworth
Ralph Neate
Brian MacDonald
Kris Menzies
Marcus Firman
Robert Hull
Participants were invited to make opening submissions in writing. The opening submissions the Inquiry received are now posted to the website here.
The Inquiry’s public hearings began on Monday, April 15, 2019. The hearings schedule is available here. The list of anticipated witnesses is available here. These lists are subject to change and will be updated as required.
The Inquiry’s public hearings will start on Monday, April 15, 2019, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The hearing schedule and the list of scheduled witnesses are available on this website. They will be updated as required. Seating space for the public in the hearing room is limited. However, the hearings will be carried live by Rogers on cable and the Internet as well as archived. Transcripts will also be available online at the end of each day.
The Foundation Document – a chronology of events, with links to documents that have been provided to the Inquiry – has now been posted.
Please note that the statements in this Foundation Document have not been tested for the truth of their contents. The contents may be tested, challenged, supplemented, proven false, or discredited through the evidence called and the submissions made at the Inquiry. It will be for the Commissioner to consider all the evidence before ascribing any weight to anything contained in the Foundation Document.
John Mather has joined the Inquiry as Associate Counsel. He will fill the role of Kate McGrann, who has become lead counsel following the appointment of Janet Leiper to the Superior Court of Justice. Mr. Mather's biography is here.
The Collingwood Judicial Inquiry has delivered a confidential draft of Foundation Document 1 to the participants in Part 1 of the Inquiry. The Foundation Document is a chronology of events, with links to documents that have been provided to the Inquiry. The Foundation Document will be posted on the Inquiry website once it is finalized, before the evidence hearings begin. The Foundation Document was created to provide:
The Foundation Document will also provide structure and context for the evidentiary hearings in the context of the large number of documents produced to the Inquiry, the length of time that has passed since the events that are the subject of the Terms of Reference occurred, and the nature of the transactions which the Town of Collingwood asked the Inquiry to examine.
Lead Inquiry Counsel Janet Leiper has been appointed a judge of the Superior Court of Justice of Ontario by the Government of Canada.
The Inquiry judge, Frank N. Marrocco, has named Kate McGrann lead counsel, replacing Justice Leiper.
The Inquiry’s work will continue without interruption.
The Inquiry has now sent out summonses to those people likely to be called as witnesses during Part I of the Inquiry, which deals with the sale of Collus shares. That part of the inquiry commences April 15, 2019. Issuing summonses is a required legal process. It may be that not all witnesses who receive a summons will be required to testify. For example, in some cases, a witness’s evidence may be received in writing or, as the Inquiry progresses, it may be that a witness is no longer needed to give evidence.
Inquiry Counsel will continue to seek input from the participants in planning the hearings to assure that the hearings are conducted thoroughly and efficiently.
| Ruling on Standing and Funding |
| Transcript of hearing on participation |
The Inquiry's public hearings started on April 15, 2019
