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Public hearings into COLLUS face delays

Some participants need more time, Inquiry counsel needs more time
01072018-COLLUS-EE
A Collus/PowerStream crew and truck responds to a power line down. A judicial inquiry is underway into the 50 per cent sale of COLLUS to PowerStream. Erika Engel/CollingwoodToday

NEWS RELEASE
TOWN OF COLLINGWOOD
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In preparation for public hearings, the Judicial Inquiry counsel have begun meeting and interviewing participants, potential witnesses and others who have information about the subject of the Inquiry. (The Inquiry is investigating the sale of 50 percent of the shares of Collingwood Utility Services Corporation (COLLUS) to PowerStream.) That process started on September 4, 2018.

This important step also involves collecting, organizing and preparing needed documents. This work helps to identify necessary witnesses and focus the public hearings.

During these meetings, some participants have advised that they have thousands of documents relevant to the Inquiry. Some parties have requested additional time to produce documents including one participant which has estimated that it will require an additional two to three weeks to produce its documents.

Other participants have said that they have retained no documents and have nothing to produce. This means that the Inquiry will need to contact people and organizations who may have copies of pertinent documents. These will need to be identified and contacted to locate pertinent documents.

These preparations are a necessary step in advance of the public hearings.

The Inquiry has also been convening regular meetings with all counsel to determine timing, discuss legal issues such as pre-hearing motions and to ask the participants to produce their documents in a timely way.

Inquiry counsel will continue these discussions with the participants as documents are received and continue to insist upon input from the participants concerning their readiness to begin the public hearings.

Anyone who has information that they wish to provide to the Inquiry is asked to contact Shelley Fuhre, Executive Director to the Inquiry at [email protected] or Inquiry Counsel, Janet Leiper at [email protected].

ABOUT THE INQUIRY
The Judicial Inquiry into the 50% share sale of Collingwood Utility Services Corporation to PowerStream Inc. was requested by the Town of Collingwood by Resolution 042-2018.

The Inquiry’s mandate is to inquire into the sequence of events leading to the sale transaction, the Request for Proposal (RFP) process, fees and benefits paid to anyone in relation to the sale transaction and contracts entered into among the parties.

The Inquiry will also look into the allocation of proceeds of the transaction for recreational facilities at Central Park and Heritage Park and any fees or benefits paid to any person or the entity involved in the creation of the recreational facilities.

The Inquiry will examine the impact of these events on the ratepayers of the Town of Collingwood as they relate to the good governance of the municipality and make any recommendations the Associate Chief Justice may deem appropriate and in the public interest.

Judicial Inquiries are a way for governments to examine issues and problems outside the regular legislative process. Inquiries can help communities to benefit from independent, neutral consideration of matters in the public domain.

Public inquiries can help develop public policy and make recommendations that will serve the public in the future.

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