Integrity Commissioner
Starting March 2019, the Province of Ontario has required that municipalities adopt a Code of conduct for members of their municipal council and local boards.
The Code of conduct requires that an Integrity Commissioner be appointed. Council appointed a new Integrity Commissioner in January 2023 by Council. Their term ends on December 31, 2025.
Their role
The Integrity Commissioner is independent of the Council and the Town Administration. They acts as:
Advisor
They provide confidential advice to the mayor, councillors, and local board members on their obligations under the Code of conduct and any other regulations, policies and procedures governing their ethical behaviour. They also provide notices under the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act.
Investigator
They are responsible for investigating complaints they receive about potential breaches of the Code of conduct or ethical failings of members of the Municipal Council or a local board.
Educator
They provide educational information to Members of Council, local boards, the Town, and the general public.
Who are they?
Cunningham, Swan, Carty, Little & Bonham, LLP is Southeastern Ontario's premier full-service law firm. The Firm is a general partnership that has been practising law for over 125 years. Based in Kingston, their 36 lawyers and experienced support staff provide a wide range of legal services to individual, corporate and institutional clients in the private and public sectors throughout the region.
The firm has a long tradition of providing legal services to local governments. It acts as attorneys or legal advisors to more than two dozen urban and rural municipalities, as well as a number of public services, conservation authorities, health units, hospitals and universities in southeastern Ontario and beyond.
Integrity Commissioner Report – September 4, 2020
Report_-_Integrity_Commissioner_-_Complaint_of_September_4_2020_anglais_seulement_.pdf
Addendum_-_September_26_2021_anglais_seulement.pdf
Integrity Commissioner Report – April 26, 2021 (French only)
Rapport_denquete__26_avril_2021.pdf
Integrity Commissioner Report – December 31, 2020
Ombudsman Report
RE: Closed meeting complaint – March 17, 2022
Investigation regarding the Town of Hawkesbury’s decision-making process on June 15, 202072.57 KB
File a complaint
A person who has reasons to believe that there is a contravention of the Code of conduct or an ethical breach by an elected member or a member of a local board may file a complaint.
A complaint must be submitted on the established Formal Complaint Form. The Form may be printed from the website or obtained from the Administration Office
Download the form to file a complaint
A complaint must be placed in a sealed envelope marked "private and confidential" and must contain the following information:
- Complainant's name, mailing address, telephone number, and e-mail address;
- Original copy of the Formal Complaint Form;
- Original copy of the Additional Information Form (if applicable);
- Any relevant documentation; and
- Cheque for $250 made payable to "The Corporation of the Town of Hawkesbury".
The complaint must be submitted by one of the following two options:
a) by mail to:
Corporation of the Town of Hawkesbury, Town Hall
Attention: Cunningham, Swan, Carty, Little & Bonham, LLP, Integrity Commissioner
600 Higginson Street Hawkesbury, ON K6A 1H1
b) in person to:
Please make an appointment with Sonia Girard, the acting Clerk, at 613-632-0106, or
Important: In order to preserve confidentiality of the complainant, please ask the receptionist to speak with the acting Clerk, without mentioning that you want to file a complaint. The complaint filed with the acting Clerk will be forwarded to the Integrity Commissioner without delay and without added comments.
Result of a complaint
To the extent possible, the Integrity Commissioner will submit his report within 60 days of receiving a complaint to the Council or local board, as the case may be. In the case of a contravention of the Code of conduct or a breach of ethics, he will submit his recommendations as to the penalties to be imposed to the Member in default.
Code of conduct
You can download our Code of conduct here: