Patrick Brown campaign flyer shouldn’t have our logos on it, universities say

A Patrick Brown election pamphlet touting his push for a Brampton university used the names and logos of several post-secondary schools without their permission, the Star has learned.

Thestar.com
Oct. 14, 2022
Kristin Rushowy, Noor Javed and Robert Benzie

A Patrick Brown election pamphlet touting his push for a Brampton university used the names and logos of several post-secondary schools without their permission, the Star has learned.

At least two institutions, stressing they must remain neutral in elections, have complained to Brown’s mayoral re-election campaign about the unauthorized use on the widely distributed flyers, which contain a QR code and link to his political website.

Toronto Metropolitan University and the University of Guelph-Humber both confirmed they have reached out to Brown and the two councillors whose images are on the flyer -- which was believed to have been delivered in at least two wards -- to discuss the issue.

The universities are not registered as third-party advertisers and including their images appears to be in violation of election laws, as universities and corporations cannot make political donations of any kind.

“We are reaching out to the campaigns to remind them of our impartiality and to communicate that the University of Guelph-Humber logo should not be used to claim or imply an endorsement,” said Andrew Leopold, director of marketing and communications for Humber College, adding the school was not aware its image had been used and had nothing to do with the flyer.

Michael Forbes, executive director of communications for Toronto Metropolitan University, told the Star the school “was not aware that our logo is being used in campaign materials in Brampton. We have an outstanding relationship with the city of Brampton and are always pleased to work with the mayor, councillors and city staff. We will be reaching out to the respective offices to discuss the appropriate use of our logo.”

Brown’s campaign did not directly answer questions about the use of the school names. “I’m sure you understand that we don’t discuss strategy or implementation during a campaign,” said campaign manager John Mykytyshyn.

The news comes as Brown, seeking re-election as mayor of the fourth-largest city in the province, remains mired in controversies from his first term, including the cancellation of a spending audit of the failed bid for a stand-alone Brampton university, divisiveness on council and a plea from his detractors for the province to step in.

The news also comes as the University of Guelph and Humber College recently sent a letter to the city saying they were withdrawing “from discussions with the city to explore the relocation of the University of Guelph-Humber to Brampton’s planned Centre for Innovation,” where the university was expected to be the anchor tenant.

“It became apparent that space constraints were a significant concern,” the letter said. “In recent months, attempts to find additional space to deliver the high-quality student experience of a comprehensive university that meet the standards of Guelph-Humber and its parent institutions have been unsuccessful. Additionally, the timing of the construction of the planned (centre) has yet to be confirmed.”

Gary Collins, Brown’s director of communications, said city council decided to stop the Brampton University project in March, but that its efforts had resulted in Toronto Metropolitan University planning to locate a medical school in the city.

“We were close on Guelph-Humber relocating to downtown Brampton,” Collins said. “We respect Guelph-Humber’s need to address their space shortages expeditiously. I know the province wants there to be alignment with the existing post-secondary institutions before they approve any expansions.”

In the wake of a Star story that looked at controversies under Brown’s leadership over the past four years, his main challenger, Nikki Kaur, was at Queen’s Park on Thursday to appeal to Premier Doug Ford and Municipal Affairs Minister Steve Clark to investigate the workings of Brampton’s city hall.

“There’s been an article in the Star that discusses the audits that have been stopped by Mr. Brown where he, himself, and his friends are questioned about single-source contracts, particularly into our Brampton university project, which costs the city over $600,000, but we have very little to show for it. This must stop,” Kaur told reporters.

“We’re here to plead with Minister Clark and the premier’s office to intervene and help the city of Brampton,” she said.

“How can one person stop an audit? If there’s nothing wrong, why aren’t the audits going through? This is a second investigation that’s been stopped and more and more stuff is coming out daily -- we need help.”

Former Brampton councillor Elaine Moore, a Kaur supporter who backed Brown in the 2018 election, claimed “taxpayers in the city of Brampton were misled” about the local university push.

“Instead, there was a piece of campaign literature that came out about 15 days ago that Patrick Brown and two of the area councillors were really saying that all of the money that was spent on their advocacy has delivered,” said Moore.

“In actual fact, it has not delivered for the city. There’s been a lot of money wasted on that file.”

Aides to Clark and Ford did not immediately return messages seeking comment.

Brown appeared on Newstalk 1010 Thursday morning, where host Jerry Agar grilled him about the Star story and his political life.

He said there was no wrongdoing in the push for Brampton University, despite an audit that found two firms -- one with ties to Brown and one with ties to another councillor -- received “unfair advantage” in landing the contracts and then did not deliver all that was expected.

Brown and some city councillors shut down the audit before it could issue its final report.

He also noted that other reports and audits, and the integrity commissioner, found no wrongdoing.

The advocacy, he added, means Brampton is “getting a (medical) school for the first time in 100 years in the GTA, with a fantastic partnership with the provincial government. So I know we get into silly season during elections, but you know ... just give me a break.”