Markham integrity report reprimands former Thornhill councillor Shore
Incident concerned Frankenstein mask
YorkRegion.com
Oct. 9, 2015
By Amanda Persico
Markham city council has reprimanded former Thornhill councillor Howard Shore for his involvement in an incident that occurred in the Civic Centre parking lot in November 2014.
The city’s integrity commissioner, Ben Drory, presented its report, stemming from a complaint filed by current Thornhill councillor, Valerie Burke, against Shore.
According to the report, which can be read online, Shore contravened the city’s code of conduct and failed to be respectful of another council member.
The report also found Shore did not conduct himself with appropriate decorum during the early hours of Nov. 29.
His term as Thornhill councillor officially ended Nov. 30.
“Whatever the appropriate standard is for interaction between members, Mr. Shore’s conduct in this case fell below it,” reads the integrity commissioner report.
When Burke pulled into her parking space on Dec. 1 - the date of the inaugural council meeting as the newly elected Thornhill councillor - she found a Frankenstein mask placed over her nameplate.
“...I felt was creepy and threatening,” Burke said in an affidavit.
Following the initial complaint, Burke also filed a police report.
Police officers viewed the security tape from the Civic Centre parking garage and identified Shore, who appeared to go toward Burke’s car and then disappeared from view.
Shore argued he thought the mask belonged to his former council colleague, as she occupied his office about two years prior and he was simply returning it.
“I was physically and emotionally tired at the time,” he said in an affidavit. “I intended no offense.”
Shore’s actions did not constitute harassment, according to the integrity commissioner’s report.
To read a copy of report:
