Stouffville MP takes feud with mayor to Twitter

Yorkregion.com
May 14, 2014
Sandra Bolan

It’s been almost three months since Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville councillors rescinded their approval for the Freel Lane Rogers’ cell tower application.

But the war of words that started when council initially approved the application continues between Mayor Wayne Emmerson and Stouffville-based MP Paul Calandra.

It moved from email to Twitter this week when the Oak Ridges-Markham MP posted snippets of email exchanges he had with the mayor in March and April. Mr. Emmerson is not on Twitter.

A media release criticizing the mayor and council’s leadership over the cell tower episode may have started the war.

The full email dialogue between the two politicians was posted on paulcalandra.com by the MP.

Mr. Calandra said it was time residents saw it all.

The tweets include scans of a certificate Mr. Calandra sent to the mayor’s roast last month that Mr. Emmerson - mailed back to the MP.

There’s also an email with Mr. Emmerson declining an invitation to appear at the MP’s annual celebrity hockey game in August. “Are you sure you sent this to the right person?,” Mr. Emmerson is quoted as saying by the MP. “Since I have no leadership and decision qualities I would only embarrass you.”

“I’m not sure why the mayor says one thing in private to me and says another thing entirely in public,” Mr. Calandra told yorkregion.com yesterday.

Mr. Emmerson would not comment for this story when asked by yorkregion.com

During the May 6 council meeting, Owen Macri, special assistant at the office of Mr. Calandra, took the mayor to task on a remark he made earlier in the meeting about not receiving information from Mr. Calandra on a couple of issues involving the federal government, which arose from the cell tower application.

“I asked (Mr. Macri) to do it because I think it’s completely inappropriate to tell a mistruth in a public forum,” Mr. Calandra said.

“No other avenue was open to us to express this in public,” he said.

Mr. Emmerson clarified to yorkregion.com the next day he was speaking about written information, not meeting dates. He did note the two parties were working on pinning down a public meeting date but had yet to confirm one.

In terms of scheduling that meeting, “we’ve (taken) every single avenue to communicate with the mayor and other members of council and they’ve been rejected,” Mr. Calandra said.

“It’s incumbent on them to make time,” he said.

Mr. Calandra said he has no personal beef with the mayor, he said.

“Politicians will never always agree with everything,” he said.

Since the dispute began, some residents have questioned Mr. Calandra’s sudden involvement in municipal issues, believing he is going to vacate his federal seat and run for mayor in the October election.

“No. I love my job in Ottawa. That’s exactly where I want to stay,” Mr. Calandra said.

Mr. Emmerson is not seeking re-election. He will vie for the regional chairperson’s position in the fall.

Last week, Mr. Calandra was acclaimed as the Conservative candidate for the October 2015 federal election.

“Like any other member of parliament, it’s an incredible opportunity,” he said. “It’s a job I want to keep doing for as long as people will let me.”

TIMELINE
Feb. 4
Mayor Wayne Emmerson confirms a trip to Ottawa for late May, for him and Councillor Richard Bartley, to attend of session of parliament with MP Paul Calandra.

Early March
A video posted on YouTube has Mr. Calandra promoting the mayor’s April roast and toast.

Patrick Lannigan, one of the organizers of the event confirms to The Sun-Tribune Mr. Calandra will roast the mayor via video.

March 19
Council approves the application for a Rogers’ cell tower on Freel Lane.

March 20
Mr. Calandra sends out a press release calling into question council’s leadership on the tower decision.

March 24
In an email from Mr. Emmerson to Mr. Calandra’s office, the mayor cancels the Ottawa trip.

The email states in part: “I do not want to embarrass MP Calandra because of what is happening in my town and my leadership qualities.”

March 26
A three-page letter to Mr. Emmerson from Mr. Calandra, details his disappointment regarding council’s handling of the Rogers’ cell tower application. He notes he will hold his own community meeting April 5.

March 28
Mr. Calandra invites Mr. Emmerson, via email, to the fourth annual Hockey Night in Stouffville, which takes place Aug. 21.

April 4
Mr. Emmerson declines the invitation. The e-mail response, states in part: “Are you sure you sent this to the right person? Since I have no leadership and decision qualities I would only embarrass you.”

April 9
A special council meeting was held to rescind their decision regarding the Rogers’ cell tower application on Freel Lane.

April 10
A letter from Mr. Calandra is sent to the organizers of the roast. It is to be read at the event that night.

April 16 and 17
A number of emails go back and forth between the two men trying to schedule a special council meeting on cell towers, legal marijuana grow ops and the Pickering Airport.

April 21
The letter written by Mr. Calandra read during the mayor’s roast has a portion highlighted: “... I do consider you a great mayor ...” Handwritten above it is: “Are u sure!”

At the bottom of the letter is handwritten: “Please Return to MP” with Mr. Emmerson’s signature.

The envelope it was mailed in is address to Mr. Calandra’s Stouffville office on Main Street. His title is written as MPP.

“It’s a very childish way to post a $3.65 letter to me. Got my position wrong,” Mr. Calandra told The Sun-Tribune. “It just highlights the level of maturity from the mayor.”

April 21-22
More e-mails are exchanged trying to come up with a special council meeting date.

April 23
The last posted communication between the two men comes from Mr. Emmerson. He notifies the MP, town staff will ask the federal government’ staff to be a council delegation at one of Whitchurch-Stouffville’s meetings and asks Mr. Calandra that he or his staff tell the town CAO who would be best to attend to speak on the issues of legal grow ops, cell towers and the Pickering Airport.

May 6
At a regularly scheduled council meeting, Owen Macri special assistant at the office of Mr. Calandra, under the guise of speaking about an agenda item regarding the federal gas tax, takes the mayor to task for stating earlier in the meeting he has not heard from Mr. Calandra regarding requested information.

May 11
Mr. Calandra tells his Twitter followers he will start tweeting correspondence between him and the mayor the next day. He posts it all on his website.