Barrie Councillor Strachan apologizes for error

simcoe.com
Aug. 13, 2014
By Laurie Watt

Ward 2 Coun. Lynn Strachan apologized to her council colleagues, residents and the city for an error in judgment that resulted in several calls to Barrie’s integrity commissioner.

Integrity Commissioner Suzanne Craig recommended Strachan make a statement to clarify her role with the David Busby Street Centre and the Barrie Pathways to End Homelessness, after she received “several inquiries” about how Strachan behaved in the June 23 council meeting.

Craig also noted conflict of interest does not fall in the purview of integrity commissioners, but rather under the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act and complainants should seek legal advice.

Previously, the three-term councillor had declared a conflict of interest on matters relating to the Busby Centre and Pathways.

But at the time, there was controversy in her ward about possibly locating the shelter and its 24-hour-triage centre at Central United Church because it is quite close to the RVH’s detox centre, the Elizabeth Fry shelter, an elementary school, an early years centre and several homes for intellectually disabled adults. To locate there, it would have required relief from a zoning restriction that could have been bumped up to council from the committee of adjustment.

In the midst of that, Strachan answered her council colleagues’ questions about the project.

“I would like first to apologize to council and my constituents for my error in judgment,” she began Monday night, the first public meeting councillors attended since the commissioner’s report was issued July 26. Just after the city made the report public Friday morning, Strachan withdrew her re-election bid.

Strachan explained she began working for the Busby Centre as its development officer in 2011 and, after the centre obtained a Trillium grant, she applied for the Pathways coordinator position and after a competitive process, got the job.

“I love this city and my ward and this has been my motivation to serve on council and at the Busby Centre,” she said, adding through her years at Busby, she has become convinced homelessness can be ended.

She said she felt she was best able to answer questions from councillors about the project since that’s been her focus for several years.

“I answered questions in good faith. I felt I was doing the right thing by being transparent and providing answers,” she said. “I did create an impression of conflict. It’s clear to me I did make a mistake. I deeply regret and apologize for my actions.”