Guzzo likely to return to testify in the new year

Cornwall Standard Freeholder

11 December 2007

A former Ottawa-area MPP is doing well despite a minor heart "scare," his wife said Monday.

Garry Guzzo, the former MPP for Ottawa West-Nepean, was scheduled to complete his testimony at the Cornwall Public Inquiry last week.

Last Tuesday, Lead Commission Counsel Peter Engelmann notified the lawyers and the commissioner he had received a notice from Guzzo, which stated he was ill and going for further assessment.

"He's fine now," said Anne Guzzo. "It was pretty stressful, but there were some warning signs."

Guzzo had begun his cross-examination at the end of November, when Dallas Lee, the lawyer for The Victims Group, questioned Guzzo on former Premier Mike Harris' perceived involvement in the Project Truth investigations.

Guzzo, his wife said, had gone through a triple bypass eight years ago and so when he had this "scare" on Dec. 2, the family was on the "alert." As to whether the stress of testifying at the inquiry caused the "scare" that led Guzzo to go the doctor, his wife said: "Who knows?"

"Certainly (testifying) must be (stressful) for people who aren't involved in the justice system. That wasn't so much trouble for him. He was in the courts, he was on the bench, he worked in the justice system. He just thought it was very good that he was able to tell his part."

Guzzo, 66, was a lawyer for a number of years until he was appointed to the bench in 1978. He remained a provincial court judge for 11 years.

"He's pretty tough. It wasn't anything major," she added.

"He wasn't admitted. He was just checked in. He just felt concerned."

Guzzo was originally scheduled to testify the following day, Dec. 3, but the hearings at the inquiry were cancelled due to the weather. When everything resumed on Tuesday afternoon, Engelmann notified other counsel of Guzzo's condition.

"I know that there are certain parties that need to be here to cross-examine him, so I'm keeping that in mind when we're looking at dates for rescheduling," Engelmann said at the time. Engelmann could not comment on when Guzzo will return, but it's expected he may be called back to continue his testimony in the new year.