Cornwall Standard Freeholder
09 September 2010
Posted By GREG PEERENBOOM GPEERENBOOM@STANDARD-FREEHOLDER.COM
CORNWALL — City police are swallowing a $1.7 million Cornwall Inquiry leftover bill without much fuss.
The bill, already paid through a city reserve fund, is for legal and related costs associated with the Cornwall Community Police Service’s participation in the Cornwall Inquiry.
The police service board hoped to recoup the costs when Cornwall Mayor Bob Kilger lobbied Municipal Affairs Minister Jim Bradley over the issue last March.
But Bradley said the tap had run dry in a June 2010 letter to the mayor, which was presented at Wednesday’s police board meeting.
“I regret to advise you that no further provincial funds are available from this ministry or from the Ministry of the Attorney General to assist with these costs,” Bradley stated.
Kilger took the denial philosophically, citing the provincial funding, approximately $3 million, which came through to assist the counselling of sexual abuse victims and measures to heal the community.
Police board member Pat Finucan noted that PrevAction, the organization engaged in community healing, is still active.
“You always hope to bring an issue to a positive ending. At the end of the day, the province treated the (request) fairly and transparently,” Kilger said.
That didn’t wash with one of Kilger’s rivals for this fall’s mayoralty race, current Coun. Mark MacDonald.
“Yes, we can do better,” Mac-Donald said. “We have to put more pressure on the provincial government to pay up,” he said, adding it was the province which authorized the inquiry, which became the costliest proceeding of its kind ever in Canada.
Bradley pointed out the city was treated in the same manner as other publicly assisted parties with Inquiry standing.
The city had been given $3.2 million in February 2007 for costs up to that point, but further disbursements were a percentage of the expenses.
The ministry paid a total of about $3.75 million from April 2007 to December 2009.
Local Liberal MPP Jim Brownell stayed clear of criticizing his government’s funding, citing the “tough economic times” which has led to a huge provincial deficit.
Brownell said the financial hangover shouldn’t come as surprise — it was his understanding the city and the province had hammered out a compensation deal after February 2007.
“I believe the ministry lived up to the deal they had struck,” he said.
Brownell nonetheless lauded Kilger and his council for their lobbying efforts, which he facilitated over the past few years.
The MPP cautioned that further funding could be available for more community healing programs in the future.
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Comments on this Article.
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Good! The have way too much money!
Post #1 By nonbeliever,
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And the actual victims in this got what again? Only people that benefit from inquiries are the lawyers, judges and other legal staff. So here is the “I told ya so” that I warned about when the talk of a inquiry even began.
Post #2 By cornwaller77,
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Hopefully, Cornwall Police will now reduce their bloated staff levels.
Post #3 By iconoclast,
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Thats how much more money it took to ease the control damage.Hey mayor why didn,t the police just do there jobs right in the first place.Were any police officers Re educated on how to properly investage complaints since this inquireys findings.
Post #4 By luckyred,
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Let’s not forget where this pedophile ring and leader began, in the Crown Attorneys Office. Malcolm MacDonald.
Post #5 By willie191,
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What did they need an inquiry for ? They should’ve arrested everyone that was accused and let the courts deal with it.
Post #6 By notaqain,
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Under what laws exactly notaqain? What about the charter of rights and freedoms, people are entitled to fair and due process. Sounds like you’re more less describing a lynching just to round them all up regardless of evidence and throw them into a courtroom trial. Burden of proof or any other legal right isn’t important? Surprised you didn’t just skip the trial process and have them all hung.
Post #7 By cornwaller77,
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The last 40 years the courts in Cornwall are packed with people defending themselfs because someone accused them of a crime.Thats why we have courts and judges to determine guilt or innocents.If i were ever falsely accused of child abuse or any other crime i would certainly want my day in court.And in no way would i have it thrown out on some stupid tecnacality.They needed an inquirey not to arrested the pediphiles, but to clear some people of wrong doings.Only the pediphiles skiped the trials cornwaller77.
Post #8 By luckyred,