The Ombudsman found that a small portion of a closed session discussion held by council for the Township of Lake of Bays about a potential complaint to the local Integrity Commissioner, and about the impact on staff of handling of Freedom of Information requests did not fit within the open meeting exception for personal matters. No individual or group was identified during the discussion, and there was no evidence to suggest that an individual or group could otherwise be identified by the discussion.
Township of Lake of Bays - November 3, 2025
Read the ReportThe Ombudsman found that discussions held by council for the Township of Lake of Bays about its road allowance purchase program were permitted to be held in closed session under the open meeting exception for solicitor-client privilege. The in camera discussions were grounded in legal advice received from the Township solicitor.
The Ombudsman found that discussions by council for the Township of Lake of Bays about its road allowance purchase program were permitted to be held in closed session under the open meeting exception for acquisition or disposition of land. The Township had a bargaining position to protect in land transactions that were reasonably expected to occur in the foreseeable future.
The Ombudsman found that a small portion of a closed session discussion held by council for the Township of Lake of Bays about the impact on staff of handling Freedom of Information requests did not fit within the open meeting exception for requests made under the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA) because council did not substantively discuss the requests, but merely mentioned their existence.
The Ombudsman found that council for the Township of Lake of Bays could have parsed its closed session discussion about a potential complaint to the local Integrity Commissioner and Freedom of Information requests from a subsequent discussion about the Township’s road allowance purchase program.