Skip to main content
Ombudsman Ontario Home

Ombudsman Ontario

Secondary navigation

  • About us
  • Contact us
  • News
  • Careers
Français
Français

Main navigation

  • Make a complaint
    • What you can expect
    • What we can help you with
    • File your complaint
    • Frequently asked questions
  • Help for…
    • Indigenous people
    • Children, youth and families
    • French speakers
  • Our work
    • Case stories
    • Investigations
    • Annual reports
    • Municipal meetings
    • Submissions to government
    • Brochures, posters and resources
    • Outreach and engagement
  • Info for public bodies and officials
    • What to expect if we contact you
    • Members of Provincial Parliament
    • Provincial government
    • Municipal government
    • Services for children and youth
    • Services for French speakers
    • School boards
    • Training and education
    • Questions and inquiries

Main navigation

  • Make a complaint
    • What you can expect
    • What we can help you with
    • File your complaint
    • Frequently asked questions
  • Help for…
    • Indigenous people
    • Children, youth and families
    • French speakers
  • Our work
    • Case stories
    • Investigations
    • Annual reports
    • Municipal meetings
    • Submissions to government
    • Brochures, posters and resources
    • Outreach and engagement
  • Info for public bodies and officials
    • What to expect if we contact you
    • Members of Provincial Parliament
    • Provincial government
    • Municipal government
    • Services for children and youth
    • Services for French speakers
    • School boards
    • Training and education
    • Questions and inquiries

Secondary navigation

  • About us
  • Contact us
  • News
  • Careers
Ombudsman Ontario Home

Ombudsman Ontario

Français
  1. Info for public bodies and officials
  2. Municipal government
  3. Open meetings: Case digest
  4. Municipalities and local boards
  5. Loyalist Township

Loyalist Township

Loyalist Township, December 6, 2021

Read the Letter
Meeting (definition)

The Ombudsman received a complaint about a series of individual phone calls between members of council of Loyalist Township concerning a grant policy that would be discussed before the Committee of the Whole. Communication between members of council of an informational nature that does not lead to specific outcomes or persuades decision-makers is usually not a “meeting” under the Municipal Act, 2001 because it does not materially advance business or decision-making.

Loyalist Township, September 9, 2020

Read the Report
239(2)(f) Solicitor-client privilege
contract
lawyer present

The Ombudsman received a complaint alleging that council for Loyalist Township contravened the Municipal Act’s open meeting requirements on July 8, 2019 when it went in camera to discuss a draft legal agreement with a wind energy provider. A lawyer was present and provided legal advice related to the agreement during the closed session. The Ombudsman’s investigation found that council’s discussion was permissible under the Municipal Act’s closed meeting exception for advice subject to solicitor-client privilege in s. 239(2)(f).

Vote
direction to staff
vote (illegal)

The Ombudsman received a complaint alleging that council for Loyalist Township contravened the Municipal Act’s closed meeting voting rules on July 8, 2019. The Ombudsman found that due to confusion and inadvertence, council’s in camera vote was neither procedural nor a direction to staff contrary to the Act’s voting requirements.  

Report back
report back (content)

The Ombudsman received a complaint about the amount of information that council for the Loyalist Township shared in its report back following the closed session discussion on July 8, 2019. The Ombudsman found the council’s report back provided the public with information about the outcome of council’s discussion.

Note:

  • You will not receive a direct reply.  Please do not include any personal information, such as your name, address, information about your complaint, or case number.
  • For general questions and complaints, please contact us here.

The Ontario Ombudsman’s work takes place on traditional Indigenous territories across the province we now call Ontario, and we are thankful to be able to work and live on this land. 

Ombudsman Ontario Home

Ombudsman Ontario

483 Bay Street
10th floor, South Tower
Toronto, ON M5G 2C9

Toll-free (Ontario only): 1-800-263-1830
Outside Ontario: 416-586-3300
info@ombudsman.on.ca

Footer menu

  • Make a complaint
  • Help for...
  • Our work
  • About us
  • Careers

Make a complaint

  • Info for public bodies and officials
  • News

Footer buttons

  • Sign up for our newsletter
  • Contact us

Follow us

All contents © 2025 Ombudsman Ontario. All rights reserved.

Footer Utility

  • Site map
  • Accessibility