Former Barrie councillor seeks millions in damages over alleged confidentiality breach
A former Barrie city councillor and mayoral candidate is seeking millions of dollars in damages from the City and an unnamed individual, alleging confidential information was released to the public, damaging his reputation.
CTV News has obtained a statement of claim filed by Mike McCann in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice on March 28. The defendants are listed as The City of Barrie and an unidentified John Doe.
- Download the CTV News app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates sent to your email inbox
McCann, who represented Ward 10 for two terms before unsuccessfully running for mayor in 2022, is seeking $5,000,000 from both the City of Barrie for special damages from negligence and defendant John Doe for "misfeasance in public office."
McCann is seeking another $250,000 from the City for general damages caused by negligence and $250,000 from John Doe for mental suffering.
Another $250,000 is being sought from each defendant for aggravated and punitive damages.
The claim comes as a result of confidential information that McCann alleges was improperly leaked to the media in regard to a complaint filed by a city staffer that McCann allegedly sexually assaulted and sexually harassed her in 2019.
According to the statement of claim, the City hired a third party to conduct an investigation into the allegations filed against McCann. That report was then provided to city councillors, with the statement claiming it was clearly marked as confidential in multiple locations.
McCann alleges that councillors met to discuss the report in camera in October 2020. The statement of claim alleges that an article later published on an online news site in April 2022 claimed to have obtained the confidential report.
The statement holds the City of Barrie responsible for the leak, saying "inadequate policies and procedures to protect confidential information from leaks enabled and caused the leak."
McCann is claiming that the unnamed John Doe, either a councillor or city staffer, leaked the report intentionally, alleging that the individual wanted to cause harm to McCann.
The former mayoral candidate claims that the leak has caused damage to him personally and professionally, claiming he has lost a substantial amount of clients and had to reduce his workforce from 40 employees to fewer than 10.
McCann claims the City enabled the leak, referencing a recent report by the Integrity Commissioner focussed on leaked information by current councillor Clare Riepma. Riepma claimed that the leak was unintentional.
In his statement of claim, McCann alleges this proves a "culture at Barrie where confidentiality is a matter of mere lip service."
The City of Barrie has a total of 20 days from when the statement was filed to file its own statement of defence. A spokesperson said they were unable to comment on the matter as it is before the courts.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
IN PHOTOS Northern lights dance across the night sky in southern Ont.
From London, to Mildmay, Collingwood and St. Thomas, here are some highlights of Friday night and Saturday morning's northern lights display.
Millions of Canadians have been exposed to potentially toxic chemicals, and they're not going anywhere
For decades, North Bay, Ontario's water supply has harboured chemicals associated with liver and developmental issues, cancer and complications with pregnancy. It's far from the only city with that problem.
Dutch contestant kicked out of Eurovision hours before tension-plagued song contest final
The Netherlands' contestant in the Eurovision Song Contest was dramatically expelled from competition hours before Saturday's final of the pan-continental pop competition, which has been rattled by protests over the participation of Israel.
'I am angry': Alberta farmers will continue fight over world class motorsport resort
The rolling hills leading to the hamlet of Rosebud are dotted with sprawling farms and cattle pastures -- and a sign sporting a simple message: No Race Track.
Out-of-control wildfire prompts evacuation alert for Fort McMurray, Saprae Creek Estates Friday night
An evacuation alert was issued for two Wood Buffalo communities Friday night, as crews battled an out-of-control wildfire near Fort McMurray.
Bouchard lifts Edmonton Oilers to 4-3 overtime win over Canucks in Game 2
Evan Bouchard scored 5:38 into overtime and the Edmonton Oilers bounced back for a 4-3 win over the Vancouver Canucks in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs on Friday.
opinion How to use your credit card as a powerful wealth-building tool
Irresponsibly using a credit card can land you in financial trouble, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew says when used properly, it can be a powerful wealth-building tool that can help grow your credit profile and create new opportunities.
Cyclist issued fine for striking four-year-old girl crossing the street
A cyclist turned herself in and received a fine after striking a four-year-old girl who was crossing the street to catch a school bus.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.