Owen Sound’s mayor may be headed to court. The former acting city clerk in Owen Sound is suing Mayor Deb Haswell for libel.
Lois O'Neill alleges Haswell damaged her reputation and embarrassed her following statement’s she made in 2011.
The story dates back to 2004, when the City of Owen Sound pledged $1 million over 10 years to the local hospital’s campaign to purchase an MRI machine.
By 2011, the hospital had raised enough money for pay for the MRI.
Council wanted to discuss whether they should end their pledge, which still had a balance of roughly $500,000.
In the statement of claim, O’Neill says as acting city clerk she recommended council discuss the matter 'in camera' or behind closed doors.
Council agreed and ultimately decided to end their pledge and - according to O’Neill’s Statement of Claim - decided not to disclose their decision to the public.
That decision eventually became public in 2011, and when asked by the press why council made that decision behind closed doors, Haswell allegedly pointed the finger at O’Neill.
The former city clerk says she recommended they discuss the matter 'in camera' but never recommended council keep the decision from the public and that blaming her was both defamatory and damaging to her reputation.
O'Neill, who is now the CAO in the Municipality of Trent Lakes, is seeking $1 million in damages from both Haswell and the Owen Sound Sun Times, the newspaper that printed Haswell’s remarks.
The civil case may not actually make it to a courtroom until this time next year.
None of the allegations have been proven in court.
