The Town of Erin, Ontario, is the 2019 recipient of the Code of
Silence Award for Outstanding Achievement in Government Secrecy in the category
of municipal government.The award is given annually by the Canadian Association of
Journalists, Centre for Free Expression at Ryerson University, News Media
Canada and Canadian Journalists for Free Expression, to call public attention
to governments and government departments and agencies that put extra effort
into denying public access to information to which the public has a right under
access to information legislation..
https://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/news-story/8967338-niagara-region-recognized-as-canada-s-most-secretive-municipal-government/
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The awards jury, which comprised representatives of the four press-freedom advocacy groups, recognized the Town of Erin with this citation:
The awards jury, which comprised representatives of the four press-freedom advocacy groups, recognized the Town of Erin with this citation:
It has become commonplace for The Town of Erin to refuse to be
transparent with the media and therefore local residents on even basic matters
of public interest. Local officials regularly avoid interviews with the media,
insist that all communications from media must go through a recently hired
communications officer, and Chief Administrative Officer and only by email.
Even these requests are then dodged or refused. Worse yet, Erin officials have
failed to inform the media of meetings at which major decisions will be
made.
In response to a large number of senior staff and department
heads being fired a couple of years ago staff at the Wellington Advertiser
submitted FOI requests for details of severance payments. Erin refused these
requests and Erin Mayor Allan Alls told the media they would not release these
details unless forced to by the commissioner.
The jury also indicated five other
municipalities that, thanks
to similar achievements in government secrecy, deserve honourable mentions:
Cranbrook, B.C., Morinville, Alta., North Bay, Ont., Cornwall, Ont., and Côte-Saint-Luc,
Que.
The CAJ, CFE, News Media Canada and CJFE will announce the Code
of Silence Award recipient in the Federal, Provincial, and Law Enforcement
categories in the coming weeks.
All four organizations will continue to advocate for substantive
reform to Canada's federal access-to-information law.
"Thanks Sandy"
PS. Make your nominations to:
James Turk, Director, CFE, 613.277.0488, james.turk@ryerson.ca
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