A civil lawsuit against Coun. Mike McCann, alleging employment-related sexual harassment, somehow seeped onto city council’s agenda Monday night.
McCann’s pet project, the ‘Heart Barrie’ landmark sign to be built in Heritage Park, came under fire but managed to survive and those who donated to it will have their names made public.
The lawsuit against McCann was never mentioned in so many words last night, but was alluded to by some councillors.
“I understand what everybody’s tip-toeing around: the allegations. This isn’t vigilantism,” said Coun. Robert Thomson. “Nothing has been proven; this isn’t our job. We have a job to do here as council, we should do it.”
Amanda Kelly, a 32-year-old senior business innovation and entrepreneurship officer with the city, cites three alleged instances in the statement of claim against McCann, filed Jan. 17 in Ontario Superior Court seeking $200,000 in damages, plus any costs the court approves. None of the allegations have been tested or proven in court.
McCann said earlier Monday that he had not been served with a statement of claim, but if served, would vigorously defend himself in court.
Ontario’s civil procedures rules allow six months to serve a statement of claim once it has been issued by a court.
The sign talk began Monday night with a council motion to increase the size of the landmark sign’s heart to 10 feet tall, instead of eight, with the letters remaining eight feet tall.
Coun. Keenan Aylwin, who does not support the sign, tried to amend the motion by referring it to a future general committee meeting and have staff provide a memo with information on the full cost of terminating the contract for the sign project, calculate the full cost incurred to date by the city, and finding a process to return funding received for the sign to the appropriate donors.
“I strongly believe that the only appropriate and responsible course of action tonight is to pump the brakes on this project considering the serious allegations (against McCann) that were published over the weekend,” Aylwin said.
His amendment lost 7-4, so the Ward 2 councillor tried again.
It was that McCann provide a list of donors to the Heart Barrie company, to the city, and that staff in Access Barrie publish this list on the city’s Heart Barrie sign webpage.
“I think the public should be aware of who’s donating, whether it’s companies who have dealings with the city or not,” Aylwin said. “I think we need to be transparent about where those donations are coming from.”
McCann said he was in favour, because it was free advertising for these donors on the city website.
This time Aylwin’s amendment passed, but there was more discussion about the landmark sign.
“I don’t agree that the sign should grow bigger. I think it’s already too big,” said Coun. Clare Riepma. “The other reason is a guy that was really smart; his name was Marshall McLuhan, and he said ‘the medium is the message’.
“I’m very concerned with the news that came out this past week that this sign is a message and it’s not a good one," he added.
Thomson pointed out that another of McCann’s pet projects, new pickleball courts in Painswick Park, was passed by council Monday night with no discussion.
McCann himself had the last word about his sign.
“This has nothing to do with Mike McCann. I will guarantee you that 99 per cent of the population, unless you guys keep on talking about it, will forget that Mike McCann had anything to do with this Love Barrie sign. And guess what. That’s what I want,” he said. “This is about the community, so I’ve heard the comments and I’ve got real broad shoulders, as you can see, but I’ve got real thick skin and the comments I thought were inappropriate, but they’re yours to have, so you can have them.
“The other councillors that stepped up and just said their piece, this will never be forgotten by me," McCann added.
The sign will be located in Heritage Park, directly on the entry axis to the downtown waterfront park, as people come across Simcoe Street from Meridian Place.
Council has added $15,000 to the city’s operations department budget, beginning this year, to cover costs of potential graffiti removal and winter maintenance on and around the sign.
The project’s working group members have agreed the sign should be the city’s logo with the heart. Also, that the size of the heart should be increased from eight to 10 feet. By making the heart that height a person as tall as six feet can fit inside the heart for photos.
McCann said this project is intended to unite Barrie — to help businesses by driving residents and visitors to the downtown and have them celebrate the city by being photographed with the landmark sign.
The Ward 10 councillor agreed to fund-raise the project’s estimated $200,000 cost.
As of Oct. 12, 2021, the city has received $5,000 from one individual and $145,000 from a company called Heart Barrie. The individual was issued a charitable donation tax receipt. Heart Barrie has not requested a charitable tax receipt because it’s not eligible. McCann submitted an affidavit affirming the McCann family will provide the remainder of the funding for the project by March 31, 2022.
McCann has said he’s selling Barrie hats and Barrie T-shirts to raise the last $50,000.
