Minister of Transportation and York-Simcoe MPP Caroline Mulroney, along with Willowdale MPP Stan Cho, have been cleared by the Ontario integrity commissioner of allegations they used insider information and influence to change the route of the Bradford Bypass in Holland Landing.
Integrity commissioner David Wake found insufficient grounds for further investigation into the matter as noted in a 12-page report released Wednesday.
A Toronto media outlet published an investigative story last fall suggesting there was a link between a change to the proposed route of the bypass in April 2021 and the provincial government. The story noted that before the original bypass route was changed, Associate Transportation Minister Stan Cho hosted Mulroney in March 2021 in Holland Landing at Silver Lakes Golf Club, which is owned by Cho's father, John Cho.
Shortly after, on Nov. 2, 2021, a request was made by Taras Natyshak, NDP MPP for Essex, for an opinion from the integrity commissioner.
"I was satisfied that neither Minister Mulroney, Mr. Cho nor their staff had any involvement in directing the process which led to a proposed highway realignment avoiding the golf course," Wake wrote in the report. "I found that the process was conducted entirely by public servants."
Mulroney maintained that Cho never relayed information to her about the Bradford Bypass during her visit to the golf course and that the proposal to route the bypass to the south was made by non-partisan public servants with no involvement from her or her staff.
The report goes on to say that Mulroney was aware that Cho's father had an ownership interest in Silver Lakes, on which the bypass would have an impact. She said she felt it would be inappropriate to discuss the matter with Cho and never did. It was noted she was not aware of the change to the proposed route and was never briefed on it.
Cho also denied having any discussions regarding the Bradford Bypass with Mulroney at Silver Lakes.
Cho said that prior to his appointment to cabinet, his parents asked him to invite Mulroney to the golf course since she is the local MPP so she could see the walking trail and skating rink they had set up for the winter.
"Not only do Minister Mulroney and Mr. Cho each strenuously deny that any discussion took place at the March meeting concerning the Bradford Bypass, but there is no evidence to contradict their statements to me. I am prepared to accept their statements," read part of the report.
In a letter from Deputy Minister of Transportation Laurie LeBlanc to Wake on Jan.7, she confirms the bypass is a ministry project that originated in 1989.
"Much of the history of the MTO’s route planning and environmental assessment work for the Bradford Bypass, while interesting, is not particularly relevant to my report other than to underline that this was a MTO project as opposed to an endeavour planned and managed out of the minister’s office," Wake noted in the report.
LeBlanc said in her letter that neither Minister Mulroney, MPP Cho nor any of their staff had any involvement in determining the highway alignment options in the plans presented to the public in April 2021.
"The highway alignment alternatives were established by MTO’s project team comprised of MTO staff and consultants and were presented to senior MTO staff for endorsement on March 23, 2021," she said. "At no point was there direction from the Minister, or the Minister’s Office, on any aspect of this process or in terms of the highway alignment in any of the alternatives that were presented to the public."
Both Mulroney and Cho shared their reactions to the report on social media Wednesday night, thanking the integrity commissioner for his work.
"His findings affirm what our government has said all along about the routing of the Bradford Bypass," said Mulroney. "We are moving full steam ahead with the Bradford Bypass and other critically needed transportation across the province."
Cho said he was happy to be cleared, but added that since the story was published, his parents, who immigrated to Canada from Korea, have been victims of harassment.
"They have been subject to disgusting attacks over the phone, by mail and in-person," he said, adding that some were racially motivated.
"As a son who is immensely proud of my parents and their achievements, this has been hard to stomach," he said.
Cho said he expects an apology from the NDP for "the way they have conducted themselves -— jumping to conclusions without evidence or facts."
"After months of unproven attacks and innuendo, the inaccurate claims and inferences about the routing of the Bradford Bypass should be over."
