{"id":37932,"date":"2023-10-12T06:58:00","date_gmt":"2023-10-12T09:58:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.chmafm.com\/welcome\/?p=37932"},"modified":"2023-10-31T11:56:42","modified_gmt":"2023-10-31T14:56:42","slug":"sackville-fire-report-to-remain-secret-after-council-votes-7-2-against-phinney-motion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.chmafm.com\/welcome\/sackville-fire-report-to-remain-secret-after-council-votes-7-2-against-phinney-motion\/","title":{"rendered":"Sackville Fire report to remain secret after council votes 7-2 against Phinney motion"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Tantramar councillor Bruce Phinney after a meeting on October 10, 2023. Photo: Erica Butler<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

At Tuesday\u2019s Tantramar council meeting, Councillor Bruce Phinney made his case for the release of a consultant\u2019s report looking into allegations of bullying and harassment in the Sackville fire department, but his motion was defeated in a 7-2 vote.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The report at the centre of Phinney\u2019s request was commissioned in April 2021 and completed in the fall of that year. Although the consultants made a presentation on the findings to council and to firefighters, former Sackville CAO Jamie Burke didn’t release the report, or any portion of it, publicly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Phinney told council that he asked for a copy of the 20 recommendations made by the consultants, but was told he could not have it. \u201cWhy? I don’t know, I have no idea,\u201d said Phinney. \u201cBut I feel that we need to see the report to understand exactly what was going on there, then to determine who was being charged, accused of whatever.\u201d Phinney says he continues to hear complaints from firefighters he speaks to, but didn\u2019t offer up specifics. \u201cWe need to nip this in the bud,\u201d said Phinney. \u201cWe cannot continue to have a toxic environment for [firefighters] to work in. And it’s our duty as members of council to turn around and make sure that we protect the people that are there.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mayor Andrew Black took issue with Phinney\u2019s phrasing. \u201cWe don’t know that there’s a toxic work environment,\u201d said Black. \u201cIt is slightly accusatory to say that there is.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Mayor Andrew Black at a council meeting on October 10, 2023. Image: TantramarNB Youtube<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Phinney\u2019s motion to authorize the release of the report was seconded by Councillor Debbie Wiggins-Colwell, who said she was concerned about the possible implications that unresolved workplace issues could have on the other fire departments within Tantramar, including her own neighbouring Dorchester Fire Department. \u201cI would like to know what was in the report, or read some of the concerns,\u201d said Wiggins-Colwell. \u201cJust for my own information, and to be able to move forward on this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In response to both Phinney and Wiggins-Colwell, Black questioned whether or not council could be sure there were any problems to be concerned about, based on the fact that the report remains secret. \u201cYou could easily make the assumption that there are no problems,\u201d said Black. \u201cSo since we don’t know the report, we don’t know if there are problems. So making assumptions that there are problems is problematic.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However when the former town of Sackville commissioned the report in April 2021, a news release explained<\/a> that the town had received \u201ccomplaints and expressions of concern involving certain personnel issues within the Sackville Fire Department\u201d. In addition, a number of former firefighters were on record in the media describing the issues they faced in the department. Journalist Bruce Wark published a series of articles based on interviews with firefighters, one of whom also told his story on CHMA back in the spring of 2021<\/a>. But when Phinney brought up the name of that firefighter, Kevin Scott, he was cut off by the mayor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou can\u2019t say names,\u201d said Black, amidst mumbles of concern around the table.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHe went public,\u201d responded Phinney, referring to Scott\u2019s multiple media interviews.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI know,\u201d said Black. \u201cI would not use that name.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Confidentiality concerns<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Councillor Allison Butcher spoke against releasing the report on the grounds that it contained information from interviews with firefighters who were promised confidentiality. \u201cFor those of us who were here, when the report came up, we did not get a copy of the report, but we did get a very thorough PowerPoint presentation with all of the issues,\u201d said Butcher, \u201cwithout defining characteristics or names there.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Tantramar councillor Allison Butcher speaking at a council meeting on October 10, 2023. Image: TantramarNB Youtube<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cConfidential means that I’m not allowed, even as a councillor, to hear that Bill didn’t like this about Joe,\u201d said Butcher. \u201cWe can hear about the all-encompassing issue, and what will be worked on, and we have requested that we [get an] update on where we’re at with the action items\u2026 But to expect that we should get to see something, when we had all kinds of firefighters give their information with the understanding that it was confidential, is really unfair. Because then it is no longer confidential, and they had an expectation of confidentiality.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Councillor Michael Tower agreed with Butcher on the confidentiality question, and highlighted the idea of a follow up presentation, going through the 20 recommendations to find out where they stood. Wiggins-Colwell also seemed to support the idea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHow many of these 20 recommendations have been followed through?\u201d asked Wiggins-Colwell. \u201cAre they all cleared up? Me coming in new, and not knowing what’s there, I do need to know what the recommendations were\u2026 And to know that our fire departments, the other two, Point de Bute and Dorchester, are moving into harmony with the [Sackville] department.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No councillors moved to amend Phinney\u2019s motion, or separate the request for the release of the recommendations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the end, just Phinney and Wiggins-Colwell voted in favour of releasing the report, with six councillors and the mayor voting against.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Considering options<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

After the meeting, Phinney told reporters he was disappointed in his colleagues, and that he\u2019s considering two remaining options to pursue the release of the report: appealing to the New Brunswick Ombud, and going to court.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ombud Marie-France Pelletier, who is responsible not only for Right to Information and the Protection of Privacy Act questions, but all complaints from the public about New Brunswick government services, has weighed in previously on a denied request for the release of the report. In April 2022, Pelletier denied an appeal from journalist Bruce Wark<\/a> asking for the release of the document. But Phinney is holding out hope his request might appear in a different light, due to his position.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI’m wondering if I did go to the [Ombud], because I am a councillor, would her decision be any different in relation to me, regardless of how my colleagues voted?\u201d said Phinney after the meeting. \u201cThat I don’t know. I have to give it some thought.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Check out Bruce Wark’s coverage of Sackville Fire and Rescue here<\/a>. And find previous CHMA coverage here:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Access denied: NB’s Ombud says a report on Sackville\u2019s fire department\u2014and the recommendations stemming from it\u2014should remain secret<\/a><\/blockquote>