The Ombudsman found that council for the Town of Saugeen Shores contravened section 239(4) of the Municipal Act, 2001 on five different occasions by failing to include in its resolutions to proceed into closed session the general nature of the matters to be considered. The Ombudsman found that, on each occasion, council could have included in the resolution a description of the topic of discussion without undermining the reason for closing the meeting to the public. The Ombudsman shared best practice suggestions about resolutions with the Town.
Town of Saugeen Shores - May 29, 2026
Read the ReportThe Ombudsman reviewed a complaint about a closed meeting held by council for the Town of Saugeen Shores during which it discussed an update on a development project. Part of the discussion was about a document provided to council by the proponent of the project that related to financing and which the proponent had explicitly requested be kept confidential. The Ombudsman found that this part of the discussion fit within the open meeting exception for information supplied in confidence by a third party.
The Ombudsman reviewed a complaint about a closed meeting held by council for the Town of Saugeen Shores during which it discussed an update on a development project. Part of the discussion was about a document provided to council by the proponent of the project that related to financing. The Town’s lawyer was present and gave advice to council about the document and the project. As a result, the Ombudsman found that the discussion fit within the open meeting exception for advice subject to solicitor-client privilege.
The Ombudsman reviewed complaints about eight meetings of council for the Town of Saugeen Shores which alleged that, for seven of the eight meetings, not enough information was provided to the public about the topic discussed during the closed sessions. The Ombudsman considered the Town’s general practice of reporting back after closed sessions, which was to use the same wording as that on the meeting agenda. The Ombudsman encouraged the Town, where possible, to report back meaningful information about what was discussed during its closed sessions.
Town of Saugeen Shores, August 10, 2020
Read the ReportThe Ombudsman received a complaint that council for the Town of Saugeen Shores contravened the Municipal Act’s open meeting requirements on July 22, November 11 and November 25, 2019. He also received a complaint that council held an informal private gathering that amounted to an illegal closed meeting on February 24, 2020. The Ombudsman’s investigation found no contraventions of the Municipal Act’s open meeting requirements.
The Ombudsman reviewed several closed meetings held by council for the Town of Saugeen Shores where council discuss ongoing lease negotiations for municipal property. The Ombudsman found that these discussions fit within the closed meeting exception for the acquisition or disposition of land.
The Ombudsman reviewed several closed meetings held by council for the Town of Saugeen Shores where council discuss ongoing lease negotiations for municipal property. In each case, council provided staff with direction on how to proceed with the ongoing lease negotiations. The Ombudsman found that these discussions fit within the closed meeting exception for plans and instructions for negotiations.
The Ombudsman reviewed a closed meeting held by council for the Town of Saugeen Shores where council discussed ongoing lease negotiations for municipal property. At this meeting, a lawyer was present to provide council with legal advice related to a draft lease agreement. In each case, council provided staff with direction on how to proceed with the ongoing lease negotiations. The Ombudsman found that this discussion fit within the closed meeting exception for advice subject to solicitor-client privilege.
The Ombudsman reviewed a complaint alleging that several closed meeting discussions held by council fro the Town of Saugeen Shores expanded beyond the scope of the descriptions of the matters that were provided in the resolutions to enter each closed session. The Ombusdman found no evidence that council’s discussions went beyond those subjects described in the resolutions to enter closed session.
The Ombudsman reviewed a complaint that that during an open meeting on February 24, 2020, council for the Town of Saugeen Shores held an illegal meeting by discussing council business during a recess. The Ombudsman found that while a quorum of council was present at the recess, no members of council had any discussions that materially advanced council business and council did not make any decisions. Rather, the Clerk relayed potential next steps to the Mayor, who then relayed this information to council. Council returned to open session to exercise its decision-making authority. As council business was not materially advanced and no decisions were made by council during the recess, these discussions were not a meeting and therefore not subject to the open meeting rules.