Skip to content

City council elects Lougheed back to the police board

Gerry Lougheed Jr. said that while the ‘paramilitary model’ of policing served its purpose, the future is with a ‘community-based model’ that’s ‘inclusive to all parts of the community'
300123_tc_police_board
Gerry Lougheed Jr., pictured in this file photo, was elected by city council as the citizen’s representative on the five-member Greater Sudbury police board.

Gerry Lougheed Jr. is returning to the Greater Sudbury police board.

“I have great passion for policing,” he told Sudbury.com after the nominating committee of city council elected him to the board during Monday afternoon’s meeting.

“I think that our police service is progressive and moving in the right direction,” he said, adding that one of his focuses on the board will be to further a community policing model.

Lougheed was one of 24 applicants vying for the lone council-appointed “citizen’s representative” position on the police board -- a slate of candidates that included incumbent Frances Caldarelli. 

Seven votes went to Lougheed (Ward 10 Coun. Fern Cormer, Ward 11 Coun. Bill Leduc, Ward 12 Coun. Joscelyne Landry-Altmann, Ward 1 Coun. Mark Signoretti, Ward 2 Coun. Michael Vagnini, Ward 3 Coun. Gerry Montpellier and Mayor Paul Lefebvre).

Ward 4 Coun. Pauline Fortin, Ward 6 Coun. Rene Lapierre and Ward 8 Coun. Al Sizer voted for Caldarelli, while Ward 5 Coun. Mike Parent and Ward 9 Coun. Deb McIntosh voted for Jhonel Morvan.

Caldarelli attended Monday's meeting, after which she took a moment to reflect with Sudbury.com on the eight years she spent on the police board.

“We’re done lots and I’ve enjoyed it immensely,” she said, adding that city police, with Chief Paul Pedersen at the helm, have been making inroads with some communities that sometimes feel forgotten.

“Policing is becoming more complicated. I think our society is becoming more complicated, so I think the board has lots in front of them,” she said.

“Many of our calls for service are not really crimes, we have a lot more mental health issues, that sort of thing, and I think as a board you’ve got to look at the whole way we’re doing policing, and probably we’ll see changes.

With Caldarelli off the police board, the city also loses its current voice on the Ontario Association of Police Services Boards, for which she represented the city as a director.

Lougheed last served the police board as chair for a term that ended in 2015, when he resigned after being charged in an election bribery scandal following an investigation by the OPP’s Anti-Rackets Branch. 

He was acquitted in 2017, and launched an unsuccessful bid against Frances Caldarelli to return to the board in 2019, in which he was narrowly defeated.

In conversation with Sudbury.com, Lougheed said his persistence in striving to return to the board has to do with a belief his contributions and commitments toward change were incomplete.

“The paramilitary model obviously served its purpose, but I think we’re moving to very much a community-based model, a model that’s very inclusive to all parts of the community and all people in the community, and I don’t think that is done yet.”

The city has been making strides toward this shift, he said, including the introduction of civilian members into certain positions instead of police, but there’s greater potential looking forward.

Lougheed said he plans to do what he can to ensure Greater Sudbury police are “leaders and not followers with regards to better policing and very much community policing.”

Lougheed is president and managing director of Lougheed's Ltd. (funeral homes and flower shops) and has been involved in various areas of community activism over the years, including various efforts related to health care, and often alongside his younger brother, Geoffrey.

With Lougheed elected to the police board as city council’s lone appointed citizen member, two of the board’s five positions are still soon up in the air.

The board’s two provincially appointed positions expire soon, with Lise Poratto-Mason’s term ending on Feb. 14, while Richard Bois’ term expires on March 1, or until such time as an appointment has been made by Order in Council

The remaining two positions are filled by Ward 8 Coun. Al Sizer (board chair) and Mayor Paul Lefebvre.

The city’s elected officials took care of appointments to several organizations at Monday's nominating committee meeting, during which they made the following appointments:

Accessibility Advisory Panel (Provide advice on accessibility): 

  • Sheila Bianconi, Alicia Chenier, Gina Kennedy, Jennifer Mallette, Sharon McLay, Lisa Michelutti Mirabelli, Travis Morgan, Charles Tossell, Patricia (Patti) Kitler.
  • There were 19 applicants vying for nine available positions, the majority of whom were to be people with disabilities. 
    • Thirteen applications submitted from people with a disability included Sheila Bianconi, Alicia Chenier, Ray Hamilton, Gina Kennedy, Jennifer Mallette, Bill McElree, Sharon McLay, Lisa Michelutti Mirabelli, Travis Morgan, Pamela-Ann Sullivan, Charles Tossell, Valerie Sylvie, and Andrew Way.
    • Six applicants submitted from people without a disability included Dana Carbone, Alexandre Desjardins, Colette Julien Leclair, Jo-Anne Thistle, Karen L. Wilson and Patricia (Patti) Kitler.

Lively Recreation Advisory Panel (A link between the city and Lively community)

  • Laurie Dunn, Christine Pothier
    • There were six applicants vying for two available positions open to Lively citizens. The six applicants included Laurie Dunn, Doug Este, Amanda Pellinen, Christine Pothier, David Rock and Vincent Villa.

Older Adult Advisory Panel (Promote, maintain and enhance seniors’ quality of life)

  • Mary Lou Hussak, Franca (Fran) McMillan, Mary Michasiw, Janet Bradley, Nevaida Howe, Barbara Nott, Madeleine Sauve, Catherine Walton, David Williams.
    • There were 32 applicants vying for nine available positions, including three with a vital interest in seniors’ issues, and six representing age 50+
      • Seventeen applications were submitted to fill the three positions open for those with a vital interest in seniors’ issues, including Jeffrey Adisam, Nicole Beaudry, Nicole Blais, Céline Paulin, Vanessa Cimino, Alexandre Desjardins, Denise Duquette, Mary Lou Hussak, Carol Kirkwood, Sharon McLay, Franca (Fran) McMillan, Mary Michasiw, Birgit Pianosi, Shirley Rajotte, Chelsea Roy, James William Taylor and Lisette Wirta.
      • Fifteen applications were submitted to fill the six positions open for those representing people aged 50+, including Bernie Beland, Janet Bradley, Rita Crisafi-Mwimba, Barb Eles, Nevaida Howe, Joanne Lizotte, Bill McElree, Simon Nickson, Barbara Nott, Brenda Peacock, Madeleine Sauve, Florence Schryer, Cora Vandendriessche, Catherine Walton and David Williams.

Fence-Viewers (Resolve disputes regarding fences)

  • James Barrett, Bernie Beland, Bill Gibson, Victoria Lee and James Schmidt were elected. There were five open positions and five applicants.

Livestock Valuers (Investigate incidents of livestock or poultry deaths from wildlife)

  • James Barrett was elected as the lone applicant for two open positions. 

Committee of Adjustment / Sign Variance Committee (Decide on possible variances from municipal bylaws)

  • Cathy Castanza, Matthew Dumont, Ron Goswell, Justin Sawchuk and David Murray.
    • There were seven applicants vying for a minimum of three and maximum of five available positions. Applicants included Cathy Castanza, Matthew Dumont, Ron Goswell, Arly Mathiasen, David Murray, Michael Brian Petryna and Justin Sawchuk.

Conservation Sudbury (Watershed stewardship agency)

  • Jennifer Davidson and Stephen Kaufman.
    • There were 12 applicants vying for two available positions, including Dana Carbone, Jennifer Davidson, Richard Eberhardt, Bill Gibson, Jessica Girolametto, Stephen Kaufman, Ben North, Peter Nyabeze, Russ Thompson, Steven Townend, Catherine Walton and Devin White.

Greater Sudbury Police Services Board (Responsible for the provision of adequate and effective police services in the city and providing guidance and oversight to GSPS)

  • Gerry M. (Jr) Lougheed
    • There were 24 applicants vying for one available position, including Eddie Astgen, Robert Barclay, Frances Caldarelli, Dana Carbone, Rita Crisafi-Mwimba, Amanda Denis, Harold Duff, Mary Lou Hussak, Robert Johnston, Joshua Lilley, Joshua Linklater-Wong, Gerry M. (Jr) Lougheed, Abdullah Masood, Colin McKerral, Cynthia Mellaney, Jhonel Morvan, Michelle Murray, Pooja Pabla, Karen Pappin, Andrew Slater, Russ Thompson, Thomas Trainor, Timothy W. Burtt and James Tregonning.

Board of Health for Public Health Sudbury and Districts (Governs the health unit)

  • Adbullah Masood and Ayoub Moussa
    • There were 11 applicants vying for two available positions, including Robert Barclay, Jason Danyluk, Diane Deforest, Robert Johnston, Jason LaFace, Adbullah Masood, Marc Morin, Ayoub Moussa, Wilfred Steer, Russ Thompson and Harvey Wyes.

Monday's meeting was also expected to see city council elect six people to the Greater Sudbury Public Library Board, which discusses issues of library policy and governance.

The debate over which of the 16 applicants vying for six available positions should be selected stalled upon learning the The Greater Sudbury Public Library Board Recruitment Committee is composed of library board members who recommended themselves for re-election.

In a letter to city council, they note, “continuity of business is a key priority for the board.”

The recommended returning board members Michael Bellmore, Kate Bowman, Mandy Lamarche, Tannys Laughren, Ashley Thomson, plus newcomer Parvinder Arora to fill a vacancy.

The resolution on the table was for city council members to accept this recommendation, which they declined to do.

Mayor Paul Lefebvre described the process in front of them as being “a fundamental issue of governance.” 

City council opted to defer making a decision until a future nominating committee meeting so they can investigate the 16 applicants vying for the six positions and vote on them the same way they do all other organizations, with everyone receiving an equal chance.

The 16 applicants include Parvinder Arora, Perry Ashawasegai, Michael Bellmore, Kate Bowman, John H. Closs, Kathryn Huneault, Mandy Lynn Lamarche, Tannys Laughren, Stacey Lavallie, Victoria Lee, Lois Mahon, Adbullah Masood, Bill McElree, Dave Richer, Russ Thompson and Ashley Thomson.

Tyler Clarke covers city hall and political affairs for Sudbury.com.


Comments

Verified reader

If you would like to apply to become a verified commenter, please fill out this form.




Tyler Clarke

About the Author: Tyler Clarke

Tyler Clarke covers city hall and political affairs for Sudbury.com.
Read more