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Integrity Commissioner

Fort Frances council March 9 2026

Fort Frances extending contract with Integrity Commissioner

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Fort Frances intends to retain its Integrity Commissioner.

A one-year extension will be sought with David Boghosian.

He has been the town’s Integrity Commissioner since 2023.

His role is to investigate complaints made about members of council over their code of conduct.

Councillor Bill Morrison says he has been pleased with the support he has provided.

“Whenever I’ve reached out to the Integrity Commissioner, he’s just been fantastic to deal with,” says Morrison.

“He gets back to me in a very timely manner, and it gives me great information. I sure appreciate the opportunity to work with him.”

Mayor Andrew Hallikas agrees.

“I think all of us who’ve had dealings with him, he’s very, very easy to deal with,” says Hallikas.

“He’s very thorough, and he gets back to you right away. I think it’s really good that we’re retaining him.”

Under the terms of the original contract, the town has the option to extend the agreement up to two times, one year at a time.

Administration recommended Council extend the contract, noting that the Clerk’s office has also been satisfied with the services provided.

It also allows for continuity heading into an election this fall, avoiding the need for someone new to the position to orientate themselves.

Stephanie Smyth Nov 3 2025

Liberal seek ruling from Integrity Commissioner on distribution of training dollars

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The provincial Liberals have asked the province’s Integrity Commissioner to investigate the Labour Minister’s handling of the Skills Development Fund.

MPP Stephanie Smyth says they want to know if he violated parliamentary integrity rules.

“This is not just about who the Minister is friends with. The issue is whether he used his public office to benefit those friends and clients in ways that may have broken the law,” says Smyth.

The opposition has been calling for David Piccini to step down or be removed as Minister since the Auditor General determined the distribution of the funds was not fair or transparent.

More than half of the money went to projects that ranked low or were aided by lobbyists.

Piccini later admitted in media interviews that he elevated certain projects because of their importance to Ontario’s economy.

In announcing their request for an investigation, the Liberals used a whiteboard to draw connections from the Labour Minister to various lobbyists.

“It’s a visual that helps show the web of connections. Lobbyist Michael Rudderham, a long-time personal friend of Minister Piccini, secured more than $8.5 million in public funding for his clients through his program, including $7.5 million for Keel Digital Solutions and $1.2 million for LifeLabs,” Smyth.

“Rutterham’s lobbying registrations for both companies were active when these funds were approved. Minister Piccini personally intervened on Keel’s application, a project public servants had ranked poorly, and then he later admitted that his office overruled internal evaluations to fund lower-scoring projects that aligned with government priorities.”

Piccini attended the same lobbyist’s wedding in Paris when the Auditor General released her findings.

“Ontarians deserve better. They expect the public dollars will help workers and employers, not donors and insiders,” says Smyth.

The NDP has also asked for a similar investigation by the Integrity Commissioner into Piccini’s attendance at the Paris wedding.