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Hamilton Spectator
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Hamilton Spectator
The Association for Responsible Aquaculture Reports Allegations of Bid-Rigging in Nova Scotia Aquaculture Expansion
ARGYLE, Nova Scotia, May 13, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Association for Responsible Aquaculture (ARA) reports that the coastal community of Argyle is facing a political storm amid serious allegations of conflict of interest, bid-rigging, and a lack of public consultations related to the expansion of aquaculture facilities along the region's coastline. Documents obtained through Freedom of Information requests suggest that municipal staff and local oyster operators worked behind the scenes to fix the locations of Aquaculture Development Areas (ADAs) -placing them adjacent to residential properties without engaging affected residents or conducting meaningful consultation. The controversial site selection has prompted accusations of favouritism and secrecy, with constituents questioning why certain locations were chosen and who benefited. Despite repeated calls for transparency and accountability, the municipality has ignored these concerns. 'People feel betrayed,' said Susan Savriga, an Argyle resident. 'This wasn't a transparent process. It feels like the decisions were made behind closed doors to benefit a few, while the broader community was left in the dark.' Further compounding the issue, The Nova Scotia Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture (DFA) is reported to have approved the contested ADA locations based on the municipality's recommendations-recommendations now mired in claims of improper influence. During a June 2024 council meeting, the Municipality of Argyle confirmed that no meaningful public consultation had been conducted on the site selections-further fuelling community frustration. Top Right to Left: Nolan Deon, and Colton Deon from Deon's Oysters sit behind Deputy Warden Ted Saulnier, Warden Nicole Albright, and CAO Alain Muise during the March 20 session for the municipality of Argyle NS. Evidence and Escalating Concerns Residents allege that municipal councillors and staff enabled specific oyster farmers to secure preferential treatment under the ADA program. In response, the municipality has hired an independent third-party investigator. Simultaneously, the Nova Scotia Ombudsman has launched a separate investigation into the municipality's failure to conduct proper consultation. Despite these developments, the Municipality and DFA have refused to address or resolve the reported conflicts and continue to resist public calls for a reset of the ADA process to perform fair and open public consultations. Rising Barriers to Transparency In what residents describe as an attempt to stifle public oversight, the municipality has begun imposing excessive fees for FOIPOP requests. Additionally, it is invoking Bill 1, recently passed by the provincial government, to label certain information requests as 'trivial, frivolous, or vexatious,' potentially blocking further disclosures. Community Voices Call for Accountability 'Seeing local councillors refuse to represent and listen to their constituents is extremely alarming,' said Lorelei Murphy, Former Liberal Candidate for MLA Argyle. 'Given the volume of concerns and perceived evidence presented by the residents throughout the area, I think it is council's obligation to hold an open and unbiased review of their decisions to this point and act accordingly moving forward.' 'It's clear now that the farmers cheated,' said Chris Thibedeau, a member of the Argyle Residents Association (ARA). 'The email evidence shows individuals inside the municipality helped them. These are no longer perceived conflicts-they are real, and they must be investigated.' 'I've been respectful in all of my communications,' said ARA member Corey Clamp. 'Yet weeks go by with no reply from my councillor. People are watching. If you can't respond to your constituents, you should step down.' As public pressure builds, residents are calling for a full halt to aquaculture approvals until an independent review is completed. The integrity of the municipal governance, they say is on the line. About the ARA The Association for Responsible Aquaculture (ARA) in Argyle is a community stakeholder group of over 400 residents concerned with the lack of transparency and fairness offered by the Aquaculture Development Area (ADA) Pilot led by the Municipality of Argyle and the NS Dept. of Fisheries and Aquaculture. While the ADA is a government led effort, the ARA represents the public and residents of Lobster Bay who seek fairness and a balance of realizing aquaculture expansion in non residential areas in a manner that promotes Tourism and the local harvesting of seafood. ARA is not anti-aquaculture. The goal is to make sure the ADA achieves balance and offers a win for all stakeholders including industry and the public. A photo accompanying this announcement is available at: Videos accompanying this announcement are available at:
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
The Association for Responsible Aquaculture Reports Allegations of Bid-Rigging in Nova Scotia Aquaculture Expansion
Argyle Municipality Faces Public Backlash over Conflicts of Interest and Lack of Transparency ARGYLE, Nova Scotia, May 13, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Association for Responsible Aquaculture (ARA) reports that the coastal community of Argyle is facing a political storm amid serious allegations of conflict of interest, bid-rigging, and a lack of public consultations related to the expansion of aquaculture facilities along the region's coastline. Documents obtained through Freedom of Information requests suggest that municipal staff and local oyster operators worked behind the scenes to fix the locations of Aquaculture Development Areas (ADAs) -placing them adjacent to residential properties without engaging affected residents or conducting meaningful consultation. The controversial site selection has prompted accusations of favouritism and secrecy, with constituents questioning why certain locations were chosen and who benefited. Despite repeated calls for transparency and accountability, the municipality has ignored these concerns. 'People feel betrayed,' said Susan Savriga, an Argyle resident. 'This wasn't a transparent process. It feels like the decisions were made behind closed doors to benefit a few, while the broader community was left in the dark.' Further compounding the issue, The Nova Scotia Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture (DFA) is reported to have approved the contested ADA locations based on the municipality's recommendations-recommendations now mired in claims of improper influence. During a June 2024 council meeting, the Municipality of Argyle confirmed that no meaningful public consultation had been conducted on the site selections-further fuelling community frustration. Top Right to Left: Nolan Deon, and Colton Deon from Deon's Oysters sit behind Deputy Warden Ted Saulnier, Warden Nicole Albright, and CAO Alain Muise during the March 20 session for the municipality of Argyle NS. Evidence and Escalating Concerns Freedom of Information (FOIPOP) documents made public via the Argyle Municipality website provide evidence of collusion between select oyster farmers and municipal staff to secure ADA sites and discourage public consultation. (available at this link). Six resident presentations outline detailed conflict of interest claims and are available for public viewing link. At least ten formal complaints from local residents have been filed under Section 12 of the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act, demanding a full investigation. Residents allege that municipal councillors and staff enabled specific oyster farmers to secure preferential treatment under the ADA program. In response, the municipality has hired an independent third-party investigator. Simultaneously, the Nova Scotia Ombudsman has launched a separate investigation into the municipality's failure to conduct proper consultation. Despite these developments, the Municipality and DFA have refused to address or resolve the reported conflicts and continue to resist public calls for a reset of the ADA process to perform fair and open public consultations. Rising Barriers to Transparency In what residents describe as an attempt to stifle public oversight, the municipality has begun imposing excessive fees for FOIPOP requests. Additionally, it is invoking Bill 1, recently passed by the provincial government, to label certain information requests as 'trivial, frivolous, or vexatious,' potentially blocking further disclosures. Community Voices Call for Accountability "Seeing local councillors refuse to represent and listen to their constituents is extremely alarming,' said Lorelei Murphy, Former Liberal Candidate for MLA Argyle. 'Given the volume of concerns and perceived evidence presented by the residents throughout the area, I think it is council's obligation to hold an open and unbiased review of their decisions to this point and act accordingly moving forward." 'It's clear now that the farmers cheated,' said Chris Thibedeau, a member of the Argyle Residents Association (ARA). 'The email evidence shows individuals inside the municipality helped them. These are no longer perceived conflicts-they are real, and they must be investigated.' 'I've been respectful in all of my communications,' said ARA member Corey Clamp. 'Yet weeks go by with no reply from my councillor. People are watching. If you can't respond to your constituents, you should step down.' As public pressure builds, residents are calling for a full halt to aquaculture approvals until an independent review is completed. The integrity of the municipal governance, they say is on the line. About the ARA The Association for Responsible Aquaculture (ARA) in Argyle is a community stakeholder group of over 400 residents concerned with the lack of transparency and fairness offered by the Aquaculture Development Area (ADA) Pilot led by the Municipality of Argyle and the NS Dept. of Fisheries and Aquaculture. While the ADA is a government led effort, the ARA represents the public and residents of Lobster Bay who seek fairness and a balance of realizing aquaculture expansion in non residential areas in a manner that promotes Tourism and the local harvesting of seafood. ARA is not anti-aquaculture. The goal is to make sure the ADA achieves balance and offers a win for all stakeholders including industry and the public. A photo accompanying this announcement is available at: Videos accompanying this announcement are available at: CONTACT: Media Contact: WhatsApp +1-613-884-8162, direct +1-345-938-8162Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
CBC
04-04-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Justice Department cannot say when access to information review will be complete
Social Sharing It remains unclear when a government-ordered review of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act will be complete and what will come of it. Earlier this week, a Justice Department spokesperson told CBC that the final report would not be ready until the fall. The former minister who ordered the work had said he hoped it would be delivered this spring. On Thursday, the department issued a statement attributed to Justice Minister Becky Druhan saying that she expected the review would be complete "in the coming months." No further details on timing were available and Druhan would not agree to an interview. "Many people took the time to participate in the review and we owe it to them to carefully consider their feedback before we bring legislative changes forward or commit to any specific change," the minister said in her statement. "This work is a large undertaking, and it is important we get it right for Nova Scotians." The review was ordered by then justice minister Brad Johns in September 2023. At the time, Johns noted that the act had not had a major update since 1999. Druhan's statement Thursday said more than 100 submissions were received during the process and they are being reviewed. That's similar information to what the Justice Department provided last October when CBC asked for a status update on the work and how it could be affected by a provincial election. NDP Leader Claudia Chender said it's problematic if there are further delays in the process because it's becoming more difficult for people to access information without submitting formal FOIPOP requests. Meanwhile, the backlog for reviews if people take issue with the result of a request continues to be years long. Johns ordered the review two years after the Progressive Conservatives formed government for the first time under Premier Tim Houston. In the lead-up to the 2021 election and shortly after forming government, Houston pledged to give the province's information and privacy commissioner order-making power. When he was the leader of the Official Opposition, Houston was intensely critical of the system and the need for it to be overhauled. 'A stunning and pretty unflattering reversal' He successfully sued the former Liberal government when it refused to comply with recommendations from the then privacy commissioner about releasing the management fee paid to Bay Ferries for the operation of the ferry service between Nova Scotia and Maine. Since then, however, Houston has followed a path similar to previous premiers who cooled to the idea of enhanced powers for the privacy commissioner once they were leading government. Stephen McNeil signed a pledge during the 2013 provincial election saying he would overhaul the system, only to call that promise a mistake after forming government. McNeil also said he preferred doing business on the phone rather than by email to avoid conversations being swept up in access to information requests. Chender said Houston's position on freedom of information since coming to power "has been a stunning and pretty unflattering reversal." "In opposition we heard endlessly about a crusade to give this office order-making power, to properly fund it, to make sure that Nova Scotians knew what government is up to. And we have seen the exact opposite since this government has been in power and, you know, really to the detriment of the public." Recent legislative changes During the recent winter session at Province House, Houston's government put forward amendments to the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act that would have given government administrators the ability to refuse requests if they determined them to be frivolous, vexatious or insufficiently specific. The Progressive Conservatives amended those changes in the face of a torrent of criticism from the public and outgoing privacy commissioner, who noted she was not consulted during the drafting of the bill. The amendments eased up on the requirements for specificity and said that before a government official processing a request could refuse it for being vexatious or frivolous, they must apply to the privacy commissioner for approval.
CBC
28-03-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Provincial department asked once again to seek help to handle information requests
Nova Scotia's acting information and privacy commissioner has recommended that a provincial department beef up resources to "fulfil its legal obligation" under the freedom of information act. In a report issued Tuesday, Carmen Stuart was critical of the Department of Opportunities and Social Development's handling of an access request filed on Oct. 3, 2024, which the department had not responded to beyond seeking an extension because of the "unusual size of the record." The department anticipates it will take until next year to process the more than 4,000 pages of records, Stuart noted in her report. On Nov. 29, 2024 the department was denied permission by the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for an extension of 182 days to comply with the request. Stuart noted her office was unable to resolve the matter informally, which triggered her report. In it, she noted this was "the sixth report that the commissioner has made since August 2023 because the (department) has failed to respond to the applicant within the statutory deadline." "For this reason, the Commissioner is repeating the recommendation … that senior leadership at the (department) address this problem by ensuring it has sufficient resources to fulfil its legal obligation under FOIPOP." Tricia Ralph, the information and privacy commissioner at the time, made a similar recommendation on Oct. 23, 2024. "Within a month of the date of this review report, senior leadership at the public body address this problem by ensuring it has sufficient resources to fulfil its legal obligations under FOIPOP," wrote Ralph. "This includes hiring additional staff and exploring any other avenues that could be capitalized to complete this work." According to Stuart, the department rejected Ralph's recommendation. Spring legislation During the spring sitting of the legislature, the Houston government tabled legislation to amend the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act to allow public bodies to refuse applications that are "trivial, frivolous or vexatious." The attempt drew a rebuke from Ralph in the last days of her tenure. The PC government backed off those changes and other controversial measures, including an attempt to gain the power to fire the province's auditor general without cause. That came following public outcry. The Justice Department launched a review of Nova Scotia's access to information legislation in September 2023 with an anticipated release of a report this spring. Justice Minister Becky Druhan recently acknowledged that work continues but could not say when it might be completed. Department responds The Department of Opportunities and Social Development "receives a large volume of personal and general FOIPOP applications," it said in a statement Friday afternoon. "Some requests span decades and involve thousands of pages of both hard copy and electronic records. Requests may also deal with sensitive personal information and require consultation with third parties. "As the report states, in this case, it is a 4,000+ page file. Work is underway, and we will issue a decision to the applicant once we have completed the line-by-line review and consultations. The department will continue to work to improve our response times and respond to requests as quickly as possible."
