Latest news with #Klippenstein
Cision Canada
22-05-2025
- Business
- Cision Canada
Murray Klippenstein announces campaign for leadership of Ontario Law Society following unprecedented scandal and cover-up
TORONTO, May 22, 2025 /CNW/ - Murray Klippenstein announced today his candidacy for the leadership of the Board of Governors of the Law Society of Ontario ("LSO") in elections to be held for Treasurer on June 18. The election comes amid an unprecedented scandal at the highest echelons of the institution, Canada's largest and oldest law society, which regulates more than 70,000 legal professionals and has operated independently since 1797. Klippenstein stated: "We at the Law Society and in the profession have been badly betrayed by our two top leaders. The fact that former Treasurer Horvat could unilaterally skyrocket the CEO's salary on her way out the door to a lifetime judicial appointment without the knowledge or approval of the board is very far removed from any notion of 'good governance'. How could anybody believe that that was proper? The incompetence, arrogance and hypocrisy are breathtaking. We expect and demand integrity from thousands of our members every day, and we hold them strictly accountable, but then this happens at the top without consequence or accountability." "The LSO board is from where many of our senior judges are appointed. Eight of the forty directors elected in May 2023 are now Superior Court judges. There is no regulatory body that deserves more scrutiny and accountability of its leadership than the LSO", said Klippenstein. Campaign Background In March of this year a report to the LSO by former Ontario Associate Chief Justice Dennis O'Connor found that the LSO's two top officials, its Treasurer and its Chief Executive Officer, had secretly signed a highly lucrative new CEO contract without knowledge or approval of the board, with the new contract being kept secret from the board for many months. The new contract jumped the CEO's compensation by 60% to almost $1 million annually, as well as awarding over $200,000 in a lump sum retroactive benefit. The O'Connor Report revealed that the secret contract was signed by then Treasurer and board chair Jacqueline Horvat just a week before her Treasurer term ended, and just a few weeks before she left the LSO to become a judge of Ontario's Superior Court. Several LSO board members and senior staff had learned about the new contract, including the Chair of the Finance Committee and the LSO's CFO, but kept it hidden from the board for many months. The Treasurer who replaced Horvat in June of 2024, Peter Wardle, also knew about the contract but did not inform the board until November 2024. When the LSO board received the O'Connor Report in March of 2025, it voted to terminate the CEO's employment on the same day, but the current LSO leadership sought to suppress public disclosure of the O'Connor Report. Board member Klippenstein and eight other members of the board issued a public press release calling for the Report to be made public to the profession and the public at large. "We felt it was contrary to our profession's values to have this kept secret, and that the O'Connor Report's release was a first step towards ending the culture of cover-up and secrecy," said Klippenstein. The O'Connor Report was finally released after unprecedented media scrutiny and outrage in the profession at large. Lawyer Carole Hansell, a leading corporate governance expert, recently released a study entitled "Governance Crisis at the Law Society of Ontario: A Cautionary Tale for Boards of Directors". In effect the current governance of the Law Society has become a case study in bad governance. The "what not to do" programme. Campaign Platform In this scandal-plagued environment Klippenstein says he will stand for "Clean-up, not cover-up. Integrity, not hypocrisy. Competence, not arrogance". He is calling for: Former CEO Diana Miles to repay the LSO at least $500,000 improperly received by the ex-CEO. The LSO to formally call for the removal of former Treasurer Horvat as a judge. Release of all the O'Connor Report documentation, including the still suppressed Book of Documents appended to the Report. A forensic audit of the LSO. "Justice O'Connor made it clear that his limited mandate prevented him from fully reviewing many irregularities. Many of the issues O'Connor noted remain unexamined," said Klippenstein. A sunshine list for LSO executives. "But for the scandal the public would not know of Miles' $1.2 million compensation package and they still know nothing about other salaries inside the LSO or how they're determined. For example, the confidential executive compensation report used by the then Treasurer to justify the CEO salary increase (the Gallagher Report) equated the LSO's CEO ( head of a not-for-profit regulator with a budget of $100 million) to the CEO of a $1 billion private sector corporate enterprise. Says Klippenstein: "That comparison was obviously nonsensical. And no one knows about other senior salaries or how they are determined, because LSO leadership refuses to allow salary disclosure under a sunshine list, as is expected of almost every other public interest entity." Current Treasurer Peter Wardle, who is running for re-election, has called for "governance reform". Klippenstein says "Sadly, abstract talk of going-forward 'governance reform' is a distraction from the obvious issue in front of us, which is that certain people behaved badly, and we need to honestly expose that. Reducing elected board members to a minority as some propose would just make things worse. This is not an issue about training, record-keeping, and more clarity in policies. This is about misconduct. We need to face it head on and be consistent with our professional values. Otherwise, we are being profoundly hypocritical when we enforce these values on our membership but try to wiggle out of them at our top levels." "I have spent my whole career fighting for disadvantaged individuals and communities both inside and outside Canada and they, like the rest of us, need an honest profession and judiciary." "I hope that more than a small group of current directors can be persuaded to act during this election campaign. I am the only candidate for Treasurer who believes that past accountability is required before we can have the future respect of the public." Candidate Klippenstein has had a long career as a litigation lawyer and rights advocate, and has won numerous awards for his work.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Murray Klippenstein announces campaign for leadership of Ontario Law Society following unprecedented scandal and cover-up
TORONTO, May 22, 2025 /CNW/ - Murray Klippenstein announced today his candidacy for the leadership of the Board of Governors of the Law Society of Ontario ("LSO") in elections to be held for Treasurer on June 18. The election comes amid an unprecedented scandal at the highest echelons of the institution, Canada's largest and oldest law society, which regulates more than 70,000 legal professionals and has operated independently since 1797. Klippenstein stated: "We at the Law Society and in the profession have been badly betrayed by our two top leaders. The fact that former Treasurer Horvat could unilaterally skyrocket the CEO's salary on her way out the door to a lifetime judicial appointment without the knowledge or approval of the board is very far removed from any notion of 'good governance'. How could anybody believe that that was proper? The incompetence, arrogance and hypocrisy are breathtaking. We expect and demand integrity from thousands of our members every day, and we hold them strictly accountable, but then this happens at the top without consequence or accountability." "The LSO board is from where many of our senior judges are appointed. Eight of the forty directors elected in May 2023 are now Superior Court judges. There is no regulatory body that deserves more scrutiny and accountability of its leadership than the LSO", said Klippenstein. Campaign Background In March of this year a report to the LSO by former Ontario Associate Chief Justice Dennis O'Connor found that the LSO's two top officials, its Treasurer and its Chief Executive Officer, had secretly signed a highly lucrative new CEO contract without knowledge or approval of the board, with the new contract being kept secret from the board for many months. The new contract jumped the CEO's compensation by 60% to almost $1 million annually, as well as awarding over $200,000 in a lump sum retroactive benefit. The O'Connor Report revealed that the secret contract was signed by then Treasurer and board chair Jacqueline Horvat just a week before her Treasurer term ended, and just a few weeks before she left the LSO to become a judge of Ontario's Superior Court. Several LSO board members and senior staff had learned about the new contract, including the Chair of the Finance Committee and the LSO's CFO, but kept it hidden from the board for many months. The Treasurer who replaced Horvat in June of 2024, Peter Wardle, also knew about the contract but did not inform the board until November 2024. When the LSO board received the O'Connor Report in March of 2025, it voted to terminate the CEO's employment on the same day, but the current LSO leadership sought to suppress public disclosure of the O'Connor Report. Board member Klippenstein and eight other members of the board issued a public press release calling for the Report to be made public to the profession and the public at large. "We felt it was contrary to our profession's values to have this kept secret, and that the O'Connor Report's release was a first step towards ending the culture of cover-up and secrecy," said Klippenstein. The O'Connor Report was finally released after unprecedented media scrutiny and outrage in the profession at large. Lawyer Carole Hansell, a leading corporate governance expert, recently released a study entitled "Governance Crisis at the Law Society of Ontario: A Cautionary Tale for Boards of Directors". In effect the current governance of the Law Society has become a case study in bad governance. The "what not to do" programme. Campaign Platform In this scandal-plagued environment Klippenstein says he will stand for "Clean-up, not cover-up. Integrity, not hypocrisy. Competence, not arrogance". He is calling for: Former CEO Diana Miles to repay the LSO at least $500,000 improperly received by the ex-CEO. The LSO to formally call for the removal of former Treasurer Horvat as a judge. Release of all the O'Connor Report documentation, including the still suppressed Book of Documents appended to the Report. A forensic audit of the LSO. "Justice O'Connor made it clear that his limited mandate prevented him from fully reviewing many irregularities. Many of the issues O'Connor noted remain unexamined," said Klippenstein. A sunshine list for LSO executives. "But for the scandal the public would not know of Miles' $1.2 million compensation package and they still know nothing about other salaries inside the LSO or how they're determined. For example, the confidential executive compensation report used by the then Treasurer to justify the CEO salary increase (the Gallagher Report) equated the LSO's CEO ( head of a not-for-profit regulator with a budget of $100 million) to the CEO of a $1 billion private sector corporate enterprise. Says Klippenstein: "That comparison was obviously nonsensical. And no one knows about other senior salaries or how they are determined, because LSO leadership refuses to allow salary disclosure under a sunshine list, as is expected of almost every other public interest entity." Current Treasurer Peter Wardle, who is running for re-election, has called for "governance reform". Klippenstein says "Sadly, abstract talk of going-forward 'governance reform' is a distraction from the obvious issue in front of us, which is that certain people behaved badly, and we need to honestly expose that. Reducing elected board members to a minority as some propose would just make things worse. This is not an issue about training, record-keeping, and more clarity in policies. This is about misconduct. We need to face it head on and be consistent with our professional values. Otherwise, we are being profoundly hypocritical when we enforce these values on our membership but try to wiggle out of them at our top levels." "I have spent my whole career fighting for disadvantaged individuals and communities both inside and outside Canada and they, like the rest of us, need an honest profession and judiciary." "I hope that more than a small group of current directors can be persuaded to act during this election campaign. I am the only candidate for Treasurer who believes that past accountability is required before we can have the future respect of the public." Candidate Klippenstein has had a long career as a litigation lawyer and rights advocate, and has won numerous awards for his work. SOURCE Klippensteins, Barrister & Solicitor View original content:
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
City of St. Joseph names new Fire Chief
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — The St. Joseph Fire Department's new leader is coming from within its ranks. Ivan Klippenstein has been named the department's new chief. Klippenstein joined the SJFD in January of 2002 and has served in several roles, including firefighter, first responder, confined space technician, driver and captain. He has been a training officer with the department since October 2019. Klippenstein began his career with the Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania, Fire Company as a volunteer firefighter in 1989. He also worked as an EMT in the community. He joined the Lewistown, Idaho, Rural Fire Service as a volunteer wildland firefighter in 1990 and has been a member of the Central DeKalb County Fire Protection District since 1998, serving as its chief from 2002 to 2005. Klippenstein was a firefighter at Rosecrans Memorial Airport from 2001 to 2002 and taught firefighting, HAZMAT and first responder courses as an adjunct instructor at Hillyard Technical Center from 2003 to 2007. I've been involved in fire service since I was 17 in some form, and there's a lot of good coming in the St. Joseph Fire Department that I look forward to leading," said Klippenstein, in a press release from the City. "I want to create involvement and inspire people. I think many would like to participate, and they just need to be given the opportunity." Klippenstein will lead a staff of about 130 in St. Joseph and was chosen from a pool of 20 applicants, which included three internal candidates. St. Joseph City Manager, Mike Schumacher said Klippenstein's experience in training set him apart form other candidates. "Ivan is the right person to move our fire department forward," Schumacher said in a press release. "We want to take care of our professional and hardworking firefighters by making sure they are equipped with training that prioritizes their safety and that of our citizens. Klippenstein's appointment is effective Monday, May 19. His salary will be $140,000. He replaces Kenny Cordonnier, who retired on April 4, 2025.
CBC
11-04-2025
- CBC
Man, 20, wanted in rural Manitoba break-ins may be in Sandy Bay First Nation or Winnipeg: police
Social Sharing One man is wanted and three people in their teens have now been charged after a string of armed break-ins in rural Manitoba last weekend, RCMP say. On Thursday, police arrested a 16-year-old boy and an 18-year-old man during a search of a home on Sandy Bay First Nation, RCMP said in a Friday news release. The two face charges of possession of property obtained by crime, breaking and entering with intent, possessing a weapon for dangerous purposes, possession for the purpose of trafficking and unauthorized possession of a firearm. Police said Thursday they had previously arrested a 17-year-old girl from Sandy Bay First Nation. She faces multiple weapons charges after she was found on Sunday in a truck stolen during the string of thefts in southwestern Manitoba. Three break-ins were reported in the rural municipality of North Norfolk, west of Portage la Prairie, between 3:30 and 8:30 a.m. Sunday. Police previously said they believe the same group was responsible for all of the break-ins. The burglars, who residents reported had at least one firearm, took items including off-road vehicles, power tools and a pickup truck, Mounties said Monday. Armed break-in at Manitoba farm shown in security video 4 days ago Duration 0:32 Security video footage provided by Shawn Klippenstein shows a pickup truck driving onto his son's farm in MacGregor, Man., early Sunday morning. A group of people, some carrying firearms, are seen coming out of the truck. Klippenstein told CBC News the group left as soon as his son locked the doors and turned the lights on. Officers seized a number of stolen vehicles and items found in their Thursday search, including a Dodge Ram pickup truck, an all-terrain vehicle, a "significant amount" of meth, an air compressor and a battery charger, as well as over $4,000 in Canadian currency, according to police. RCMP are now looking for another person suspected of being involved in the brazen thefts. An arrest warrant has been issued for James Roulette, 20, of Sandy Bay First Nation, police say. He's described as six feet, two inches tall, with a medium build, black hair and brown eyes. Roulette could be in Sandy Bay or Winnipeg, police say. He may be armed and should not be approached. The police investigation into the rural thefts has involved dozens of officers, and will continue "until the final suspect is safely arrested," Sgt. Marcus Paddock said in the news release.
Yahoo
18-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Saskatchewan hockey team Notre Dame Hounds set to relocate
REGINA — A southern Saskatchewan high school famed for producing hockey greats is planning to move its junior A team to a new city later this year. The Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League announced Tuesday the Notre Dame Hounds at Athol Murray College in Wilcox, Sask., are conditionally approved to relocate to Warman, just north of Saskatoon. League commissioner Kyle McIntyre said the move is a result of the school creating a new vision that focuses on multiple sports — without a junior hockey team. "Typically, the operating budget for a junior hockey franchise is anywhere between $800,000 and $900,000 annually," McIntyre said. "When you're in a small community and a small school of less than 300 people, it's very difficult to generate those resources." He added most players no longer attend the school in the village. "The board of directors thought it was important for the students to live in a village and operate like a village and all be part of a multi-sport, academic experience for students," he said. The private school has produced hockey stars, including Wendel Clark, Curtis Joseph and Rod Brind'Amour. Players from as recently as 2019 have been drafted or played in the National Hockey League. Wade Klippenstein, the high school's director of hockey development, said the sport has changed since the team began playing in the league nearly 38 years ago. The Hounds won the Centennial Cup in 1988 during its first year in the junior A league, he said, and nearly every player on that team was a Division 1 recruit. He said there are now more leagues, which creates additional competition. There are also changing eligibility rules. "The amount of players who come here and train at our boarding school and end up playing Division 1 hockey has definitely changed from when I first started," Klippenstein said. McIntyre said there are also more hockey training schools in Canada than before. "(Notre Dame) no longer has the monopoly on hockey," he said. "I think they've identified, 'Hey, we need a new strategic vision for the school.'" Klippenstein said the school plans to continue running a hockey program along with football, basketball, volleyball and rugby. With growth in women's hockey, there are also plans to add another minor girls' team along with a minor boys' team. "You're going to see a lot more female student athletes looking for a place to play," he said. "I knows this is news today of subtraction, but it's actually news of addition." Saskatoon businessmen Cole Kachur and Jonathan Abrametz are in the process of purchasing the Hounds to move them to Warman, a city of 13,000, for the 2025-26 season. The relocation is subject to approval from the SJHL board in June. The league says Warman city council must also give the go-ahead, and the move depends on successful season ticket sales and corporate sponsorship. If approved, McIntyre said, the team's eligible players and other assets are to be transferred. "I think Warman is very energetic, very vital and very exciting," he said. "They have one of the largest minor hockey associations in all of Saskatchewan. I think with having a team in the community and having the players work with the community, there will be a symbiotic relationship." This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 18, 2025. Jeremy Simes, The Canadian Press
