Latest news with #Lovatt
Hamilton Spectator
15-06-2025
- Health
- Hamilton Spectator
Over 1,300 Take Part in Stouffville 5K, $330K Raised for Markham Stouffville Hospital
Memorial Park buzzed with energy on Father's Day morning as more than 1,300 runners, joggers, walkers, and spectators gathered for the third annual Stouffville Main Street 5K. Hosted by the Town and the Office of Mayor Iain Lovatt, $330,000 has been raised in support of Markham Stouffville Hospital (MSH) this year. Over the last three years, Stouffville has raised over $875,000 for MSH. Opening the event, Mayor Lovatt applauded participants for their efforts. 'Thank you for your hard work and dedication to fundraising. In our first two years of this event, we have raised over $545,000,' Lovatt told the crowd. 'Your donations directly support lifesaving equipment and essential services at Markham Stouffville Hospital.' This year's cheque presentation included more than $40,000 raised by participating runners. Additional fundraising and sponsorships brought the 5K event total to $110,000, with the remaining funds coming from the Mayor's 2025 Charity Golf Classic. 'Today is more than just about giving back. It's about celebrating the compassionate, selfless, and dedicated frontline healthcare workers who care for us, for our families, our friends, and our loved ones every single day,' Lovatt said. Markham Stouffville Hospital is celebrating its 35th anniversary this year, having been built in 1990 on land donated by Stouffville's Arthur Latcham. Suzette Strong, CEO of the MSH Foundation, thanked the Mayor and Town Staff while emphasizing the importance of community-driven fundraising. 'What a lot of people don't realize is that the government doesn't fund everything,' said Strong. 'Of the funds raised today, 100% of those proceeds go back into the hospital to invest in important things like beds, incubators, and diagnostic services. So thank you for being a part of raising money to keep Markham Stouffville Hospital on the leading edge of healthcare.' The race also featured standout performances by local athletes. Seventeen-year-old Marek St. Croix took first place with a time of 16 minutes and 33 seconds, improving on his fifth-place finish last year. Remy Chadwick placed second at 16:43, followed by Sebastian Blair Reynoso in third at 17:02. Thirteen-year-old Sawyer Nicholson, the Stouffville runner who set a world record at age 11 for the fastest 5K in her age group, was the first female to cross the finish line. She placed 10th overall with a time of 18 minutes and 13 seconds. Before the race, Nicholson shared words of encouragement with the crowd, recounting how she discovered running during the COVID-19 pandemic and has since broken more than 10 records. 'Back then, I didn't know how that first run would change me. But it did, step by step. It gave me clarity, it gave me strength, and most importantly, it gave me hope,' she said. 'Every step you take supports the Markham Stouffville Hospital, a place that has been there for so many of our families, neighbours, and friends,' Nicholson added. 'So if you're feeling nervous or unsure of how far or how fast you'll go today, just remember every journey begins with a single step. Those first few steps you take could be the beginning of something that changes your life, just like it changed mine.' Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Hamilton Spectator
06-06-2025
- Business
- Hamilton Spectator
Greater Stouffville Chamber Dinner Unites Business and Civic Leaders
● Thursday's 2025 Greater Stouffville Chamber Annual Dinner brought together business and civic leaders for a night of celebration and reflection. ● Chamber Executive Director Christian Buhagiar urged unity amid global volatility, highlighting the Chamber's growing successes and regional influence. ● Mayor Iain Lovatt's keynote speech spotlighted recent achievements, including Mosaic House, the Memorial Park Multi-Purpose Trail, and progress on Downtown revitalization. ● Lovatt emphasized the Town's commitment to attracting new businesses, with 1.8 million square feet of employment development currently in the Town's pipeline. ● Francis and Meyer Co. founders Amanda and Danielle Black were awarded a $50,000 grant as winners of the Stouffville Village Small Business Challenge. ● Mike Feld of Most Excellent Productions received the 2025 Business Excellence Community Award. The Greater Stouffville Chamber's 2025 Annual Dinner brought together local leaders, entrepreneurs, and officials Thursday evening at Station Creek Golf Club for a night of networking, celebration, and forward-looking insights. In his opening remarks, Chamber Executive Director Christian Buhagiar emphasized the organization's growing influence and essential role in the region's business ecosystem. 'Our Chamber continues to grow and expand, ensuring our relevance and our impact,' he said, encouraging attendees to remain active partners as the Chamber advances its work. Buhagiar underscored the need for unity amid global volatility, pointing to inflation, tariffs, and shifting political landscapes as reasons why a strong collective voice is vital. 'Together we create an engaged business community from which we can gather strength, learn, and conduct business,' he told attendees. Prior to the evening's keynote address from Stouffville Mayor Iain Lovatt, the 2025 Business Excellence Community Award was presented to Mike Feld of Most Excellent Productions for more than a decade of outstanding service in live event production throughout Stouffville. Lovatt delivered a wide-ranging speech highlighting key Town achievements and future priorities. He opened by praising and thanking the municipality's Senior Staff, calling it 'the strongest senior leadership team in the Town's history.' Among the accomplishments of the past year, Lovatt pointed to the opening of Mosaic House . The Housing York project introduced 97 new units to the Region's housing stock, providing stable homes for dozens of families. 'Sadly, 97 is a mere drop in the bucket compared to the 18,000 families still on the list,' Lovatt said. He reaffirmed Housing York's push for a one-third funding model among all levels of government to help move more projects forward. Another milestone was the Memorial Park Multi-Purpose Trail, now a popular all-season amenity. The trail opened last summer for walkers and wheeled users and debuted for ice skating just in time for the holiday season. Partnerships and placemaking also featured prominently in the Mayor's address. He spoke to the Town's five-year memorandum of understanding with York University, as well as the installation of new murals downtown and along the Sculpture Walk. These public art installations are part of an ongoing effort to animate the Downtown's shared spaces. Lovatt celebrated the arrival of more than 20 new businesses in town, citing continued investor confidence and economic opportunity. He also announced Francis & Meyer Candle Co. as the winner of the inaugural Stouffville Village Small Business Challenge , a joint initiative between the Chamber and the Office of the Mayor. The Challenge awarded a $50,000 grant to support the launch of their new storefront. The local business was selected from 20 applicants following a live pitch finale at 19 on the Park. 'You didn't just pitch an idea, you activated the community, and that kind of spark, it's going to grow into something really lasting,' Chamber Vice-President Indu Bains told the winners. The Mayor also praised Stouffville's ranking as No. 13 nationally on the Globe and Mail's 2024 'Canada's Most Livable Cities' list. The municipality was ranked second in Ontario and first in York Region. The Town was also named to Human Resources Director Canada's 'Best Places to Work' list for the first time. 'This recognition highlights our commitment to fostering a supportive and equitable work environment,' Lovatt said. Looking ahead, Mayor Lovatt highlighted key investments in public amenities. These include design work for a second pool at the Leisure Centre, with $1 million allocated, and upgrades to Civic Square. He also mentioned the $9.75 million investment in Fire and EMS Station 5-2 in Ballantrae. Economic development remained a central focus, with Lovatt reaffirming the Town's push to attract industrial, commercial, and institutional (ICI) employers. 'Attracting ICI businesses remains a top priority of mine,' he said, referencing 1.8 million square feet of employment development in Stouffville's pipeline. He also addressed the Town's ongoing advocacy to open protected Greenbelt lands along the east side of Highway 404 for future business investment, a measure intended to help rebalance the Town's tax base. 'As long as I am mayor, I will continue to advocate so that your property taxes are not bearing the brunt of financing our town,' Lovatt told the crowd. The Mayor took time to acknowledge the work of Town Staff behind the scenes, including Stouffville's Corporate Communications team, which has expanded public engagement through a new branding strategy, in-house design work, and improved communication between the Town and its residents. Lovatt closed by acknowledging global uncertainty and expressing confidence in Stouffville's resilience. 'It's not lost on me that we are living through some pretty uncertain and ever changing economic times, in great part due to the whims of a whack job in the White House,' he said. 'Whatever challenges lay ahead, we at the Town are prepared to weather the storm with you,' Lovatt told attendees. 'We've done it before, COVID comes to mind, and just as we did then, we will get through it... and come out stronger on the other side.' Wrapping up the event, Bains reflected on the energy in the room and the power of collective momentum. 'We're not just building businesses, we're building something bigger together,' she said. 'When businesses come together, the whole town moves forward.' Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
The Herald Scotland
01-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
Review: Mike Lovatt's Brass Pack: 'Perth Festival breaks new ground'
Perth Concert Hall PERFORMANCES by youngsters from across Perth and Kinross are always a thread running through Perth Festival of the Arts, but this may have been the first time they have featured in the event's closing concert. The young musicians topped and tailed a festival debut by trumpeter Mike Lovatt's Brass Pack, adding some Marvel and Pixar movie modernity to a programme that majored on Hollywood's earlier Golden Age. Anyone who expected the Brass Pack Cubs opening performance of The Avengers Theme to evoke images of Patrick Macnee and Diana Rigg as John Steed and Emma Peel was living in the past. The nostalgia-fest came later, when Lovatt's unusually-configured ensemble took the stage and he and arranger and conductor Colin Skinner – and later vocalist Anne-Jane Casey – guided us through a programme that included music from My Fair Lady, Kiss Me Kate, Funny Girl and Chinatown amongst others. Informative though their words were, there were possibly rather more of them than the evening really required, even if the concept of Lovatt's band does need some explanation. Derived from a 1958 recording by Billy May, arranger of classic sessions for Frank Sinatra, it eschews saxophones in favour of French horns, tubas and a harp. Skinner – paradoxically a saxophonist himself – has mastered May's musical language with superb versions of Bidin' My Time, Young At Heart and (Love Is) The Tender Trap. Read more Those individual numbers were more successful than the medleys. In the set's opening Hollywood Overture, the scratch horn section, led by the BBC SSO's Lauren Reeve Rawlings, was not the only part of the band that took a while to get its intonation set, and the later John Williams tribute only showcased the Brass Pack's unique sound when it reached the Indiana Jones theme. Casey, for all her seasoned stage confidence, had a couple of lyrical slip-ups too, but dependably hit her stride for Don't Rain on My Parade. The fruit of workshops earlier in the day was the Pixar music, with Randy Newman's Toy Story hit You've Got A Friend In Me at its heart, bringing the professionals and the brass-playing school-pupils together at the evening's end. This was new ground for Lovatt and his team but clearly a direction they relish, and another indication that Perth Festival is heading confidently into the future.
Hamilton Spectator
24-05-2025
- Automotive
- Hamilton Spectator
Stouffville Withholds Ticket Data as Automated Speed Camera Program Grows
● The Town plans to activate four new Automated Speed Enforcement cameras by late Q3 2025. ● Councillors are fielding ongoing questions from residents about the program, including inquiries regarding the number of tickets issued and amount of revenue collected. ● Town Staff say disclosure of early figures could be misleading and are withholding data to preserve the 'integrity' of the program. ● A full report is expected in fall 2025, earlier than originally planned, to provide a more accurate picture of long-term trends. ● Councillors offered varying perspectives during a recent meeting, with some emphasizing personal accountability and others critiquing the long-term consequences of drivers' speeding habits. ● Mayor Lovatt says fines from the program are exceeding expectations and will help fund traffic calming and road infrastructure improvements. Stouffville has scheduled activation of four additional Automated Speed Enforcement (ASE) cameras by mid-to-late Q3 2025. The new cameras will form the second phase of the Town's ASE program , which launched on March 17, 2025, and are planned for the following locations: 'Coming Soon' signage has been placed at all four sites and will remain posted for at least 90 days before the cameras become operational. Public reaction to Stouffville's ASE program has been divided, with some residents welcoming the cameras as a necessary step to improve road safety, and others expressing strong opposition. The Town has set up a dedicated email address (ase@ to field questions, address concerns, and provide direct information to residents. During Council's May 21 meeting, Ward 4 Councillor Rick Upton noted that he and his colleagues are facing constant inquiries from residents about the program, including questions regarding the number of tickets issued and revenue collected to date. Although preliminary data has been compiled, Town Staff say it is still too early to provide a full update on the program's performance. Becky Jamieson, Stouffville's Commissioner of Corporate Services and Town Clerk, emphasized the importance of protecting the 'integrity' of the program and said that detailed ticket statistics and financial figures are not yet available. 'When we refer to maintaining the 'integrity' of the program, we're speaking to the importance of presenting a full and accurate picture of the ASE initiative,' she said in comments to Bullet Point News. 'Releasing revenue or ticket data too early can be misleading, as initial figures are often artificially high due to driver unfamiliarity with the cameras and increased media and public attention at launch.' In comments to Council, Jamieson referenced Newmarket 's ASE program, which has been in operation for nearly a year and only recently produced its first report for council consideration. Her team is currently reviewing early data and confirmed that a report will be presented to Stouffville Council this fall, which is earlier than the originally planned one-year assessment. 'This approach ensures the public receives a more balanced, meaningful snapshot of the program's impact and effectiveness, rather than a potentially distorted view based on launch-period anomalies,' Jamieson told us. 'We're committed to transparency and plan to share aggregate data once we believe it accurately reflects the program's intended outcomes, which are reducing speeding and improving road safety for everyone.' During an April 29 Town Hall event, Mayor Iain Lovatt hinted at some early ASE results. 'They are working, they are slowing people down, and, unfortunately, they are working too well—because we're giving out a lot of tickets,' Lovatt told attendees. 'I've said publicly many times that I want this to be the biggest failure, because that means people are driving the speed limit, but that hasn't proven to be the case in the first six weeks.' Lovatt said funds generated through the program have been earmarked for traffic calming and road infrastructure improvements, as directed by Council. He noted the revenue is expected to exceed initial projections, allowing for a broader range of measures to be considered. One potential focus is Hoover Park Drive, which Lovatt described as exceedingly wide and poorly designed. 'From York-Durham to Ninth Line, it is a bit of a racetrack,' he said. Suggestions for improvements include replacing the current textured asphalt median with a fully raised, landscaped median to create a visual break and encourage slower driving. Ward 6 Councillor Sue Sherban highlighted the history of speed limit reductions throughout the community, saying that roads originally designed for higher speeds have gradually been reduced largely in response to persistent speeding. In her view, drivers collectively bear responsibility for the resulting reliance on ASE cameras. 'These roads weren't built for 40 kilometres an hour,' she said, pointing to Ninth Line as an example of a major arterial road where current speed limits feel inconsistent with the road's scale and capacity. While acknowledging residents' frustrations and showing some empathy for concerns raised in emails, Sherban said it's important to recognize how the issue evolved. 'We've gotten ourselves into this situation,' Sherban said. 'If we did the original speed that the roads were made for, we would not be as frustrated as we are today in having to be the nanny state.' Ward 1 Councillor Hugo Kroon voiced strong support for the ASE program, emphasizing that those who receive tickets are 'fully deserving' of them. Speaking candidly, he acknowledged his own history as someone with a lead foot and a background in motor racing, but said that did not diminish his view on accountability. Kroon pushed back against claims from some residents that the program unfairly targets those who can't afford fines, calling that argument '100 percent incorrect.' Instead, he framed the tickets as a consequence for those who choose to ignore speed limits, putting both themselves and others at risk. 'I have absolutely no sympathy for that whatsoever,' Kroon said, adding that if financial penalties are what it takes to curb dangerous driving, he is in favour of the outcome. According to York Region, ASE cameras help reduce vehicle speeds by about 10 km/h and improve speed limit compliance by approximately 25 percent. The Region also reports that ASE can cut collision rates by up to 48 percent. 'As often as we get emails from people who are frustrated and upset, I think the silent majority in our community are grateful,' Lovatt said. 'I've literally had people hug me, thanking me for…the tangible difference in reducing speeds on our streets.' 'It's the one thing that we have done that has actually worked for traffic calming,' Lovatt added. 'And we've tried a lot over the last six years.'
Hamilton Spectator
17-05-2025
- Business
- Hamilton Spectator
Court Dismisses $39M Lawsuit Over Stouffville's Failed Bethesda Park Sale
● Ontario Superior Court dismissed a lawsuit against the Town, Mayor Lovatt, and former CAO Rob Adams over a failed $77.9 million land deal. ● The proceedings stemmed from a conditional agreement of purchase and sale involving Bethesda Sports Fields Park. ● Justice M. McKelvey deemed the action null after the plaintiff failed to post court-ordered security for costs. ● The plaintiff claimed the Town unlawfully ended the deal, failed to act in good faith, and misrepresented its intent, causing financial harm. ● Relief sought by the plaintiff included enforcement of the agreement or $38.1 million in damages, plus $1 million in punitive damages. ● Town officials maintained they met all contractual obligations and said the claim had no merit. ● The lawsuit was raised during the 2022 municipal election when it surfaced on mayoral challenger Justin Altmann's campaign website. ● Mayor Lovatt called the suit 'frivolous' and said he was grateful for the dismissal. After casting a shadow over Stouffville since surfacing during the 2022 municipal election, a lawsuit concerning the proposed sale of Bethesda Sports Fields Park has been dismissed by the Ontario Superior Court of Justice. The legal action was filed by 2348219 Ontario Inc. (the Plaintiff) on March 7, 2022, against the Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville, Mayor Iain Lovatt, and former Chief Administrative Officer Rob Adams (the Defendants). Central to the Plaintiff's claim was the Town's alleged breach of a conditional agreement of purchase and sale (APS) signed April 26, 2021. The lawsuit alleged the Town unlawfully terminated the deal and failed to exercise its contractual discretion in good faith. Additional allegations included negligent misrepresentation regarding the Town's intentions to close the sale and a breach of fiduciary duty by Lovatt and Adams. The Plaintiff claimed the Defendants failed to take promised steps to complete the transaction, leaving the Plaintiff financially disadvantaged. In their May 9, 2022 Statement of Defence, the Defendants stated the Town did not waive its conditions and that the conditional APS became null and void. 'The Plaintiff subsequently confirmed [this] and requested and received a return of its deposit,' it says. 'There has been no breach of contract, breach of the duty of good faith, or misrepresentation by any of the Defendants…The Plaintiff's expenditures were, at all times, its own responsibility and made at its own risk in pursuit of its own potential development,' it added. 'There is no merit to any aspect of this claim.' The Statement of Claim, distributed March 7, 2022, says 2348219 Ontario Inc. 'is in the business of real estate investment and development,' and its sole director and shareholder is Richmond Hill resident Mark Edwards. According to a July 20, 2023 Factum of the Defendants (the Factum), Edwards is a licensed mortgage broker who operates the corporation under the registered business name AFM Mortgages. Edwards sought several forms of relief, including either completion of the sale or $38.1 million in damages for lost opportunity. The claim also requested $1 million in punitive damages and an order requiring the Town to surrender any future sale proceeds exceeding the original $77.9 million price. Dismissed on a Technicality The case never proceeded to a hearing on the merits. Instead, it was dismissed on May 14, 2025, after the Plaintiff failed to comply with a court order to post security for costs. Additionally, the Defendants had successfully motioned for over $14,000 in costs in July 2024 to cover legal fees. 'Like any other municipality, we took steps to ensure we could seek costs because of the frivolous nature of this action,' Lovatt said in a conversation with Bullet Point News. 'We wanted to be sure that this company had actual assets, because we were going to be counter-suing them for the tax money we were going to spend to defend our innocence.' According to the Factum, 2348219 Ontario Inc. declined to submit documentation demonstrating its asset holdings. The Defendants were unable to identify any real estate owned by the company in Toronto or in the surrounding regions of York, Peel, and Durham. While the Plaintiff's counsel did not respond to the Defendants' request for evidence of its assets, it did respond to the Defendants' costs submission in July 2024, suggesting they were excessive. In its response, the Plaintiff requested a reduction of nearly $10,000 in owed costs. The court found the Town's request for partial indemnity costs to be fair and reasonable, noting the amount was within what the losing party should have expected. 'The Plaintiff is a sophisticated commercial entity that is seeking $39.1 million in damages from the Defendants over a failed $78 million real estate transaction,' Justice C.M. Smith stated in an Endorsement on Costs document. 'The notion that the comparatively small sum sought by Defendants' counsel in costs for this motion is outside the reasonable expectations of such a party is difficult to accept.' The funds were never transferred to the Town. 'On reading the Motion Record of the Defendants (Dismissal for Failure to Post Security for Costs) and Factum of the Defendants, and on hearing the submissions of the lawyers for the Defendants, and on noting the consent of the Plaintiff to this Order, this court orders that this action is hereby dismissed without costs,' presiding Justice M. McKelvey wrote in the final dismissal Order. It All Began Over Coffee 2348219 Ontario Inc. alleged Mayor Iain Lovatt encouraged Edwards to purchase the Bethesda lands over an agricultural parcel during an introductory fall 2020 meeting at a Main Street Starbucks. 'It was the Defendants who proposed the municipal land as being the best location in Whitchurch-Stouffville for the proposed development,' the Statement of Claim reads. 'Initially, [2348219 Ontario Inc.] and its agent were interested in purchasing a rural farming property within the Town but were persuaded to purchase the municipal land due to the Defendants' insistence that it was a more suitable location.' Lovatt categorically rejected the allegation. 'That's 100% false. I did not persuade anyone to do anything,' he said. 'They weren't considering any agricultural lands at all, and I have no idea what lands they are referring to. They came specifically asking if we would sell the park.' Bullet Point News sought comment from Mark Edwards via a phone number believed to be his but did not receive a response by deadline. A Conditional Opportunity On April 5, 2021, the Plaintiff submitted an offer to purchase the property. The Town agreed to a sale price of $77.9 million, subject to several conditions outlined in the APS. These included formally declaring the land surplus and obtaining final approval from Council through a public resolution. Lovatt said he expressed support for the proposal and was willing to rally Council behind the sale. He noted the funds from such a sizable transaction could have allowed the Town to purchase parkland twice the size of the Bethesda property while bolstering the Town's parks reserve fund by tens of millions. While Stouffville officials viewed the proposal as a potential opportunity, they concluded that any sale would hinge on securing a suitable replacement site for the sports fields. To avoid disrupting public access to the facilities, the APS was amended to make the transaction contingent on acquiring that new parkland. 'The Town was unable to secure a suitable alternative property for use as a sports park despite making reasonable efforts to do so,' the Defendants' counsel stated in court filings. Lovatt declined to comment on the specific replacement sites they considered, citing concerns that disclosure could affect future opportunities should they arise. Zoning Roadblock Halts Progress Stouffville's Council also sought necessary changes to the Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan (ORMCP) to allow residential development on the protected Bethesda lands. Although York Region included the amendment in its 2022 Official Plan following advocacy from Mayor Lovatt, the Province removed it before granting final approval. 'Our Council motion has been public for years showing we were trying to get those lands out of the ORMCP,' Lovatt told us. 'This was supported by the Region and included in its updated Official Plan, but the Province redlined it.' Without the change, Edwards' development could not move forward as envisioned. Unmet Terms Void Agreement Under the terms of the APS, if the three key conditions were not met or waived, the agreement would be considered null and void, and the Plaintiff's $400,000 deposit would be returned. The Statement of Defence says Edwards contacted the Town's real estate solicitor on Jan. 31, 2022, to request the return of the deposit. That request was formally reiterated on Feb. 2, 2022, in a letter from his lawyer, which also confirmed the agreement had been rendered void. The deposit was returned, and the Plaintiff cashed the cheque on February 7, 2022. However, the Statement of Claim argues an Oct. 21, 2021, text message from Mayor Lovatt to the Plaintiff's realtor, Adam Ratcliff, amounted to a waiver of the Town's conditions under the APS. The exchange came after the Town secured Regional support for its proposed changes to the ORMCP. Ratcliff wrote, 'Just heard the news! Amazing job!!!! Couldn't be happier to hear that outcome :-) Have a great evening, talk soon.' Lovatt replied, 'We've literally done everything we can. Time for Mark to bring a firm deal.' The Statement of Defence disputed that the message constituted a form of waiver, calling the suggestion 'a complete falsehood.' It also argued the Mayor did not have the authority to waive the conditions on behalf of the Town through a private text message. 'Even if the Mayor's text had purported to waive the conditions (it did not), as a matter of law a municipal corporation acts through resolutions of its council or through otherwise properly delegated authority,' counsel explained. 'Communications by text from a representative such as a mayor cannot bind a municipality.' Litigation Fuels Election Tensions The Plaintiff's counsel also issued a letter dated Oct. 17, 2022, addressed 'To Whom It May Concern.' The letter enclosed a copy of the Statement of Claim but did not include the Town's Statement of Defence, and it was not sent to the Town nor its legal counsel. Instead, the letter appeared on the campaign website of then mayoral candidate and former Mayor Justin Altmann, who was running against Lovatt at the time. It was posted shortly before the Oct. 26, 2022, municipal election, sparking significant public backlash over the attempted sale, the failed deal, and the resulting lawsuit. Lovatt says he is unsure how the material made its way to his political opponent's website. Bullet Point News asked Altmann how he obtained the Statement of Claim, but he declined to comment. 'Out of Stouffville and no longer involved, sorry,' Altmann responded. Town Pays to Close the Chapter Stouffville has incurred approximately $31,000 in external legal fees related to the dismissed legal action, according to Town spokesperson Glenn Jackson. Under Town policy, legal expenses for the Mayor, Members of Council, and staff related to municipal matters are covered by the municipality. 'All of those fees are incurred by the Town, none by Mayor Lovatt or Mr. Adams,' Jackson told Bullet Point News. 'There were no additional non-legal costs.' Although the case was dismissed without costs awarded, the Town has no plans to pursue further recovery. 'It could just cost us even more,' Jackson suggested. With the lawsuit now closed and the Town no longer facing claims over the failed $77.9 million sale, municipal officials say they are ready to move on. 'The entire claim, from the outset, was BS,' Lovatt said. 'We are grateful that this has been dismissed.'
