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North Bay's top financial officer wanted to revoke mayor's credit card
North Bay's top financial officer wanted to revoke mayor's credit card

CTV News

time4 days ago

  • Business
  • CTV News

North Bay's top financial officer wanted to revoke mayor's credit card

North Bay Mayor Peter Chirico faces scrutiny after an FOI request revealed $16,000 in personal expenses charged to a city credit card. Eric Taschner has more. Margaret Karpenko, North Bay's now former chief financial officer, recommended in 2024 that Mayor Peter Chirico lose his credit card, after Chirico used the card to pay for thousands of dollars in personal expenses. Karpenko, who was announced as the new CFO of Greater Sudbury on Friday, made the recommendation March 14, 2024, in a letter to city CAO John Severino. In the letter, she said she discovered items that 'required the immediate attention of the CAO.' Margaret Karpenko Margaret Karpenko, North Bay's now former chief financial officer, recommended in 2024 that Mayor Peter Chirico lose his credit card, after Chirico used the card to pay for thousands of dollars in personal expenses. (City of Greater Sudbury photo) 'It has been discovered that the corporate credit card belonging to Peter Chirico has been used to purchase a number of membership/expenses which are not identified under any bylaw,' Karpenko wrote. It was her understanding that Chirico had been spoken with about his improper use of the credit card, she said, adding that it was clear 'further communication with the individual are required.' She recommended that his 'credit card privileges (be) revoked and the card be immediately returned to the finance department.' Margaret Karpenko letter Former North Bay CFO Margaret Karpenko said in a March 2024 letter than Mayor Peter Chirico's credit card should be revoked. (Supplied) That didn't take place, however, and a Freedom of Information Act request uncovered more questionable expenses charged to Chirico's corporate credit card late into 2024. 'It has been discovered that the corporate credit card belonging to Peter Chirico has been used to purchase a number of membership/expenses which are not identified under any bylaw.' — Margaret Karpenko, North Bay's now former chief financial officer 'Actions, either unintentional or deliberate, that undermine the trust of the community, can have serious consequences for both the individual involved and the reputation of our municipality as a whole,' Karpenko wrote. The letter was one of the documents uncovered through another FOI made by Coun. Tayna Vrebosch. North Bay city Coun. Tanya Vrebosch North Bay city Coun. Tanya Vrebosch 'I know we have good staff and I know that if something was happening, somebody would have said something,' Vrebosch said Friday. 'So when I did that FOI, I made sure that I asked for every piece of correspondence in regards to the mayor's spending and with all staff.' The documents released in her FOI show that in 2023, an interim budget analyst sent an email to the city's director of strategic initiatives about concerns they were seeing. Repaid through payroll deduction And a letter from Chirico dated March 22, 2024, said he wanted to repay $6,139.48 in personal expenses he charged to the corporate card through payroll deductions. The controversy surrounding Chirico centres on another FOI that found he charged more than $16,000 in personal expenses on the corporate card in 2023 and 2024. Those expenses include cigarettes, dog treats and golf memberships. He has said he won't resign over the controversy and called on city integrity commissioner Guy Giorno to investigate. A call for a forensic audit of the mayor's expenses by some members of city council was defeated by a 7-3 vote. On Friday, the North Bay Police Service issued a news release in response to several questions they have received about whether they have launched a criminal investigation into the matter. North Bay city hall While the controversy has raged in the media, city councillors voted last Tuesday not to hire an independent audit to probe Chirico's expenses, and to rely on the integrity commissioner investigation instead. (Eric Taschner/CTV News) Police said they can't comment specifically on Chirico, but said 'that police services have a responsibility to conduct investigations into complaints or reports of criminal activity.' Since Chirico is chair of the North Bay police services board, North Bay police said they couldn't investigate him because of a conflict of interest. North Bay Mayor Peter Chirico North Bay Mayor Peter Chirico says he won't resign over the expenses controversy. (File) 'Any complaint or report pertaining to a member of the North Bay police services board would be referred to another police service for investigation,' the release said. Anyone who believes that any member of the board has committed misconduct can file a complaint with the inspector general here. 'If there are grounds to believe that misconduct has occurred, the inspector general is required to investigate,' North Bay police said. 'If a complaint is received by the board or the chief, it must be forwarded to the inspector general.' Complaints made directly to North Bay police would also be forwarded to the inspector general, police added. Vrebosch said the revelations have people in the city 'angry' and said the issue won't go away. 'I keep telling them, I said 'North Bay, keep getting loud' she said. ''Keep sending those emails. Keep making phone calls.'' For her part, Karpenko resigned from her job in North Bay on Thursday and will formally become CFO in Greater Sudbury in September. 'I'm honoured to step into the role of executive director of finance and chief financial officer and to join the City of Greater Sudbury team,' she said in a news release Friday. 'I look forward to working collaboratively with staff, mayor and council to ensure the city is well-positioned to support its growth, advance strategic priorities and embrace future opportunities.'

Gas prices in Canada hold flat this week as experts ask, 'Where's the spike?'
Gas prices in Canada hold flat this week as experts ask, 'Where's the spike?'

Yahoo

time4 days ago

  • Business
  • Yahoo

Gas prices in Canada hold flat this week as experts ask, 'Where's the spike?'

Canada's gas price average held steady at $1.444 per litre of regular fuel over the past week, according to data from Kalibrate. That's nearly a 14 per cent discount year over year. North Bay, Ont. and Gatineau, Que. were the most volatile markets this week, with prices falling 8.6 cents per litre in the former, and rising 5.4 cents per litre in the latter. Gas prices were a big factor in this week's inflation reading from Statistics Canada. The federal data agency said the annualized inflation rate rose to 1.9 per cent in June from 1.7 per cent in May. "Headline inflation grew at a faster pace, as gasoline prices fell to a lesser extent in June (-13.4 per cent) than in May (-15.5 per cent)," StatCan wrote on Tuesday. "Year over year, the CPI (consumer price index) excluding energy (+2.7 per cent) remained higher than the CPI in June, partly due to the removal of consumer carbon pricing in April." While the elimination of the consumer-facing carbon tax has cooled typically hot summer gas prices in Canada, analysts in the United States say the summer driving season has been unusually cheap south of the border as well. Researchers at the Energy Policy Research Foundation are asking, "Where's the spike?" "U.S. gasoline prices generally rise substantially with the onset of the summer driving season. However, except for California and the other West Coast states, prices have been generally flat during the summer of 2025, a distinct deviation from historical trends," wrote researchers at the Washington, D.C.-based non-profit. "This is even more surprising given that in the current context demand has not slackened. Vehicle miles traveled continue their upward trend, albeit with improving efficiency, and there are several risk factors that could lead to tight supplies." Follow Yahoo Finance Canada for more weekly gas price updates. Scroll below to find your nearest city. (All figures in CAD cents) Location July 10 July 17 Price Change Canada Average (V) 144.4 144.4 0 WHITEHORSE 161.9 161.9 0 VANCOUVER* 167 165.9 -1.1 VICTORIA 159 158.6 -0.4 PRINCE GEORGE 145.6 145.6 0 KAMLOOPS 145.9 145.8 -0.1 KELOWNA 145.7 145.2 -0.5 FORT ST. JOHN 138.4 133.4 -5 ABBOTSFORD 149.7 156.7 7 YELLOWKNIFE 144.7 144.7 0 CALGARY* 133.2 136.7 3.5 RED DEER 130.3 133.8 3.5 EDMONTON 130.2 133.3 3.1 LETHBRIDGE 131.1 131.3 0.2 LLOYDMINSTER 126.5 125.8 -0.7 GRANDE PRAIRIE 130.7 128.9 -1.8 REGINA* 131.8 131.8 0 SASKATOON 134.9 135.3 0.4 PRINCE ALBERT 130.2 128.6 -1.6 MOOSE JAW 135.6 135.6 0 WINNIPEG * 134.9 134.2 -0.7 BRANDON 130.9 128.7 -2.2 CITY OF TORONTO* 137.6 136.6 -1 BRAMPTON 137.4 136.1 -1.3 ETOBICOKE 136.9 136.4 -0.5 MISSISSAUGA 136.4 135.4 -1 NORTH YORK 137.9 136.9 -1 SCARBOROUGH 137.4 136.2 -1.2 VAUGHAN/MARKHAM 137.6 136.3 -1.3 OTTAWA 136 135.6 -0.4 KINGSTON 124.3 128.9 4.6 PETERBOROUGH 126.8 124.9 -1.9 WINDSOR 136.3 135.1 -1.2 LONDON 137.1 135.8 -1.3 SUDBURY 134.4 127 -7.4 SAULT STE MARIE 128.1 127.8 -0.3 THUNDER BAY 131.4 137.2 5.8 NORTH BAY 140.2 131.6 -8.6 TIMMINS 138.8 138.7 -0.1 HAMILTON 135.5 133.8 -1.7 ST. CATHARINES 132.3 133.1 0.8 BARRIE 136.9 135.7 -1.2 BRANTFORD 134.3 134.8 0.5 GUELPH 135.8 135.8 0 KITCHENER 136 135.2 -0.8 OSHAWA 137.1 135.4 -1.7 SARNIA 125.3 129.9 4.6 MONTRÉAL* 158.4 157.6 -0.8 QUÉBEC 150 151.9 1.9 SHERBROOKE 149.5 150 0.5 GASPÉ 157.4 157.4 0 CHICOUTIMI 133.3 138.5 5.2 RIMOUSKI 151.4 151.4 0 TROIS RIVIÈRES 154.4 154.4 0 DRUMMONDVILLE 148.9 148.4 -0.5 VAL D'OR 156.7 156.7 0 GATINEAU 134.5 139.9 5.4 SAINT JOHN* 137.8 139.2 1.4 FREDERICTON 138.3 141 2.7 MONCTON 138.5 141.4 2.9 BATHURST 138.3 138.3 0 EDMUNDSTON 138.1 140.2 2.1 MIRAMICHI 139.6 142.1 2.5 CAMPBELLTON 139.7 142.5 2.8 SUSSEX 138.1 140 1.9 WOODSTOCK 139.6 142.4 2.8 HALIFAX* 140.1 143.6 3.5 SYDNEY 142.3 145.5 3.2 YARMOUTH 141.1 144.6 3.5 TRURO 141.3 144.7 3.4 KENTVILLE 140.7 144.2 3.5 NEW GLASGOW 141.3 144.7 3.4 CHARLOTTETOWN* 145.6 148.5 2.9 ST JOHNS* 147.2 149.8 2.6 GANDER 149.4 153.5 4.1 LABRADOR CITY 154.4 156.9 2.5 CORNER BROOK 148.2 150.8 2.6 GRAND FALLS 148.5 153.5 5 SOURCE: KALIBRATE • All figures in CAD cents (*) Denotes markets used in Volume Weighted Canada Average Jeff Lagerquist is a senior reporter at Yahoo Finance Canada. Follow him on X @jefflagerquist. Download the Yahoo Finance app, available for Apple and Android. Error 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

Province to help fund North Bay's first cricket pitch
Province to help fund North Bay's first cricket pitch

CTV News

time4 days ago

  • Sport
  • CTV News

Province to help fund North Bay's first cricket pitch

Cricket players in North Bay are celebrating as the province has come through with funding to help build a cricket pitch in the city. After years of prodding and pushing from the local cricket club, North Bay is getting its first cricket pitch. For years, cricket player and North Bay Cricket Club president Romy Ghumman has been asking city officials to build a cricket pitch. North Bay Cricket Club Members of the North Bay Cricket Club were on hand to hear Thursday's announcement. (Eric Taschner/CTV News) Softball cricket players would often have to use parks, uneven ground, or even roads and empty parking lots to play. 'For the hard ball, we don't have any dedicated space,' Ghumman said. 'So, we travel outside every weekend. So even last weekend we went to Timmins for a tournament.' The sport has grown in popularity in tandem with the city's growing East Indian community. 'They worship cricket' 'Back in India, they say they worship cricket more than their own religion,' laughed team captain Vasudevan Kaarudaiar. The club approached city council, which eventually approved the construction of a new cricket pitch, but it was dependent on funding support. Now, the Ontario government has stepped in to help. Through the province-wide $200 million Community Sport and Recreation Infrastructure Fund (CSRIF), an application was submitted and approved. NB cricket Funding of $1.6 million from the province will help build a cricket pitch in North Bay. (Eric Taschner/CTV News) 'That means that the application was done properly,' North Bay Mayor Peter Chirico said. 'The application was done right to be able to showcase our community.' The province is chipping in more than $1.6 million to get the pitch built. Ontario's Minister of Sport, Neil Lumsden, was on hand Thursday to dish out the money. 'When you talk about people coming together outside of sport, they really are becoming a team no matter what the challenges,' Lumsden told reporters. 'This is a great example of people that are passionate and understand the benefit and the growth of the sport.' Lumsden knows all too well about the passion cricket players have for the game. Growing up, he played cricket in Toronto when attending a private school before turning to pro football. 'The draw that it has, the uniqueness of it. It is a fabulous sport,' he said. 'Sport drives the economy and sport hosting drives the economy.' North Bay cricket After years of prodding and pushing from the local cricket club, North Bay is getting its first cricket pitch. The province is chipping in more than $1.6 million to get the pitch built. (Eric Taschner/CTV News) Potential cricket hub The cricket club sees the potential to turn North Bay into a hub and for hosting tournaments because of the city's central location. Teams can come from farther north and from down south to play. When Kaarudaiar moved to North Bay from India in 2016, he said there 'were 12 or 13 people playing cricket' in the city. 'But over the years, with more and more immigration happening, we have lots of players here,' he said, The pitch will be located at the Steve Omischl Sports Complex and will meet regulation size standards. Three potential sites at the sportsplex have been chosen. The city said design work is expected to take place this winter, with construction targeted for the spring. While there's a little bit more waiting to go for the city's 120 cricket players, Ghumman said he can't wait for the first bowl. 'It feels like a dream coming true,' he said. 'We've been fighting for this for a long time.'

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