Vol. 7, Issue 23 Newsstand Price $1.50 per week Thursday, February 6, 2020 Former Petrolia TAKING A STAND CAO got $10,000 retirement payout Heather Wright 2017 after an independent The Independent investigator filed his report about Baron’s activities. John Manny Baron may have been Fleming was called in to in- shown the door at Petrolia vestigate after The Independ- Town Hall, but he left with an ent revealed Baron owned two extra $10,000 in his pocket. buildings which were being After 26 months of appeals used by the town - a house under the Freedom of Infor- which served as a youth centre mation Act - just two hours and a warehouse which was before the Information and to be leased to the municipal- Privacy Commission adjudi- ity for storage. Baron bought cator’s deadline for turning the buildings with a numbered the information over - The company and never told coun- Independent has obtained the cil about his investment. three-page agreement that Town staff helped renovate ended the former chief admin- both buildings and kept the istrator’s employment with the grounds up around the youth town which reveals the cash. centre. Baron received at least Petrolia council announced $5,000 in rent for the centre. Baron’s resignation Nov. 17, SEE BARON PG 2 HEATHER WRIGHT PHOTO A transport drops off more biosolid fertilizer on Hale School Road. The Buurma family, which also owns Lasalle Agri, appears to be stockpiling the fertilizer which is made from human waste in Dawn-Euphemia. Biosolids must be moved: Broad Heather Wright spread it.” The Independent And Roberts is worried it is too close to a sensitive water Greg Roberts is concerned course - Longs Creek - which HEATHER WRIGHT PHOTO about the mountain growing is along the property line. “I’m LCCVI teachers Joel Campbell, Krista Mueller and Jessica McKay walk the picket line with hundreds of other near his home. just worried it is going to get Lambton County teachers Tuesday in front of the Lambton-Kent District School Board office in Sarnia. Three of The Dawn-Euphemia man into the wells,” says Roberts. the four teachers unions held a one-day strike in the Lambton-Kent district leaving only French public students has been watching as a mound He’s not the only one in the classroom. The Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario is planning another one-day strike to back of fertilizer made of human concerned. Dawn-Euphemia contract demands Thursday. ETFO and the province met for three-days of negotiations last week, but the talks biosolids has grown into what Mayor Al Broad has been broke off. Union officials say the province wanted the elementary teachers union to agree to cuts to special he calls a mountain. It is far watching the pile grow, too. education, something they could not do. ETFO has said it will continue its Thursday walkouts indefinitely.For too big of a pile, he says, to be And residents have also been more on the labour dispute see page 5. used on the property - “They voicing concern. would need a bulldozer to SEE BIOSOLIDS PG 3 425 Broadway Street • Wyoming HOURS BRAND NEW 2019 Monday-Friday 519-845-3352 8:30am-6pm FORD WWW.RONCLARKFORD.COM Saturday 9am-3pm EDGE ST • 20” Polished Aluminum Wheels • Unique ST Interior • 2.7L V6 Engine Ron Clark Ford • Heated Windshield WAS $ • Wiper De-Icer RON CLARK 52,499 • Heated Steering Wheel • Ford Co-Pilot Assist CLEAROUT • Evasive Steering Assist $ • Adaptive Cruise Control PRICE 43,736+HST, LIC. • Voice Activated Navigation 2 – The Independent of Petrolia and Central Lambton Thursday, February 6, 2020 AN AUDIENCE WITH OIL SPRINGS OLLIE HAVE YOU HEARD? At Lambton Audiology Associates, we believe that providing exceptional audiological care should be the rule, not the exception. That’s why we work extra hard to provide the highest level of patient care and customer support in our community. After all, We’re here to help YOU hear better! ® OUR SERVICES • Hearing assessments for all ages • Home visits • Hearing aid batteries • Convenient Saturday appointments and accessories • Caring for Sarnia- • Assistive listening devices Lambton since 1988 • Tinnitus treatment program • Balance Assessment • Hearing help classes and Rehabilitation CALL US TODAY TO BOOK YOUR APPOINTMENT! SARNIA PETROLIA 519-542-0569 226-738-0401 HEATHER WRIGHT PHOTO 102-1433 London Rd. 4-4119 Petrolia Line Oil Springs Ollie - a groundhog from Heaven’s Wildlife Centre near Edys Mills - met with his fans at the Oil Sarnia, ON Petrolia, ON Museum Friday during a special program on a professional development day. The weather prognosticating rodent was gearing up for his official forecast on Feb. 2 - Groundhog Day. Ollie travelled to Sarnia, did not see his shadow www.lambtonaudiology.com and predicted an early spring. Have a Great Story Idea? Baron walked away with $10,000 Send it to us! OR CALL US @ CON’T FROM PG 1 impact on negotiations (for resignation.)” At one point, when asked directly about The resignation agreement says the ownership of the building, he told Baron must cooperate with the town council it belonged to local developer Horst and its lawyers about his work or “any 226-738-0728 Richter. public hearing, arbitration proceeding email us at: [email protected] After the stories were published in late or legal proceeding in connection with October, Baron was suspended and Fleming matters arising during his former active was brought in to investigate. The details of employment.” what he found have not been revealed. The The town and Baron agree to keep the same Information and Privacy Commission severance confidential, unless ordered to adjudicator who ordered the town to release release it under the Freedom of Information SUPPLIER OF the resignation agreement Baron drafted Act. Only one of the 11 clauses of the and the town council signed, also said the agreement was completely blotted out at the INDUSTRIAL Fleming report was part of Baron’s work request of the adjudicator. record and did not have to be released. Baron was charged with breach of SPECIALTY The resignation agreement says the former public trust in 2018, but the charge was CAO received two weeks salary plus 15.17 withdrawn after he took part in a Direct SANDS days of accrued vacation time totalling Accountability Program where he admitted $6,675.47. It also provided Baron with a an “administrative error” and gave $1,000 to “retiring allowance” of $10,000. charity as restitution. SAND AND GRAVEL www.KESand.ca Under the Ontario Employment Standards Baron was hired by the Township of Act, when an employee is terminated, the Mapleton two months after he resigned. We are proud employer is not required to give any sort The mayor of Mapleton said he had talked to offer the most of extra pay if the employee is “guilty of to then Petrolia Mayor John McCharles premium sand and wilful misconduct, disobedience or wilful about Baron’s departure from Petrolia and neglect of duty that is not trivial and was believed this newspaper’s reporting of the Filtration products in not condoned by the employer or ...because issue “was twisted.” Southwestern Ontario. the contract of employment is impossible Baron did not speak with The Independent to perform or has been frustrated by an at the time of his release. He did talk to From use in flooring epoxies unexpected or unforeseen event.” The Wellington Advertiser about the events to sandblasting sands, our Current council members Ross O’Hara which led to his resignation. products are screened and and Grant Purdy were part of the council “There’s no doubt at the time I was in processed to ensure the which approved the payment. Neither could direct conflict of interest in the sense that highest quality every time. recall the conversation around why the council was unaware that I owned the payout was given. building – ah, buildings,” Baron told the Our sandblasting sands are Purdy added even if he could remember paper. silica-free and range in use what happened when Baron’s resignation “However, I can assure you that the town from finer paint removal to was discussed, he couldn’t speak about it was not out money. combating heavy-duty rust. because it was dealt with in camera. “They didn’t pay me rent on a monthly Mayor Brad Loosley was among the basis. They paid their portion of the utilities. We also carry prepackaged majority of candidates in the 2018 election They did pay first and last, but did their own dike and weight sand to help who voiced concerns about Baron’s leasehold improvements. protect against water surges. dismissal and the lack of information “Apart from that, I personally went and surrounding it. got donations to cover the expense of the Quality. But when contacted Tuesday to comment youth centre and the seniors centre so on the retirement allowance, Loosley had the town wasn’t out any money, which in Always. little to say. hindsight I wish I had told council at the “I’m uncomfortable commenting because time, but here we are now.” MONDAY-FRIDAY I wasn’t there,” he told The Independent The youth centre has since closed and adding that generally “when it is proven Baron has sold both buildings. 519-845-3396 7:30AM-4PM people are guilty, it certainly should have an Thursday, February 6, 2020 The Independent of Petrolia and Central Lambton – 3 Elementary teachers want help with volatile students Chiropractic • Acupuncture Heather Wright Ontario President Laurel Liddicoat-Newton says the changes in workload, Custom Made Orthotics NOW The Independent Liddicoat-Newton says that’s rotating strikes are not “about the downloading to only a very small part of the getting a huge raise – that’s teachers.