Former Waterloo police chief hired as Ottawa chief withdraws
A former Waterloo police chief who was hired for Ottawa’s top job, only to have the person who hired him turfed from her position, has withdrawn from the job.
Coun. Diane Deans was turfed as police services board chair Wednesday night after she hired Matt Torigian to replace Chief Peter Sloly, who resigned earlier this week amid the trucker convoy protests.
Torigian signed a contract and was due to start the job in the next few days. But he has withdrawn and won’t be asking for any compensation, Mayor Jim Watson said in a memo to the police board on Thursday.
Torigian wrote to council and the board saying he had offered his services to the city after Deans, the now-former board chair, asked him to.
“We thank Mr. Torigian for his gracious offer and decision to withdraw his offer of services and to seek no compensation for doing so,” said the memo from Watson and new board chair Eli El-Chantiry. “On behalf of Ottawa City Council, the OPS Board and all residents, we thank Mr. Torigian for his extremely gracious handling of this difficult situation.”
Council voted 15-9 to remove Deans from the board after she decided to hire Tourigian in a sole-sourced deal without consulting councillors or the mayor.
Deans said given Chief Peter Sloly’s departure as chief earlier in the week, police leadership needed to be quickly bolstered by bringing in outside help.
The board unanimously supported her decision. Three of those board members resigned in protest Wednesday.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
BREAKING Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
'It could be catastrophic': Woman says natural supplement contained hidden painkiller drug
A Manitoba woman thought she found a miracle natural supplement, but said a hidden ingredient wreaked havoc on her health.
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
The Body Shop Canada explores sale as demand outpaces inventory: court filing
The Body Shop Canada is exploring a sale as it struggles to get its hands on enough inventory to keep up with "robust" sales after announcing it would file for creditor protection and close 33 stores.
Vicious attack on a dog ends with charges for northern Ont. suspect
Police in Sault Ste. Marie charged a 22-year-old man with animal cruelty following an attack on a dog Thursday morning.
On federal budget, Macklem says 'fiscal track has not changed significantly'
Bank of Canada governor Tiff Macklem says Canada's fiscal position has 'not changed significantly' following the release of the federal government's budget.