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Scanned, recopied or Internet copy, if there are errors, please e-mail me with corrections:


Opening comments:  More at the end.
 

To the main Judicial Inquiry page - to the Hazel McCallion page.

Comments by others to this web-page 
- 4 - to this web-page at time of posting.


Mississauga News - Aug. 19, 2010 - By Louie Rosella - lrosella@mississauga.net

Mayor used as 'negotiating tool'

Giving testimony.

Michael Kitt, executive vice-president of development for Oxford Properties,
took the stand today as the Mississauga judicial inquiry continued in the Burhamthorpe Rd. W. courthouse.
Staff photo by Rob Beintema

An executive of the company that was selling prime City Centre land to the mayor's son's firm said he had no clue what Peter McCallion's role was in the transaction and admitted he had concerns about the deal from the get-go.

Michael Kitt, executive vice-president of Oxford Properties, a subsidiary of the Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System (OMERS), said Mayor Hazel McCallion was "very involved" in negotiations between her son's company, World Class Developments (WCD), and Oxford in which WCD was trying to acquire 8.5 acres of land for an eventual hotel and conference centre.

Kitt believed Tony DeCicco, one of the principals of WCD, was using the mayor in the process.

"Tony and WCD were using the mayor as a negotiating tool, an effective communication tool to advance negotiations," Kitt said during testimony today at the Mississauga judicial inquiry.  "I could feel the pressure increasing from the mayor's side.  She was becoming more and more involved."

McCallion was calling OMERS head Michael Nobrega throughout 2008 asking for extensions on WCD's behalf, Kitt said.  She also arranged meetings between her son and Kitt and was being updated regularly on negotiations.

"She said WCD needed more time...to satisfy the conditions of the purchase and sale agreement," Kitt said.

In an e-mail from Kitt during negotiations, he comments:  "Hazel called me...interesting to note the developer didn't call."

While Kitt said the mayor undoubtedly knew her son was involved, nobody knew exactly what Peter McCallion's role was in WCD.

"I didn't understand completely, definitively, what his role was.  No one could say exactly," Kitt said.  "I came to understand quite quickly there was some fuzziness associated with this file...everything was curious.  I was uncomfortable with the overall dynamic of the negotiation."

The deal eventualy collapsed and OMERS sold the land to the City of Mississauga last summer for close to $15 million.  The City, in turn, leased it to Sheridan College for a business school, which will open next year.

The inquiry is probing the failed land deal, including conflict of interest allegations against the mayor and her behind-the-scenes involvement.


Comments by others - 4 - to this web-page at time of posting;


The Mississauga Muse

Aug 20, 2010 9:03 AM

@ ILUVMYPROPVALUE Thanks, I appreciate your kind words. You can't change Hazel McCallion any more than you can change Harold Shipp,

Jim Murray, Michael Nobrega, David O'Brien, Katie Mahoney, Pat Saito, Maja Prentice, Pat Mulln, Ted Woloshyn, and all other Friends of Hazel. But WE are changed. WE now know with certainty what THEY wanted covered up and held from Canadians --and History. Here's part of one speech to the Commissioner at the Inquiry. "Who, What, Where, When, How are almost givens. But Why is my big one too for this Inquiry. Why? Why is the City of Mississauga behave the way is does?" Turns out my guess about Why the City is such an unethical open oozing cesspool was right even before the Inquiry started! For me these findings represent an end ILUVMYPROPVALUE. The Inquiry slam-dunks what I set out to do since March 2007. Find the main-Root of Youth Violence. Remember. McCallion proclaimed "We lead Canada in management". Well. Doesn't that suggest this incestuous municipal-$$$evil$$$ is --EVERYWHERE?

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ILUVMYPROPVALUE

Aug 19, 2010 10:41 PM

Again, thanks Muse

Your efforts are worthy. But do you really see anything to change after all of this? The only thing I see is Hazel with another term as mayor, all her "good friends" will still be in the game with her...She might learn to more careful, but she will not change.

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The Mississauga Muse

Aug 19, 2010 10:22 PM

@ ILUVMYPROPVALUE You wrote, "Thanks Muse. So it was a payoff, even though if they went to court chances were they would not get squat."

Actually it was more like a ****off. They had to clear the path for Sheridan. I was wrong about something. Evidence showed that someone wanted the court doc sealed. I'd assumed it was Peter/Hazel McCallion or OMERS. Nope. It was Tony DeCicco! That's the FASCINATING thing in all of this. Every witness had large pieces of the puzzle but no one had the Big Picture. I recall DeCicco's testimony and his theories. He ran scenarios through his mind. Just like I do. But BOY can you be wrong if you're not privy to the most important piece! Like David O'Brien being the trustee for the McCallion family trust and the closest of close friends to the Mayor. Same with Nobrega. Now that you know that OMERS/Mayor are inseparable you can understand why AIMCo got scre... errum, left in the dark. re: "Does our city council really do anything???" Only SEVEN Councillors ;-)

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ILUVMYPROPVALUE

Aug 19, 2010 9:50 PM

The $4 million

Thanks Muse. So it was a payoff, even though if they went to court chances were they would not get squat. Hush money might be a better term. I am more concerned now about the dealings of the $4 million more than anything...Does our city council really do anything???

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The Mississauga Muse

Aug 19, 2010 9:44 PM

@ ILUVMYPROPVALUE

You wrote, "The mayor's son is getting our money from a failed real estate deal, how is this possible?" Yesterday Tony DeCicco testified that Peter McCallion will be getting back all the money he originally invested. That it was the fair thing to do. (I can tell you from testimony all Peter McCallion brought to the table was his name and ready access to his mother) I'm not buying that pure distilled crap about what a disadvantage it was for Peter McCallion to be the Mayor's son. Next, I still believe taxpayers should be paying for his defense. My reason is fairness but if you want to be hard-nosed about it, bet your butt, both McCallions would squawk and challenge the proceedings as having been unfair. This way they can't. (at least credibly)

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The Mississauga Muse

Aug 19, 2010 9:39 PM

@ ILUVMYPROPVALUE

You wrote, "I am now reading through all the reports on this. And I still cannot see why a $4 million settlement was made" Tony DeCicco wanted more. David *ptui* O'Brien said DeCicco wanted $10 million to settle. They eventually settled at $4 mil to be rid of World Class Developments so that Sheridan was clear to build on the land. Imagine the debacle if Sheridan fell through as well. Not only would there be all this conflict of interest stink, now think of newspaper headlines that her son's company hanging tough was the reason for no college! It was damage control and sometimes you have to pay more just to dispose of something. (I'll answer your other question separately)

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The Mississauga Muse

Aug 19, 2010 9:33 PM

@ Mad Max. I have the videos... OMERS and the Mayor are inseparable.

You wrote, " Fingers in the OMERS pension plan cookie jar...Guess this is how city hall works." Given the admission by OMERS executive Michael Kitt today that he's not familiar with the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act, you can bet it's not just this city hall where OMERS dances about freely with their execs considering politicians' family in deals as "not being persons of interest to us". How many stink-stank-stunk deals like this in Ontario? In Canada? (because OMERS invests all over). There's an email that mentions keeping the City happy and then in brackets that "City" meant Hazel McCallion. In OMERS communications "City" = "The Mayor". Very clear, OMERS/McCallion give AIMCo little/no thought. And man you have to laugh at all the witnesses who go up there and then say they only learned important puzzle pieces through the Inquiry!

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The Mississauga Muse

Aug 19, 2010 9:26 PM

@ ILUVMYPROPVALUE being there is better than TV's talking heads.

You wrote, "Can you tell us what the mood is like at the hearing. Has the tone changed? Please let us know." The mood has changed since the beginning because the lawyers now know each other. I went to the actual hearings for the same reason I went to G20. I didn't trust the media (or anyone else) to report for me! Believe this. The Mississauga Judicial Inquiry is REAL. William McDowell, Naomi Loewith and of course Commissioner Douglas Cunningham are finestkind. But you know how I really concluded this was real? The City of Mississauga gave me/us CLIFFORD LAX! And I can best describe him as the perfect mix of precision-reserved-p****ed-off-ness. I also like/respect the AIMCo lawyer, Don Jack. Between him and Lax they're effective at dancing on OMERS' heads (including their lawyers). The mood for the Good Guys?.. think oncologists doing their best to rid us of malignancies.

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ILUVMYPROPVALUE

Aug 19, 2010 9:25 PM

I must be stupid and a little slow. Help me here.

I am now reading through all the reports on this. And I still cannot see why a $4 million settlement was made and how Peter McCallion is going to be cashing in on the taxpayers of Mississauga. The mayor's son is getting our money from a failed real estate deal, how is this possible?

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Uatu

Aug 19, 2010 9:10 PM

You can see the Inquiry for yourself at your convenience

Streaming video of all the Inquiry proceedings is available at http://www.rogerstv.com/judicialinquiry

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Therese Taylor

Aug 19, 2010 8:47 PM

Try watching it on Cable 10 or better yet, visit for a couple of hours. It's fascinating!

The Muse and one other man seem to be the only regular observers. I've been 3 times and hope to drop in again soon. But there are more lawyers, corporate reports, witnesses and city staff than there are citizens. Correct me if I'm wrong Muse. Oh yes, I've also seen Don Barber, Tom Urbanik and a couple of police officers at the back.

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Mad Max

Aug 19, 2010 8:46 PM

Fingers in the OMERS pension plan cookie jar

What a digraceful situation. The Mayor should have known better. Guess this is how city hall works.

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ILUVMYPROPVALUE

Aug 19, 2010 8:41 PM

@The Mississauga Muse

Thank you for the link. Can you tell us what the mood is like at the hearing...Are people just shaking their heads? Has the tone changed? Please let us know.

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Therese Taylor

Aug 19, 2010 8:26 PM

And so if Mr. Kitt was not familiar with Ontario's Municipal Conflict of Interest Act

Is that because he resides in Alberta? And still Mr. Kitt was concerned about “a conflict of interest” because the Mayor was “related to Peter…because you felt that Peter might have a pecuniary interest in the outcome of the project. A: Yes.” Alberta has a Code of Conduct (http://alberta.ca/home/741.cfm), so perhaps that’s the difference that through him off the meaning of Ontario’s Conflict of Interest Act. Still, Mr. Kitt acknowledged there was a conflict.

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Think About It

Aug 19, 2010 8:24 PM

Building a MYTHstry, Sarah McLachlan must have wrote about MYTHissauga moving on down home

I think where the watched pot is boiling, over not through the Canadian C-46 Oxley Sarbanes Act but the procurement and seizures of property estates is where this is going. At the 1865 Appomattox Campaign Abbe Lincoln lynched the robber barons before he siezed their assets. Turtles up it looks like a coalition putting in motion to procure the $2.1 million Allan Rock dished out on the misleading Air Bus/Bear Head settlement when the facilties were never built in Nova Scotia

The Mississauga Muse

Aug 19, 2010 7:11 PM

Today's Judicial Inquiry now up at: http://mail.tscript.com/trans/mississauga/aug_19_10/index.htm

TRANSCRIPT ("A" = OMERS Michael Kitt): Q: And so when you talk about a conflict of interest, you are talking about the fact that she is re -- related to Peter, correct? Is that your -- A: That -- that would be one, yes. Yes. Q: That was a concern to you? A: Yes. Q: And -- because you felt that Peter might have a pecuniary interest in the outcome of the project? A: Yes. Q: And with respect to that, are you familiar with the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act? A: No." [END] Yep. Michael Kitt, Executive Vice President, development, Oxford Properties is not familiar with the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act.

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The Mississauga Muse

Aug 19, 2010 5:24 PM

Remember the song by Bill Withers" These "Use Me" Lyrics

"My friends feel it's their appointed duty They keep trying to tell me all you want to do is use me But my answer yeah to all that use me stuff Is I wanna spread the news that if it feels this good getting used Oh you just keep on using me until you use me up Until you use me up Until you use me up Talking about you using me but it all depends on what you do It ain't too bad the way you're using me Cause I sure am using you to do the things you do Ah ha to do the things you do"

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The Mississauga Muse

Aug 19, 2010 4:37 PM

WOW! I thought headline would be "OMERS/Owford Executive vice-president admits not knowing about Conflict of Interest Act"

Good thing people's butts are attached firmly at birth or mine would've fallen off at *that* revelation! Anyone else think that Kitt was like a bambi caught in headlights? Tentative? Vague? I tell you, HUGE difference in ethical infrastructure (and professionalism) between AIMCo and OMERS.



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