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Opening comments:  More at the end.
 

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

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


Torstar Network - July 29, 2010 - By 

Firm thought McCallion was a real estate agent, inquiry told

An official with an Alberta-based pension fund, a partner in the plan to sell land to a company associated with Mayor Hazel McCallion’s son, said he would never have agreed to the sale had he known the mayor’s son was an owner.

Why?

Because there was an obvious perception of a conflict of interest, he said.

The testimony came today from Micheal Dal Bello, a vice-president with the Alberta Investment Management Corp. who told the Mississauga judicial inquiry he thought the mayor’s son, Peter McCallion, was simply a real estate agent.

“If you had known he was a shareholder, would it have been significant?  Would that have made a difference?”  Commission counsel William McDowell asked Dal Bello.

“Yes I think it would have,” said Dal Bello.  “I don’t think this deal would have moved forward.  Because the potential of the perception of conflicts would have been pretty apparent to us.”

Under further questioning, Dal Bello, a partner with the Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System (OMERS) in the controversial
$14.4-million land sale to World Class Developments (WCD), a company co-owned by the mayor’s son, said:  “It’s not the kind of activity we want to be involved in.

“It kind of jumps out at you, that you are selling land to a company where the mayor’s son has an interest and the mayor has a reasonable sway in the way things unfold in the City of Mississauga,” said Dal Bello.

Dal Bello also said that when he realized the younger McCallion was more involved than simply being a real estate agent, it became one of the reasons his company killed the conditional land sale to Peter McCallion’s firm.

Dal Bello is the first witness at the inquiry to describe as a conflict the situation involving both the mayor and her son, as the mayor championed the $1.5-billion hotel, convention centre and condominium complex.

His testimony is significant because he was an inside player in the deal and he was one of the players who Mayor McCallion called several times toward the end of 2008 in an attempt to salvage the deal on behalf of her son and WCD.

The inquiry has been told that although the mayor witnessed a trust agreement making her son an owner in WCD, she was unaware he was an owner.  Her son has taken the position that he did not realize he was an owner.
 


Comments by others - 15 - to this web-page at time of posting;


The Mississauga Muse

Jul 30, 2010 7:40 PM

@ Uatu, it's worse than that. Hazel McCallion's lawyer said that son doesn't tell mother details

and that he never has. Just vaguely about things. She knows that one of the things he's vague about is World Class Development! And yet she co-signs things without reading them? And we're talking about her "dream" 4-star hotel? And not reading what she co-signed? We're talking about someone who's heralded a shrewd top-tier businesswoman --and municipal leader on her "dream" jewel in the downtown core crown. Peter McCallion shares his mom's contempt of the intelligence of the public (shares my contempt too). However, he's now warbling in front of Cunningham and McDowell. That's intellect, perseverance and experience enough. But he's also got the City's lawyer (our lawyer) Clifford Lax who fought bravely to hide his disgust as The Peter.

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Uatu

Jul 30, 2010 7:39 PM

@Muse

I think ComeOn means that a Crown Attorney reviewing the facts here would decide to lay charges. I'd be interested to know specifically which charges, though. There are a lot of former municipal politicians sitting in the provincial and federal Houses, and they haven't exactly made it easy to hold municipal politicians accountable no matter how badly they behave. (Preaching to the choir I know.)

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Uatu

Jul 30, 2010 7:33 PM

@Muse

So nobody knew Peter McCallion was a principal? That's even easier to believe! Maybe you were a principal too and just didn't know it. I'm pretty sure I was. I'm expecting my share of the $4 million any day now. Sorry if I jumped the gun, but I think we'll see that AIM eventually did know Peter McCallion was a principal. Or maybe you're right and they never knew.

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The Mississauga Muse

Jul 30, 2010 6:56 PM

@ ComeOn

You wrote, "I fail to see how a Crown Prosecutor reviewing this mess is not going to see the same inappropriate behaviour the rest of us see. It used to be said how sad to end a 30 year career like this. However, it appears that Mayor McCallion has been at this for years. Shame." "Crown Prosecutor"? There's no Prosecution at this Inquiry. It's just an Inquiry. At the end of this, the Commissioner could make all manner of recommendations and NONE need be followed. In some respects it would be like an investigation conducted by the Ontario Ombudsman. He has no authority to make anyone do anything. Just "moral suasion". Also, I admit I didn't see every hearing but you writing, "However, it appears that Mayor McCallion has been at this for years. Shame." currently the evidence does not support that. I'm reminded of the G20 people who calling for a full public inquiry and yelling "HEY HEY HO HO! Bill Blair's got to go!" Why are you "hanging" someone prior to all the evidence? That's not Fairness. That's how the C

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ConcernedResident

Jul 30, 2010 4:04 PM

@Spudder

Not a real estate genius are you? Did you check the value on you home last fall? Or do you live in a ravine? Real estate values in Canada hardly too =k a hit at all, and had rebounded nicely towards the end of 2009.

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ComeOn

Jul 30, 2010 3:38 PM

Hazel McCallion Scandal Needs Provincial Attention

I fail to see how a Crown Prosecutor reviewing this mess is not going to see the same inappropriate behaviour the rest of us see. It used to be said how sad to end a 30 year career like this. However, it appears that Mayor McCallion has been at this for years. Shame.

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The Mississauga Muse

Jul 30, 2010 2:06 PM

@ The Spudder. Regarding pay and overpay

You wrote, "As the inquiry goes along you will see that the City did over pay for this land so that WCD could get paid off." You wrote that like you're certain. Use of the word "will". I'm not swift with real estate but even I figured there'd be a difference in value in the heady 2007 days compared to early January 2009. I draw comfort from knowing William McDowell and Clifford Lax are a lot sharper than me. And they've got the documents and access to all "principals".

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The Spudder

Jul 30, 2010 12:07 AM

@CR and Mantis

Did you read the article about City not being fleeced? The reporter comes to this conclusion based on the fact that the City only paid what WCD was paying. Really!!! WCD negotiated that purchase price some 3 years before the City bought the land in 2009. When WCD was negotiating the purchase price for the land we were in much better economic times than when the City bought the land in 2009. Heck, the Mayor was lobbying OMERS to give WCD more time to close the deal because of the tough economic times that we found ourselves in late 2008 early 2009. How can you say the City did not get fleeced? As the inquiry goes along you will see that the City did over pay for this land so that WCD could get paid off. AIM wanted to take this and fight WCD in court yet OMERS settles. Could that have been payback for the veto that was slipped in to the Enersource deal in 2001? Just asking.

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The Mississauga Muse

Jul 29, 2010 11:05 PM

These Judicial Inquiry folks are amazing! Today's transcript is already UP!

July 29, 2010 Testimony of MICHAEL DAL BELLO (Senior Vice President of Real Estate, Alberta Investment Management Corp) and DEAN GORDON HANSEN (Principal with AIMCo) http://mail.tscript.com/trans/mississauga/jul_29_10/index.htm

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Johnny99

Jul 29, 2010 10:44 PM

Typical of the McCallion Supporters

How typical of those who throw their support blindly behind the Mayor. If you in any way question her motives or her actions, you automatically become a "Barbarian". It is possible to have grave concerns about how this city is run without automatically being a supporter of Mr. Barbar. If the Mayor truly believed that a hotel and convention centre was necessary for the downtown core, why was she trying to pressure OMERS into dropping the requirement for a hotel as part of the sale agreement to WCD? Why was WCD the Mayor's only choice for developing this property? How is the Mayor even qualified to pick the preferred developer? Why wasn't a transparent public process put in place to find a development group who could successfully complete the project? When even the property vendor has grave concerns about the deal from the outset, it is a clear indication of major problems with the process. I, for one, am happy that there is an attempt being made to unravel this mess.

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Tony Jackson

Jul 29, 2010 8:28 PM

ConcernedResident Jul 29, 2010 7:36 PM

As per July-26 testimony, the value (FMV) of the land depend on its use (land use/zoning). Eg. C$900,000 to 1.1million per acre for hotel (Atlus Heylar), and around 1.5 million for condominium (Integrus). WCD offered 1.69 million per acre. A very good price as per the seller. Now, what’s the Fair Market Value-ation of that land when the land-use is for university?. It seems there was no valuation done. Apparently, Mayor was asked to negotiate with the seller to lower the price, but she refused saying that 14.4 is FMV”

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The Mississauga Muse

Jul 29, 2010 8:09 PM

@ Uatu, regarding what AIM knew, they didn't know, they suspected (sniffed it)

Uatu, you wrote, "So Peter McCallion didn't know he was an an owner of WCD, and neither did his mom, but AIM did? Yes, that's believable." I was at much of the AIM testimony. Mr. Dal Bello said that AIM knew Peter McCallion was involved from pretty much the Get-Go. But as a real estate agent. AIM knew he'd get some commission --just not how much. They were okay with that. Then as time passed Mr. Dal Bello said that AIM was getting these vibes that Peter McCallion was involving himself more than as some agent. Attending meetings, and even presenting a World Class Development business card. Dal Bello said that Peter McCallion was acting more like a principal. Later though Dal Bello said that some real estate agents don't attend any meetings but other attend a lot depending. Best is to wait for the transcript. Inquiry folks are outstanding at getting those out fast. If you want to watch the actual video, Rogers has archived it at: http://tinyurl.com/32rmjct

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The Mississauga Muse

Jul 29, 2010 8:00 PM

(Needs repeating here) Royson James to MYTHissauga (the highlights) "Step one: End the denials."

"To the army of Hazel McCallion apologists — many itching to re-elect her Oct. 25 — testimony out of the Mississauga judicial inquiry must be painful. At best, Peter McCallion used his mom, the good graces of her Streetsville home and the tax-supported resources of the mayor’s office to feather his own nest." "At worst, he was aided and abetted by the powerful mayor mom who seems to have her hand in every deal, a finger in every transaction, and bared knuckles at the ready to drive hesitant developers to the altar." "Whatever you believe, the public process is badly broken in Mississauga." "'I didn’t do anything wrong. There is no conflict of interest here.' Maybe McCallion believes this, after almost a half century in the public eye — a peculiar “see no evil” focus that exists in Mississauga." " Such behaviour is clearly forbidden in most municipalities. We hope."

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ComeOn

Jul 29, 2010 5:43 PM

Hazel McCallion Scandal Grows

There is no way that the Inquiry is going to buy that garbage. How insulting to everyone's intelligence. If it were not so serious it would be laughable. He was an owner, put his money in, owned shares and mama helped get the deal done and keep it on track. I am shocked at the lack of transparency with the McCallions. After 30 years they figure say anything to save your skin. Even the Hazelites can't keep food down over these events. Shocking revelations and disusting insulting excuses.

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Uatu

Jul 29, 2010 5:33 PM

Too funny

So Peter McCallion didn't know he was an an owner of WCD, and neither did his mom, but AIM did? Yes, that's believable.

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