Rick Lloyd, Collingwood’s deputy mayor at the time of the 2012 sale of 50 per cent of Collus, said his communication with Paul Bonwick was just like his communication with other business people in the community.
The former deputy mayor and longtime council member took the witness stand today in the judicial inquiry into the 2012 share sale of Collus.
“If somebody in the community called me ... and I wasn’t in conflict, I would help them,” said Lloyd, who was asked about his involvement with Bonwick, who is the brother of then-mayor Sandra Cooper, and who worked as a consultant to PowerStream during the bidding process and share sale of Collus.
Lloyd told the inquiry he was friends with the whole Bonwick family; Bonwick’s parents were his wife’s godparents and vice versa.
“It was more than just a friendship, we were like family,” said Lloyd. “He was a family friend. It doesn’t get any closer.”
When asked if Lloyd provided Bonwick information on town matters, Lloyd said he did, and said he had no concerns about the information he provided.
“I would have thousands of people come in and ask for advice or information,” said Lloyd, referring to people coming to his flower shop to speak with him during his terms on council. “We’re isolating Bonwick here, but there were many others.”
Prior to the Collus sale, emails collected in the inquiry Foundation Document show Bonwick and Lloyd communicating about Amaizeingly Green Products (AGP) being in tax arrears.
An email from Lloyd to Bonwick has Lloyd telling Bonwick the town is near to enacting a tax foreclosure and once that process started, it was out of the municipality’s hands.
Later, Lloyd confirmed he attended a “Liberal fundraiser” at the request of AGP to speak to the Minister of the Environment on their behalf.
AGP covered the cost of Lloyd’s hotel room.
“If they wanted my help, they were going to pay my expenses,” said Lloyd. “It wasn’t an event I would enjoy going to to start with. If it meant it would perhaps help them to get funding, I was all in.”
Lloyd was asked if it was unusual for him to be involved in a request from Bonwick or another citizen or business in town.
“I’ve admitted from Day One I get involved in stuff,” said Lloyd. “People would come into the flower shop because they knew I would get things done.”
Associate Inquiry Council John Mather asked if Lloyd thought his actions gave the appearance of Lloyd advancing the interests of Bonwick and/or his company, Compenso Communications.
“I don’t agree,” said Lloyd. “It’s all the interests of the town of Collingwood. Isn’t that what I’m supposed to do? Aren’t I supposed to help the businesses? That’s what I was doing.”
Mather asked if Lloyd thought an outsider would think he helped Bonwick while expecting something in return.
“The only thing I see with all this document is the conspiracy thing,” said Lloyd. “When you read this whole thing it’s almost like it’s been written to look like conspiracy. Believe you me, it isn’t. If Bonwick’s name wasn’t involved, we wouldn’t even be discussing it.”
“There are hundreds of emails I’ve sent to other people in business,” said Lloyd. “They’re not here because Bonwick’s name isn’t on them … This Bonwick thing drives me crazy.”
During previous hearing dates both Fredrick Chenoweth (the lawyer for Ed Houghton, former Collus president and CEO) and Paul Bonwick have suggested the Foundation Document was written in such a way to suggest “conspiracy.”
In the past, counsel for the inquiry has drawn attention to an email chain between Clerk Sara Almas and Lloyd where Lloyd asks the clerk to confirm his interpretation of the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act, stating his brother obtaining work from the town would not put Lloyd in a conflict of interest.
Almas agreed, and in her testimony, stated she told Lloyd and others she could not provide a legal opinion on conflict of interest.
It was suggested during the course of the hearing Lloyd emailed the clerk because he was doing a favour for Bonwick by finding out if his sister, then-mayor Sandra Cooper would be in conflict if Bonwick was contracted as a consultant to PowerStream.
Lloyd, however, said the email was the after-effects of an argument he had with a bunch of “characters” including Bonwick and Lloyd’s brother where some suggested Lloyd was in conflict because his brother had, in the past, obtained contracts to provide services (such as snowplowing) for the town.
“I was pretty distressed about it … I figured somebody needed to explain,” said Lloyd.
Lloyd forwarded his email chain with Almas to Bonwick 10 days after receiving a response from Almas.
Lloyd, as the other witnesses so far, was asked about the initiation of the share sale process and what decision started the town down the road of obtaining a valuation of Collus.
There was an in-camera meeting prior to the valuation, but there are no records showing a formal decision by council made in public to obtain a valuation of the utility.
“I honestly think that we’re splitting hairs,” said Lloyd. “There was never a red flag put up … I don’t think there was any doubt at the table that the members knew exactly what it was they were doing.”
Lloyd was later appointed to the Strategic Taskforce responsible for handling the request for proposals in the Collus share sale and evaluating the bidders. He said once he heard the presentation by PowerStream as part of the bidding process, he thought the competition was “theirs to lose.”
He said he didn’t share that opinion with anyone but his wife.
Regarding questions about confidential information on the other bidders' submissions seemingly being leaked, Lloyd said that was always a problem during his 25 years on council.
“I’m not surprised that confidential information gets released,” said Lloyd. “I don’t think it was any big secret, unfortunately.”
The inquiry hearings continue tomorrow with Lloyd back on the witness stand in the morning (May 1) beginning at 10 a.m. and former councillor Ian Chadwick on the stand in the afternoon.
Thus far, witnesses in the hearings have included Almas, former CAO Kim Wingrove, Cooper and Lloyd.
