Mum’s the word in South Bruce Peninsula.
Both council and municipal staff are refusing to give any further details into the recent firing of the Manager of Emergency Services, Terry Hutchinson.
When asked for comment at last night’s Council meeting, Mayor Gwen Gilbert told Bayshore Broadcasting News she has “nothing to say on the matter.”
CAO Malcolm MacIntosh originally informed us of the news on May 7th in a news release.
MacIntosh says he still cannot give anymore information as the decision was made by council in camera.
Hutchinson also served as the fire chief, and was most recently in the news for going to bat for 50 firefighters in the Wiarton and Sauble area, after they weren’t paid for some hours owed them – hours that amounted to about 15 thousand dollars.
MacIntosh could say that issue had nothing to do with the firing of the chief, and the workers will still get paid for those hours.
In an interesting turn of events – the crossing guards in Wiarton and at least one in Hepworth are threatening to walk off the job in protest of Hutchinson’s firing.
MacIntosh would not comment on what he calls “speculation” at this point.
Also, volunteer firefighters are worried that their recruiting program will be left in limbo.
Hutchinson was in charge of the recruiting and training of volunteer firefighters, and now with him gone, and no word as to whether council intends to hire a replacement, it’s unclear what will happen with the volunteer firefighter program in South Bruce Peninsula.
Council still hasn’t decided if they will hire a replacement for Hutchinson.
