The OPP investigation into Ward 3 Coun. Gerry Montpellier’s allegation he was offered a bribe to approve a location for a new municipal arena in 2017 has concluded.
“Investigators concluded there is no evidence to support the belief that the councillor was influenced to vote in favour of the project in 2017, as that councillor abstained from the vote and did not report any attempted offer of benefit in exchange for his vote,” according to a media release issued by the city.
In a Sept. 4, 2021, Facebook post, Montpellier wrote, “Due to an offered financial conflict of interest, I did not vote on the locations.”
“Being familiar with my business involvement and participation with Ontario and Michigan casinos, both (a representative from the casino and developer) suggested the opportunity to personally profit by supporting the Kingsway location,” he continued. “This for myself as a city councilor is clearly unethical and cause to abstain.”
Montpellier subsequently denied being offered a bribe.
“What is a bribe? … To be honest with you, I don’t have the answer,” he said at the time.
“To me, if I had to say, obviously I backed away, I said, ‘No way am I going to freakin’ support you if you said this will increase your business.’ Man oh man if I had to say to somebody, I say that is not an appropriate statement to make.”
Montpellier declared a conflict of interest and did not vote on a location for a new municipal arena during city council’s June 27, 2017 meeting.
With Montpellier unable to vote due to his declared conflict of interest, the city’s elected officials voted 6-6 on a motion to have a new arena located downtown, which was therefore defeated.
This resulted in the current location on The Kingsway being selected for what is now referred to as the Kingsway Entertainment District.
In reaction to Montpellier’s Facebook post, city council voted in favour of asking Greater Sudbury Police Service to investigate his allegation. They, in turn, bumped the assignment to the OPP’s Anti-Rackets Branch, Investigation and Support Bureau.
With no evidence of voter influence, “the police investigation into this incident is concluded,” stated today’s media release issued by the city.
Ward 11 Coun. Bill Leduc, whose ward includes the KED site on The Kingsway, said that he was “very excited” by the day’s news and confident that Gateway Casinos will now proceed with their investment in the KED.
In late November, Gateway Casinos put their investment on pause due to “significant risks” imposed by the OPP investigation and an ongoing legal challenge by the Minnow Lake Restoration Group. By putting their investment on pause, they ended up delaying both the project’s site preparation work and the KED’s ultimate grand opening by a year.
As it stands, site preparation work is expected to commence later this year and the KED’s grand opening is anticipated to take place in 2025.
With the OPP investigation concluded, Leduc said now it’s just up to the Minnow Lake Restoration Group challenge, for which a decision is expected to come any day now.
While enthused to see the project inch forward, Leduc said he remains disappointed in what has transpired.
“Very upsetting that someone would stoop to these levels,” he said of Montpellier, who “had it on his Facebook page that he was offered a bribe.”
“We always knew Montpellier was never bribed – it was a false allegation,” Leduc added, describing the allegation as a delay tactic.
With this hurdle crossed Leduc said he’s confident it’s “greenlight all the way” on the KED.
This, despite an open-ended design/build request for proposals process, at the request of the three shortlisted proponents, which points to a likelihood the project exceeds its original $100-million budget. This would require the approval of city council.
After the Junction East library/art gallery project’s costs doubled to $93.2 million without much opposition expressed from council members, aside from that of Leduc, the councillor said his colleagues would be hypocritical to oppose cost overruns at the KED.
Sudbury.com reached out to the OPP, Montpellier, and Mayor Brian Bigger for additional insight on this matter but did not receive an immediate response.
Tyler Clarke covers city hall and political affairs for Sudbury.com.
