Support Cameron Kroetsch with his Court Costs
Donation protected
In 2020, the City of Hamilton Integrity Commissoner, in an unprecedented report recommended that Cameron Kroestch, former chair of the City of Hamilton's LGBTQ Advisory Committee, be "formally reprimanded" and that "council consider revoking" his position as a member of the Committee.
Cameron, a volunteer, unpaid member of the Committee, was investigated for speaking publicly, and sharing his personal opinions about various community issues critical to the LGBTQ Community. This was an effort to make sure our municipal government was open, transparent, and accountable to the people it claims to serve. The things he said were as a political individual, and not as Chair of the advisory committee.
Cameron appealed to court on the basis that the Integrity Commissioner acted outside the scope of his legal authority and that he denied Cameron a procedurally fair hearing. However, Cameron's legal team lost the battle. Despite Cameron's offer during the challenge that the parties pay their own costs regardless of result, he has now been ordered by the Court to pay $15,000 of the City of Hamilton's costs, within 30 days.
Cameron's own legal team worked pro bono and so this fundraiser will not pay any fees for his own lawyers.
Cameron's own legal team worked pro bono and so this fundraiser will not pay any fees for his own lawyers.
The whole process has sent a message to all members of oppressed communities in Hamilton that we are, even as volunteers and as caring members of community, still to be policed, surveilled, and scrutinized for our actions as political, participating members in our society.
We cannot allow this to continue without taking a stand. Donate here to help cover Cameron's court-ordered costs to the City, so that he can continue his advocacy in and for our community.
Our Fundraiser
This fundraiser is organized by Sarah Jama and Craig Burley, supporters of Cameron and concerned Hamiltonians. The funds from the fundraiser will be held by Craig Burley (a lawyer retained by Cameron for this purpose) in his lawyer trust account, for Cameron to pay the City's costs award. Many others have helped this along the way and we hope you can help by donating.
UPDATE 12/17/21: well in less than 24 hours you all managed to donate the $15,000 goal and we are overwhelmed. We have raised the goal to $15,448 in order to account for the GoFundMe fees (and those fees only!) to be able to provide the full $15,000 in ordered costs. Thanks!
Our Fundraiser
This fundraiser is organized by Sarah Jama and Craig Burley, supporters of Cameron and concerned Hamiltonians. The funds from the fundraiser will be held by Craig Burley (a lawyer retained by Cameron for this purpose) in his lawyer trust account, for Cameron to pay the City's costs award. Many others have helped this along the way and we hope you can help by donating.
UPDATE 12/17/21: well in less than 24 hours you all managed to donate the $15,000 goal and we are overwhelmed. We have raised the goal to $15,448 in order to account for the GoFundMe fees (and those fees only!) to be able to provide the full $15,000 in ordered costs. Thanks!
Statement from Cameron Kroetsch
I'm disappointed to hear the news that my application to the Divisional Court regarding the decision of City Council and its Integrity Commissioner was dismissed. Our legal team received the decision from the court yesterday.
The Divisional Court ruled that they considered the process used by City Council and its Integrity Commissioner to be fair and reasonable. They also found that it was alright for City Council to use its Integrity Commissioner to investigate a volunteer member of an Advisory Committee.
The court did not, however, comment on the fact that the document the City accused me of making public was already posted on its own website in an unredacted form.
The court didn't comment because, as they noted, we didn't raise it as an issue in our application. Why? Because those claims have already been proven to be objectively untrue by fellow citizens and through reporting in the local media.
The focus of our legal team was never on trying to prove whether or not I did what the City said I did, but on trying to ensure that the Integrity Commissioner could not continue to be weaponized by members of Council against members of Advisory Committees in the future.
With the court's decision, members of Council may now decide to come after volunteers on any of its citizen committees. It's a legitimate source of concern and it's clear that there needs to be legislative change to prevent this from continuing to happen.
I don't regret taking the actions that I took and I continue to believe that our municipal government should be open, transparent, and accountable.
Unfortunately, our legal team's attempt to prevent the City from coming after citizens has come at a financial cost.
The City is requiring me to pay $15,000 in legal costs within 30 days, an amount that they insisted on despite our offer that both sides ask the court not to award any costs. They declined our offer to set costs aside just as they declined our offer to settle this matter before going to court.
Using the powers of the office of the Integrity Commissioner, as well as hundreds of thousands of dollars of taxpayers' money, to come after a private citizen, should continue to be a chilling reminder of how our Council responds to criticism from members of the public who volunteer their time on its Advisory Committees.
With the ruling behind me, it's time to move forward. I will not be appealing the Divisional Court's decision.
I remain committed to contributing to my community and to standing up for injustice in our city, but there are more important things to focus on now and in the days ahead.
The Divisional Court ruled that they considered the process used by City Council and its Integrity Commissioner to be fair and reasonable. They also found that it was alright for City Council to use its Integrity Commissioner to investigate a volunteer member of an Advisory Committee.
The court did not, however, comment on the fact that the document the City accused me of making public was already posted on its own website in an unredacted form.
The court didn't comment because, as they noted, we didn't raise it as an issue in our application. Why? Because those claims have already been proven to be objectively untrue by fellow citizens and through reporting in the local media.
The focus of our legal team was never on trying to prove whether or not I did what the City said I did, but on trying to ensure that the Integrity Commissioner could not continue to be weaponized by members of Council against members of Advisory Committees in the future.
With the court's decision, members of Council may now decide to come after volunteers on any of its citizen committees. It's a legitimate source of concern and it's clear that there needs to be legislative change to prevent this from continuing to happen.
I don't regret taking the actions that I took and I continue to believe that our municipal government should be open, transparent, and accountable.
Unfortunately, our legal team's attempt to prevent the City from coming after citizens has come at a financial cost.
The City is requiring me to pay $15,000 in legal costs within 30 days, an amount that they insisted on despite our offer that both sides ask the court not to award any costs. They declined our offer to set costs aside just as they declined our offer to settle this matter before going to court.
Using the powers of the office of the Integrity Commissioner, as well as hundreds of thousands of dollars of taxpayers' money, to come after a private citizen, should continue to be a chilling reminder of how our Council responds to criticism from members of the public who volunteer their time on its Advisory Committees.
With the ruling behind me, it's time to move forward. I will not be appealing the Divisional Court's decision.
I remain committed to contributing to my community and to standing up for injustice in our city, but there are more important things to focus on now and in the days ahead.
Organizer and beneficiary
Sarah Jama
Organizer
Hamilton, ON
Craig Burley
Beneficiary
