Elliot Lake CAO relieved of his duties by council

City of Elliot Lake ousts its CAO Three months after Mayor Chris Patrie was removed, Elliot Lake city council has parted ways with its chief administrative officer.

There has been another abrupt departure at Elliot Lake city hall after the chief administrative officer was relieved of his duties Wednesday, but no reason has been given.

"The City of Elliot Lake has parted way with its Chief Administrative Officer, Daniel Gagnon," the city said in a news release.

Gagnon has been the city's CAO since January 2018, but previously held the position for about nine months in 2010-2011.

He started with the City of Elliot Lake in 2001 and held various positions over 10 years, including special projects manager, director of economic development and CAO.

He left for six years to serve as the CAO for the Township of North Glengarry -- a rural area between Ottawa and Montreal -- before returning to Elliot Lake in 2018.

The news comes just months after the mayor of Elliot Lake, Chris Patrie, was removed from office after being found guilty of breaching the municipal conflict of interest act.

"This was a difficult decision which should not be viewed as an acrimonious departure," the city's acting mayor, Andrew Wannan, is quoted as saying in the news release.

"Daniel made important contributions to the city during his tenure but we believed it was time now, early in our mandate, to make a change with the senior officer of the administration."

In the interim and until council can decide on the future direction, Natalie Bray, director of clerks and planning services, will serve as the acting CAO.

"As with all human resource matters, no further comments will be forthcoming at this time," the city said.

Meanwhile, a judge has directed the city to wait until Patrie's appeal is heard to officially replace the mayor's seat.

The appeal hearing was held online April 12 in front of a panel of three judges, who have not yet ruled on the case.