Integrity commissioner finds no violation in Chatham-Kent OHL talks

The Chatham-Kent Civic Centre seen in Chatham, Ont. on Nov. 5, 2025. (Chris Campbell/CTV News Windsor

The integrity commissioner for the Municipality of Chatham-Kent says there was no violation following recent talks of an OHL expansion.

The integrity commissioner says a recent virtual information session with the Ontario Hockey League commissioner did not violate open meeting rules.

The review found that the session was not considered an official meeting because no quorum was present and no municipal business was discussed or advanced.

As a result, the integrity commissioner says it did not fall under open meeting requirements in the Municipal Act.

Chatham-Kent had conversations with Bryan Crawford, the Commissioner of the OHL, at the end of March to discuss expanding the league into Chatham.

Crawford told council that in order for that to happen, Chatham needed to commit to building an OHL-sized arena.

While the integrity commissioner stated there wasn’t a violation, they did caution that such sessions can still raise concerns about transparency and public trust.

Mayor Darrin Canniff acknowledged that not all council members were invited and apologized, stating there needed to be better inclusion and transparency to keep the public informed moving forward.