Rideau Lakes trespass bylaw sparked debate over Ombudsman involvement and public access to township meetings
A proposed Rideau Lakes trespass bylaw born out of an Ontario Ombudsman complaint and a chaotic public council meeting last fall is heading back to staff after councillors discussed amendments, process and the Ombudsman’s role in reviewing municipal bylaws.
The proposed bylaw came forward after trespass notices were issued to two members of the public following the Oct. 6, 2025 council meeting, prompting a complaint to the Ontario Ombudsman’s Office.
According to a report from CAO Shellee Fournier, the Ombudsman later contacted the township, reviewed the draft bylaw, provided recommendations and met with staff earlier this month to discuss best practices.
The proposed bylaw would establish a formal process for issuing trespass notices on township property while also recognizing residents’ rights to attend public meetings and express dissenting views.
Under the draft legislation, authorized personnel could issue trespass notices for up to seven days, while senior staff could prohibit access to township property for periods of up to five years.
But rather than approving the bylaw as drafted, councillors spent much of Monday’s committee of the whole meeting debating a package of proposed amendments submitted by Coun. Paula Banks over the weekend.
Banks argued council should actively shape the bylaw and questioned whether the Ombudsman should continue reviewing changes made by councillors.
“These are council documents,” Banks said during debate. “We should be reviewing these regularly and having input.”
Fournier told council her recommendation was to have any proposed amendments vetted again by the Ombudsman’s office to ensure compliance with the Charter and best practices already discussed with township staff.
That suggestion sparked further procedural debate around council’s authority to amend bylaws, the role of staff and whether Ombudsman involvement was necessary once the township began altering the draft.
Coun. Marcia Maxwell and Mayor Arie Hoogenboom expressed concern they had not yet fully reviewed the proposed changes, while Banks argued council routinely amends bylaws as part of normal governance process.
Deputy Mayor Jeff Banks said proposed revisions should first be consolidated into the document before further discussion.
“It’s kind of premature to send it to the Ombudsman’s office if we’re going to make some changes,” he said.
Council voted to direct staff to incorporate the proposed amendments into the draft bylaw and bring the revised version back to a future committee of the whole meeting for further debate and discussion.
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