Coughlin receives apology from Greenlaw for pole dance comment
By: Wayne Doyle, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Source: BarrieToday.com, Mar 25, 2025
It wasn’t the apology she was looking for, but Springwater Mayor Jennifer Coughlin, who also serves as Simcoe County’s deputy warden, says she will live with it.
Originally seeking an apology on the county council floor from Randy Greenlaw, fellow county councillor and Oro-Medonte mayor, for a comment that was said on the county council floor, Coughlin reluctantly allowed that she got what she asked for — even if it wasn’t in the forum of choice.
“Mayor Greenlaw’s choice not to apologize on the county floor, but rather take it to the media, was his decision,” Coughlin said following Tuesday’s county council meeting. “At the end of the day, he made a public apology, and that’s what I asked for.”
Greenlaw was mum on the incident after Tuesday’s county council meeting.
“I can’t talk about it,” he told BarrieToday as he exited the county administration building in Midhurst.
However, in a statement that was part of an interview with CTV News Barrie on Monday night, Greenlaw admitted he made “an off-the-cuff comment, that was not appropriate, in front of five people following adjournment of County of Simcoe council at the end of February.”
He went on to say he has “taken full responsibility and sincerely apologize to all involved.”
The incident happened Feb. 25, when county council was getting ready for the flag-raising ceremony to usher in ITSTARTS Month.
“I went back to (the council) chamber to request that the other members come to the flagpole,” Coughlin told BarrieToday on Friday. “When I suggested to Mayor Greenlaw and (Oro-Medonte) Deputy (Mayor) Peter Lavoie that we needed to be out there, Mayor Greenlaw asked me if I was going to dance on that pole for them.
“I told Mayor Greenlaw, ‘I’m going to walk away from that,’ and I left the chamber and did not participate in the photo,” she added.
Coughlin said she later called Greenlaw and asked him to make a public apology, as she had a responsibility to hold him accountable for what he had said, not just as deputy warden of the county, but also for herself and her daughters.
“He said he would need some time to think about it,” Coughlin said.
She said she met with him in person after that phone conversation and he agreed to provide a vague apology, at her suggestion.
Coughlin said Greenlaw was expected to make the public apology at the March 11 county council meeting. At that meeting, which BarrieToday attended, Greenlaw did not make a public apology.
Shortly after that meeting, Coughlin filed two complaints — one with the county’s integrity commissioner and the other with the Ontario ombudsman. The integrity commissioner deals with the ethics or integrity of members of council, while the ombudsman deals with closed-meeting investigations to determine if what happens there qualifies for closed session.
“I filed both complaints right after the council meeting where he was supposed to apologize publicly and didn’t,” Coughlin said Tuesday.
She added she had no intention of cancelling or interfering in those investigations.
“Both investigations are moving forward and it will be up to the integrity commissioner and the ombudsman to decide where they’ll go,” Coughlin added.
The County of Simcoe has also filed for an investigation with the integrity commissioner.
“I can confirm that on March 12, 2025, I filed for an investigation with the integrity commissioner, as it did not appear that an internal resolution was forthcoming at that time,” Warden Basil Clarke stated in an email to BarrieToday on Tuesday afternoon. “It is our understanding that the status of the review is now fully up to the commissioner.”
County ramps up brush collection to support residents following the ice storm
Midhurst/April 3, 2025, By County of Simcoe – In response to the recent ice storm, the County of Simcoe is deploying brush collection services starting on Monday, April 7, 2025, prioritizing the most impacted areas of the region, particularly Oro-Medonte, Ramara and Severn, which are in a continued declared emergency. The County, along with its waste collection contractor Miller Waste, has secured additional trucks and labour to collect brush exclusively for the next three weeks, and potentially longer. Normally, Miller Waste operates 6-8 trucks for spring yard waste collection, but starting April 14, there will be 10-11 trucks collecting daily.
As collection ramps up, we will do everything we can to deploy crews to areas where they will be most effective and will service other impacted communities as quickly as possible. We anticipate that it will take time to reach all areas of the County.
Additionally, to support the cleanup process, County of Simcoe waste drop-off sites will be accepting brush debris, free of charge, until April 28. For more information on waste drop-off locations and hours, please click here. The County is working to extend operating days at some waste drop-off facilities and are looking to provide other temporary locations for brush drop-off. Updates will be communicated as soon as details are confirmed.
For the next three weeks, only brush will be accepted curbside, not bagged leaf and yard waste or bagged brush. This allows crews to efficiently collect storm debris and process it into wood chips immediately. Regular waste collection will also continue during this time. Please leave your carts at the curb until they are collected.
Residents must prepare brush for curbside collection by bundling and securing it with natural twine, ensuring bundles are no larger than 2 meters in length and 30 cm in diameter, with individual branches not exceeding 7 cm in diameter. Logs are not accepted, and bundles should weigh no more than 20 kilograms.
We understand the collection preparation is time consuming, but proper preparation is needed to facilitate manual collection and ensure crew safety. These measures will also allow crews to work much faster and service more homes and areas. The County thanks residents in advance for their patience, cooperation and assistance.
The County will continue to communicate with residents through social media and the Simcoe County Collects App. Additional resources will be available starting April 14, with 10 or more trucks beginning in the most impacted areas of Zone 2 (those homes receiving garbage collection). Areas not heavily impacted may not receive collection between April 14-25. An extra collection day is scheduled for Saturday April 19th, with potential additional Saturday collections.
The County’s Solid Waste Management By-law staff are working to actively educate residents on how to properly dispose of brush and measuring collection efforts. County staff will reassess in late April to determine if brush only collection will continue beyond April 28th.
Dates Areas, Accepted Collection, Materials
April 7-11 Oro-Medonte, Brush Only
Ramara, Severn
April 14-19 Zone 2 Brush Only
(Priority Areas)
April 21-25 Zone 1 Brush Only
(Priority Areas)
April 28-May 2 Zone 2 Decision Pending
May 5-9 Zone 1 Decision Pending
*Collection may also occur on Saturdays to assist impacted areas.
U.S. Softwood Lumber Duties Will Increase Cost of Housing for Americans
April 05, 2025, By Ministry of Natural Resources
TORONTO — Today, Kevin Holland, Associate Minister of Forestry and Forest Products, and Vic Fedeli, Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, issued the following statement in response to the latest U.S. decision on softwood lumber duties.
“Ontario is deeply disappointed that the United States intends to drastically raise duty rates on Canadian softwood lumber exports later this year. These unjustified and punitive measures will raise construction costs and further strain housing affordability for American families.
Ontario’s softwood lumber producers deliver high-quality and sustainably harvested building materials that support jobs, communities, and economic growth on both sides of the border. The continued application – and now, escalation – of these duties is harmful to Ontario’s forest sector and to American consumers alike.
Ontario’s forest sector is a vital part of the economy and supports regional prosperity, generating close to $23 billion in revenue in 2022 and supporting more than 137,000 jobs. Continued trade barriers risk undermining this success.
We remain firm that these duties should be lifted entirely.
Ontario continues to support the Canadian forest industry and free trade between our two countries.”
Ontario Taking Action to Protect Workers Amid Economic Uncertainty
Province delivering support to businesses, while making Ontario the best place in the G7 to invest, create jobs and do business.
April 07, 2025, Premier’s Office
TORONTO — The Ontario government is providing approximately $11 billion in relief and support for workers and businesses as it protects the province’s economy from economic uncertainty and the impact of U.S. tariffs.
“In the face of President Trump’s attacks on Ontario’s economy, our government will do whatever it takes to protect Ontario workers and businesses. Today’s measures will help give workers and businesses the support they need in the face of growing economic uncertainty,” said Premier Doug Ford. “We can’t control President Trump, but we’re in full control of the kind of future we build for ourselves. The best way to protect Ontario is to build the most competitive economy in the G7, breaking down internal trade barriers and diversifying our trade so we can build a more resilient, prosperous and secure province.”
As a first step to support workers and businesses, the province is:
- Deferring select provincially administered taxes for six months from April 1, 2025, to October 1, 2025, giving businesses and job creators approximately $9 billion worth of cash flow they need to keep workers employed and weather the economic turmoil.
- Through the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB), issuing a further $2 billion rebate for safe employers to support businesses and help keep workers on the job, in addition to the previous $2 billion rebate distributed in March.
To protect Ontario’s economy, the government will deliver on its mandate to break down internal trade barriers, make the province’s economy the most competitive in the G7, including by speeding up timelines and approvals for development, as well as diversifying trading partners and helping businesses if they need to retool and retrain workers for new customers in new markets.
“We are ready to protect Ontario’s workers, businesses and families from the economic uncertainty of U.S.-imposed tariffs,” said Peter Bethlenfalvy, Minister of Finance. “Today’s measures help Ontario to weather the storm while continuing to build on our plan for ongoing prosperity.”
“In the last year, the WSIB provided historic, 50-year-low premiums to over 320,000 employers and surplus rebates to over 280,000 safe employers,” said David Piccini, Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development. “Ontario is looking to provide further relief to employers through an additional distribution that will help them keep workers on the jobs, whatever comes our way from President Trump.”
“In the face of economic uncertainty, Ontario stands ready with a plan that will defend the interests of our families and workers, protect our economy and jobs, and build a strong, stable future for generations to come.” said Vic Fedeli, Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade.
The government is ready to do whatever is necessary to protect Ontario.