WELLAND, Ont. (January 25, 2018) — In a statement released today, The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) have cleared the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority (NPCA) of any criminal wrongdoing.
The OPP was approached by Niagara Regional Police (NRP) Chief Maguire to investigate claims brought forward by Mr. Ed Smith of St. Catharines, who claimed there was illegal activity occurring at NPCA. Upon completing a yearlong investigation, the OPP found no basis for the claims brought forward.
“It doesn’t surprise me that Mr. Smith was found wrong again. His allegations of corruption have all been completely debunked by a Superior Court Judge, and now the OPP. The NPCA does great work, by great people. The repeated statements that Mr. Smith was sued for ‘simply asking questions’ is ridiculous. Mr. Smith has been focused on ruining the NPCA’s reputation by repeatedly uttering false accusations, deliberately misleading statements, and relying on a forged document,” said NPCA Board Chair Sandy Annunziata. “OPP has confirmed what we have maintained all along. This is another important step in reaffirming our commitment to openness and transparency. If people aren’t outraged at the incredible amount of public resources wasted in investigating Mr. Smith’s baseless claims, they should be. Accountability goes both ways. As the saying goes, everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but not to their own facts.”
“The OPP is a world-class law enforcement agency. They had our complete cooperation, and we thank them for their investigative excellence. We are glad to finally see this misguided, unfounded issue pass as it has publicly cast a shadow over our organization. We have a lot of work to do to move forward on our eight initiatives announced in October, and along with our dedicated staff, we will require the involvement of all of the people of the Niagara watershed,” added NPCA CAO Mark Brickell.
For more information on the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority, please visit www.npca.ca. Follow on Facebook and Twitter for updates.
###
About NPCA:
The NPCA manages the impact of human activities, urban growth, and rural activities on the watershed, with programs that focus on initiatives that help keep people and their property safe from flooding and erosion— while retaining our drinking water safe to drink.
The Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority is a registered charitable organization.
Questions related to the above release should be directed to:
Krystle Caputo, Communications Specialist
905.788.3135 ext.235
Mobile: 289-241-5190
kcaputo@npca.ca