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Another alleged municipal ethics breach by Calumet mayor

A professional headshot of Mayor Serge Newberry in front of a Quebec flag.
L’Île-du-Grand-Calumet Mayor Serge Newberry. Photo courtesy of MRC Pontiac.
Caleb Nickerson - CHIP - Pontiac • QC | 09-09-2021
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L’Île-du-Grand-Calumet Mayor Serge Newberry has received another citation from Quebec’s Municipal Commission (CMQ) regarding an alleged incident on June 16 of this year.

The citation, which is available on the CMQ’s website, accuses Newberry of disrespectful conduct towards the municipality’s director general, in violation of the Municipal Code of Ethics.

“On or around June 16, 2021, he disrespected the Director general of the Municipality by making gestures or making vexatious, humiliating or intimidating remarks, thus contravening article 10.2 of the Code,” it states (translated from French).

Newberry declined to comment on the allegations to CHIP 101.9, saying that he would wait until all the information was made public and a ruling was given by the commission.

“It won’t be long that it will be out in the open and people can make up their own mind, you know, but it’s easy to just slap on some more mud,” he said.

 

Late last year, Newberry received a citation alleging other disrespectful behaviour towards councillors and the former director general. The allegations date as far back as 2017 and include disrespectful remarks, making a sexual insinuation about a councillor and a citizen, and showing up unannounced at the homes of two councillors and making disrespectful comments. The full list is available here.

Originally, he was slated to appear in early September but now will appear between Oct. 12 and 15, and could have another appearance on Oct. 18, according to a revised schedule on the CMQ’s website.

Newberry said that he didn’t know when the commission would make a ruling but noted that it would probably be issued before electors head to the polls in November.

“Usually, they try to get it before the elections you know, I guess, that’s the rush for them there, but it’s hard to say,” he said.

Since the start of this term, the municipality has had seven different directors general: Lisa Boisvert, Paul Langlois, Sabrina Larivière, Tracey Hérault Cameron, Sylvain Bégin, Mario Boyer and the current director, Élaine Déry.