The dismissal of the Fire Chief of Coldstream is another major disservice brought upon the taxpayers and the volunteer fire department by the dysfunctional Council.
Since Council did not see fit to release reasons for the firing one can only speculate why this happened. It appears the Chief's undoing was his dissatisfaction with the handling of the construction process and lack of communication during the construction of the new fire hall. It seems, management had no need to consult with the fire department when changes had to be made due to budgetary constraints.
This is not a legitimate reason to fire a long term employee. In fact, when Mayor Corner acknowledged that "I think he is a great fireman, that's certainly not the issue here", he exposed the Municipality to a potential wrongful dismissal suit. Our labour laws protect employees against wrongful dismissal.
Another nasty, underhanded aspect of the dismissal is the timing.
The Chief is only a month away from completing 25 years of meritorious service a feat generally honoured with a commemorative pin or watch. This Council chose to honour his long service with a handshake and a pink slip.
The Chief was instrumental in fighting for the new fire hall which should be opened later this month. It is incredible how mean spirited Council was by firing the Chief before he could enjoy the fruit of his labour.
Taxpayers and Council should be grateful for the sacrifices members of the volunteer firemen. This action relayed their utter disconcert for those sacrifices.
Shame on Council! They better come up with some explanation before November or they will have to explain their action during their election campaign.
Since Council did not see fit to release reasons for the firing one can only speculate why this happened. It appears the Chief's undoing was his dissatisfaction with the handling of the construction process and lack of communication during the construction of the new fire hall. It seems, management had no need to consult with the fire department when changes had to be made due to budgetary constraints.
This is not a legitimate reason to fire a long term employee. In fact, when Mayor Corner acknowledged that "I think he is a great fireman, that's certainly not the issue here", he exposed the Municipality to a potential wrongful dismissal suit. Our labour laws protect employees against wrongful dismissal.
Another nasty, underhanded aspect of the dismissal is the timing.
The Chief is only a month away from completing 25 years of meritorious service a feat generally honoured with a commemorative pin or watch. This Council chose to honour his long service with a handshake and a pink slip.
The Chief was instrumental in fighting for the new fire hall which should be opened later this month. It is incredible how mean spirited Council was by firing the Chief before he could enjoy the fruit of his labour.
Taxpayers and Council should be grateful for the sacrifices members of the volunteer firemen. This action relayed their utter disconcert for those sacrifices.
Shame on Council! They better come up with some explanation before November or they will have to explain their action during their election campaign.
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