Latest news with #StuartHuxley
Yahoo
30-06-2025
- Yahoo
City of Ottawa fires lawyer accused of vandalizing Holocaust monument
The City of Ottawa has fired one of its lawyers after he was charged earlier this month with vandalizing the National Holocaust Monument, sources have confirmed to Radio-Canada. On Friday afternoon, Ottawa police announced a 46-year-old man had been charged with mischief to a war memorial, mischief exceeding $5,000 and harassment by threatening conduct. In a post Saturday on social media, Mayor Mark Sutcliffe said he was "very disturbed" to learn the man arrested was an on-leave city employee. Neither police nor Sutcliffe named the man, but on Sunday Radio-Canada confirmed that he is Iain Aspenlieder, a lawyer who'd worked for the city. In a statement to Radio-Canada, interim city solicitor Stuart Huxley wrote that the man charged "was on leave at the time of the incident and is no longer employed by the city." "The recent act affecting the National Holocaust Monument was deplorable and is counter to the values we seek to uphold in our community," Huxley wrote. "We extend our deepest sympathies to members of our community impacted by this disgraceful act." Huxley's statement also did not identify the employee. The mayor's office did not identify him either but did tell Radio-Canada that he had been fired. Vandalism was a 'vile thing' The National Holocaust Monument was found defaced with red paint on the morning of June 9. The words "feed me" were painted in capital letters, alongside large paint splashes. The slogan appeared to be a reference to Gaza, which the United Nations had described as the "hungriest place on Earth" the preceding Friday. The news that the accused vandal was on the city payroll is alarming, said Richard Marceau, vice-president of external affairs and general counsel for the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs. Marceau told Radio-Canada that he was informed of the employee's identity during a weekend phone call with Sutcliffe. "To learn that it was an employee of the City of Ottawa who was charged with vandalizing the National Holocaust Monument was shocking," he told Radio-Canada. "No one, and especially if you're working for the public, should be doing this type of vile thing." None of the charges against Aspenlieder have been proven in court. WATCH | Gaza population at 'critical risk' of famine, according to the UN Suspended by law society The Ontario Sunshine List describes Aspenlieder's position with the city as "legal counsel." He has appeared on the list, which documents public sector employees with salaries of over $100,000, every year since 2016. According to the Law Society of Ontario website, a man named Iain David Aspenlieder has been "suspended administratively" and is not permitted to practice law. The law society's website does not say when he was suspended. Gilles LeVasseur, a business and law professor at the University of Ottawa, said the city can't control the actions of its employees outside of the workplace, but people expect the institution to take appropriate action. "The city has to showcase that they did their due diligence. They actually did proceed properly as soon as they found out the issues and then they acted upon it," he said. Numerous local and national officials have decried the vandalism as an act of antisemitism. Ottawa Centre MP Yasir Naqvi said it was "disgraceful," while Iddo Moed, Israel's ambassador to Canada, called it "pure hate against Jews." Coun. Ariel Troster, who is Jewish, wrote in a social media post that she was "devastated." Lawrence Greenspon, a prominent Ottawa defence lawyer and co-chair of the National Holocaust Monument Committee, told CBC after the vandalism occurred that Hamas, not Israel, was at fault for the crisis in Gaza. A solemn vigil was held at the monument one week after the vandalism. Many in Ottawa's Jewish community attended, as well as Christian groups and a Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg elder.
CBC
29-06-2025
- CBC
City of Ottawa fires lawyer accused of vandalizing Holocaust monument
The City of Ottawa has fired one of its lawyers after he was charged earlier this month with vandalizing the National Holocaust Monument, sources have confirmed to Radio-Canada. On Friday afternoon, Ottawa police announced a 46-year-old man had been charged with mischief to a war memorial, mischief exceeding $5,000 and harassment by threatening conduct. In a post Saturday on social media, Mayor Mark Sutcliffe said he was "very disturbed" to learn the man arrested was an on-leave city employee. Neither police nor Sutcliffe named the man, but on Sunday Radio-Canada confirmed that he is Iain Aspenlieder, a lawyer who'd worked for the city. In a statement to Radio-Canada, interim city solicitor Stuart Huxley wrote that the man charged "was on leave at the time of the incident and is no longer employed by the city." "The recent act affecting the National Holocaust Monument was deplorable and is counter to the values we seek to uphold in our community," Huxley wrote. "We extend our deepest sympathies to members of our community impacted by this disgraceful act." Huxley's statement also did not identify the employee. The mayor's office did not identify him either but did tell Radio-Canada that he had been fired. Vandalism was a 'vile thing' The National Holocaust Monument was found defaced with red paint on the morning of June 9. The words "feed me" were painted in capital letters, alongside large paint splashes. The slogan appeared to be a reference to Gaza, which the United Nations had described as the " hungriest place on Earth " the preceding Friday. The news that the accused vandal was on the city payroll is alarming, said Richard Marceau, vice-president of external affairs and general counsel for the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs. Marceau told Radio-Canada that he was informed of the employee's identity during a weekend phone call with Sutcliffe. "To learn that it was an employee of the City of Ottawa who was charged with vandalizing the National Holocaust Monument was shocking," he told Radio-Canada. "No one, and especially if you're working for the public, should be doing this type of vile thing." None of the charges against Aspenlieder have been proven in court. WATCH | Gaza population at 'critical risk' of famine, according to the UN Gaza population at 'critical risk' of famine, UN-backed report warns Duration 3:38 Half a million people in the Gaza Strip face starvation, a global hunger monitor says, with a high risk of a famine occurring by the end of September. Suspended by law society The Ontario Sunshine List describes Aspenlieder's position with the city as "legal counsel." He has appeared on the list, which documents public sector employees with salaries of over $100,000, every year since 2016. According to the Law Society of Ontario website, a man named Iain David Aspenlieder has been "suspended administratively" and is not permitted to practice law. The law society's website does not say when he was suspended. Gilles LeVasseur, a business and law professor at the University of Ottawa, said the city can't control the actions of its employees outside of the workplace, but people expect the institution to take appropriate action. "The city has to showcase that they did their due diligence. They actually did proceed properly as soon as they found out the issues and then they acted upon it," he said. People gather at the National Holocaust Monument in Ottawa on June 15 for a vigil held one week after the memorial was vandalized. (Benjamin Andrews/CBC) Numerous local and national officials have decried the vandalism as an act of antisemitism. Ottawa Centre MP Yasir Naqvi said it was "disgraceful," while Iddo Moed, Israel's ambassador to Canada, called it "pure hate against Jews." Coun. Ariel Troster, who is Jewish, wrote in a social media post that she was "devastated." Lawrence Greenspon, a prominent Ottawa defence lawyer and co-chair of the National Holocaust Monument Committee, told CBC after the vandalism occurred that Hamas, not Israel, was at fault for the crisis in Gaza. A solemn vigil was held at the monument one week after the vandalism. Many in Ottawa's Jewish community attended, as well as Christian groups and a Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg elder.
Ottawa Citizen
29-06-2025
- Ottawa Citizen
Man accused in Holocaust Memorial vandalism fired by City of Ottawa
The City of Ottawa has confirmed that the man accused of vandalizing the National Holocaust Memorial with red paint earlier this month has been fired. Article content In a statement on Sunday afternoon, interim city solicitor Stuart Huxley confirmed that Iain Aspenlieder no longer works for the city and that he was on leave at the time of the incident. Article content Article content 'The recent act affecting the National Holocaust monument was deplorable and is counter to the values we seek to uphold in our community. We extend our deepest sympathies to members of our community impacted by this disgraceful act,' Huxley wrote in an emailed statement to the Citizen. Article content Article content 'The City can confirm that the individual implicated in this act was on leave at the time of the incident and is no longer employed by the City. As the matter is the subject of a police investigation and is before the courts, the City will provide no further comment.' Article content Article content Aspenlieder has been charged with mischief to a war monument, mischief exceeding $5,000 and harassment by threatening conduct in relation to the incident. Article content The monument, located at 1918 Chaudière Crossing, was sprayed with the words 'FEED ME' in large block letters on the side adjacent to Wellington Street on June 9. Red paint was also sprayed along the building's facade. Article content Aspenlieder is scheduled to appear in court on July 2 for a bail hearing decision following an appearance on Saturday. Article content He was also suspended administratively by the Law Society of Ontario. An administrative suspension means a lawyer has been suspended for administrative reasons, such as failing to pay fees or filing forms on time. A suspended lawyer cannot practice law or provide legal services, the law society said. Article content
CBC
16-04-2025
- Business
- CBC
Westboro residents fear for crumbling monastery saddled with back taxes
A historic nunnery is up for sale after a creditor pushed an Ashcroft Homes subsidiary into receivership, raising worries and hopes about the fate of a heritage property the city says is already unsafe. The Sisters of the Visitation convent near the southwest corner of Richmond Road and Island Park Drive dates back to the 1910s, though parts of it were constructed before Confederation. It housed an order of cloistered nuns for a century, until the property was sold to Ashcroft Homes in 2009 for $12.7 million. Ashcroft built a condo development to the north of the convent. In 2018, city council approved plans to build another nine-storey apartment building linked to the historic convent, which would be retained and preserved. But that never happened, and the convent has been sitting boarded up and vacant for years. In the meantime, $723,567 of tax arrears have built up on the property, which also has about $140,000 worth of liens for money owed to a contractor. According to Stuart Huxley, the interim city solicitor, the city has deemed the building unsafe and issued an order requiring the owner to retain a certified engineer to assess it and provide recommendations for repairs. Huxley said the building is suffering from "significant structural cracks" to its foundation. The building owner has appealed the city's order, Huxley said. "The building is a treasure in our community," said Kitchissippi Coun. Jeff Leiper. "It is absolutely irresponsible that the building has been allowed to degrade to this point where there are fundamental questions around its structural integrity." Lorne Cutler, president of the Hampton Iona Community Group, called the convent "a unique, peaceful oasis in the middle of Westboro." Heather Mitchell, chair of the Westboro Community Association's heritage committee, called the situation "appalling." "This is a very important piece of heritage and I think lots of people care about it, but nobody seems to be able to do anything to protect it and advance it. I find that really problematic," she said. "I'm very worried that it's going to deteriorate and I think there's a lot of people that feel the same way. It's a big, beautiful building. It needs a lot of care." A cloistered order The oldest part of the convent was originally built as a Gothic Revival-style mansion around 1865, and known as the Elms. At that time, Richmond Road was lined with the estates of country gentlemen, and the Elms housed a series of prominent Ottawa businessmen and politicians. The third was Senator James Skead and the fourth was George Holland, who briefly co-owned the Ottawa Citizen with his brother. The Holland brothers later became the publishers of the Senate Hansard, a record of Parliamentary debates, and screened the first motion pictures in Ottawa using the Edison's Kinetoscope. The Sisters of the Visitation, a cloistered order founded in 1610, bought the property in 1910. It was to be their last new monastery in North America. They preserved the Elms but added an extensive addition for their cloistered order. It was built around a central courtyard and included a chapel. David Jeanes, a former president of Heritage Ottawa, once gave tours of the convent. He explained just how seriously the nuns took their monastic existence. "The nuns never had any direct face-to-face contact with the outside world," he said. "They stayed inside behind a high wall." Though the chapel opened to the public for church services, the nuns themselves remained hidden behind a screen. They even screened themselves from visiting family, he said, and took deliveries using a revolving cabinet that Jeanes compared to a Lazy Susan. But the number of nuns declined from a few dozen to about eight. After the property sold in 2009, the remaining nuns joined another order in Pembroke, Ont. City council granted the convent heritage designation in 2010, around the time Ashcroft unveiled a three-phase plan to redevelop the site. The first phase, a line of three nine-storey condo buildings along Richmond Road, was completed about 10 years ago. The second phase aimed to transform the convent into a mixed-use building with 161 housing units and restaurant space, though its southwest wing would be demolished to make way for a new nine-storey residential tower. The third phase foresaw a seniors residence and a low-rise residential building at the extreme south of the property. It appears that Ashcroft later flipped the order of the phases, as its website now refers to that part of the plan as phase 2. Jeanes was optimistic that the designation and redevelopment would preserve the convent. No longer. "At the moment, yes, I would say I'm pessimistic," he said. Councillor fears collapse Ashcroft Homes did not respond to multiple requests for comment. The receiver, MNP, said it was unable to comment beyond the documents it has filed with the court. Those documents reveal that the Ashcroft subsidiary known as Ashcroft Homes – 108 Richmond Road did not keep up with interest on a $7 million loan from Royal Bank of Canada. As a result, RBC applied last year to push it into receivership. Ashcroft subsidiaries all over the city are in receivership due to outstanding debt. RBC is also looking to collect on an $80 million loan relating to the expansive Eastboro development in the east end. Several other subsidiaries, including the owners of multiple Ashcroft seniors residences, are also under receivership for millions in outstanding loans to a different group of lenders. The convent sits on a 4.23 acre site. The receiver put it all up for sale. The listing has no set price and bids are due by May 28. Leiper hopes that whoever buys the property will follow through on the council-approved plans to develop and preserve the building. "Until the site is properly developed, there is a real risk that the the convent building may ultimately collapse to some degree or another," he said. But he acknowledged that the tax arrears will be a challenge for any buyer. Mitchell is frightened that the property might just sit on the market. Even if it sells, there's no guarantee that development will happen quickly.
