AI Generated Image
A Port Hope, Ont., police board member has been suspended without pay for six months after an investigation found he repeatedly breached conflict-of-interest rules while trying to arrange a firearms purchase for his employer.
Ontario’s inspector general of policing says Jason Wooland, Ontario Power Generation’s head of security, used his position on the Port Hope Police Services Board to advocate for a proposal that would have benefited OPG.
The 10-month investigation found Wooland attempted to have the local police service act as a purchasing entity to help OPG obtain firearms for armed guards at its nuclear facilities, where federal rules require heightened security.
Wooland was appointed to the police board in 2024. Inspector General Ryan Teschner said Wooland failed to separate his responsibilities as a public board member from his employment interests with OPG.
Teschner said police board members are expected to meet the highest standards of conduct and found Wooland repeatedly ignored those obligations while pursuing the firearms proposal.
The decision says OPG was facing federal procurement challenges at the time and Wooland sought to use the municipal police service to speed up the acquisition process.
(Richard Evans)
