A report from Ontario's Ombudsman comes as welcome news for a local journalist.
The report released yesterday by Paul Dube notes the Niagara Region violated the Charter rights of St. Catharines Standard Reporter Bill Sawchuk during a December meeting.
During the meeting, Sawchuk and a citizen blogger were accused of attempting to record a closed door session of council. Officials then seized their equipment, police were called, and the pair were asked to leave Regional Headquarters.
"You wonder, is there something that I did wrong? Is there something I could have done to prevent this?," Sawchuk says. "And, in reading the report I did kind of feel like I didn't see anything like that. So it is kind of a weight off my shoulders."
The report says the region acted 'unreasonably, wrongly, and without legal justification' in expelling Sawchuk and seizing his laptop and notes. Dube also says the region acted 'unreasonably and without due care' in ejecting the citizen blogger, Preston Haskell.
"I was relieved more than anything. My original fear, what I was kind of upset about more than anything else, was that I was worried it was going to get swept under the carpet," Sawchuk says.
At the time of the incident, The St. Catharines Standard had published several articles that were critical of regional officials. Sawchuk worried that may have been a factor in what transpired.
"I was worried that it was kind of a malicious thing. And I think when you read the report that's not what the Ombudsman found, that's not what the evidence suggests."
The Ombudsman's report contains several suggestions, including a full, public apology from the Region.
Dube's full report is available online.
The Niagara Region has also put out a statement in response.