Access denied: NB’s Ombud says a report on Sackville’s fire department—and the recommendations stemming from it—should remain secret
It’s been just over a year since veteran journalist Bruce Wark published the first in a series of articles looking at allegations of harassment and bullying in the Sackville Fire Department.
Wark spoke with a number of current and former firefighters, who told him that although they had brought their concerns to the town’s senior management, they went nowhere and no actions were taken to address them.
Since then, the town of Sackville has taken some actions. At the end of April 2021, the town announced it was hiring Montana Consulting to do “a comprehensive workplace assessment of the Sackville Fire Department and its operations.” At the same time it noted that changes would be coming to the bylaw governing the fire department.
In September 2021, Montana handed over their report—containing 20 recommended actions—to town of Sackville CAO Jamie Burke. Montana also presented on their findings and recommendations to Sackville council and firefighters, and town staff say that work on implementing the recommendations is ongoing.
What are those 20 recommendations, and what’s inside the report and presentations discussing them? All of that remains confidential.
That bothers Bruce Wark, a longtime journalist (and occasional contributor to CHMA’s Tantramar Report), former journalism professor, and Sackville resident. Shortly after the town announced the Montana report was complete, Wark sent a request under the New Brunswick Right to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (RTIPPA) to the town’s clerk, Donna Beal, asking for access to the report.… Continue