A new report has found Toronto Community Housing Corp. employees were not given any special treatment when they purchased units in Regent Park condominiums back in 2009.
The 48-page independent report was prepared by former Ontario Superior Court Chief Justice Patrick LeSage and was released to the media Friday morning.
LeSage concludes that there is no evidence of a conflicts of interest and that furthermore, the developer and TCHC officials are doing a great job running the revitalization project in the neighbourhood.
“In my view, TCHC… may be proud of their accomplishment,” LeSage wrote in the report.
In April, TCHC chair Bud Purves tapped the former judge to conduct the review after news reports claimed executives and employees may have inappropriately benefitted from the sale of the city-owned properties during phase one of the Regent park Redevelopment Project.
On Friday Purves thanked LeSage and said it was important to maintain transparency throughout the 15-year revitalization plan for Regent Park.
“We took this matter extremely seriously,” Purves said in a statement on TCHC’s website. “It is essential for the success of revitalization projects at Regent Park and elsewhere that potential buyers, the public and our shareholder, the City of Toronto, have full confidence that processes for selling market condominiums are open, fair and transparent.”
Purves said at a news conference Friday he regretted having to spend $125,000 on the report.
He said a registry will be created for purchases made by executives and employees of TCHC to avoid the appearance of a conflict in the future.
