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Grimsby files $18 million civil suit By Mike Williscraft NewsNow The Town of Grimsby et al have filed an $18 million civil suit against three former members of its energy companies’ boards of directors. In the suit filed last week in Ontario Superior Court by the Town of Grimsby, Niagara Power Inc. (NPI), Grimsby Energy Inc. (GEI), Grimsby Hydro Inc. (GHI), and 1938427 Ontario Inc. (HoldCo. 2), three claims are made cit-
ing former mayor Bob Bentley, James Detenbeck and Joe Panetta as defendants. The claims, in part, allege Bentley, Detenbeck and Panetta were negligent, breached their duty of care and breached their fiduciary duty through their dealings regarding a “failed waste-to-energy project”. Grimsby, HoldCo. 2 and GEI claim $18 million in damages from the trio. Parts of that
claim include: • GHI seeks $7 million in damages from Detenbeck, and; • NPI seeks $3 million in damages from the trio. The defendants have 20 days in which to file a defence, states the court document, but have not yet done so. None responded to repeated attempts to contact them for comment. The heart of the issue is the long-troubled biodigester project, which started out in
2008 with an estimated cost of $3.5 million. Today the project has incurred about $18.5 million in cost, while continuing to operate at a rate which would complete its fiscal year with a deficit exceeding $4 million in operating losses. While many of the setbacks involved with the biodigester have been outlined as they unfolded in NewsNow, the civil suit outlines more of internal details it is al-
leged have caused the breaches in question. The allegations in the suit have not be proven in a court of law. The “Summary” of the case, as outlined in the court document states: “The defendant Robert Bentley served as mayor of the Town of Grimsby from 2003 to December 3, 2018, when his term officially ended following his decision to not run in the election of October 22, 2018.” “After the results of
the October 22, 2018 election, information about the project that had been suppressed by the defendants began to come to light, including, most importantly, the information that the project was not producing any profits, let alone enough to justify the investment in the project, the capital cost of which had become more than 300% greater than originally budgeted.” See CLAIM, Page 5
Pending design change at WLMH could be just what the doctor ordered
Cool fundraiser on hot day!
This posse of youngsters gathered at the Dean residence on Hazelwood Avenue in Grimsby to help their friends - Randi and Penelope Vollick - with a fundraiser for Toronto Sick Kids Hospital. Randi and Penelope both have cystic fibrosis. The event’s first year raised $170. This year, the kid’s lemonade stand hit the $1,000 mark - with a boost. “My husband and I were more than happy to throw in $11 to make it an even $1,000 for Sick Kids,” said host Sarah Dean. Here, Molly Vickers hands a cool beverage to Grimsby Fire’s Paul Kucharuk, who stopped by with fellow firefighter Jason Motttershead and a fire truck to add excitement to the proceedings. Williscraft - Photo
By Mike Williscraft NewsNow On the heels of an 11th hour delay to a lengthy operating room closure and after news Niagara Health System was balking at what was believed to be an agreed-upon service agreement, West Lincoln Memorial Hospital may finally be moving out of intensive care. Nine months of hand-wringing and frustration may all be for naught if a design proposal comes to fruition. The design would accommodate infrastructure needs Hamilton Health Sciences officials say are needed to improve sterile storage. According to an internal communique, a rejigging of various items in the OR footprint will make use of the space between the ORs, relocate a sink and blanket warmer and relocate sterile supplies. The major lengthy and costly overhaul of the department may be avoided, it states. The initial plan would also have left WLMH with only one OR until a new build is done. This “new” plan would allow for two ORs to remain operational. See DESIGN, Page 3