The Town of Cochrane has confirmed that senior municipal staff are no longer employed following a third-party audit that uncovered serious breaches of confidentiality. The investigation, conducted by Investigative Risk Management with assistance from MNP Canada, identified that sensitive municipal information was improperly shared and accessed dating back to mid-2023.
According to the town, the investigation was triggered after confidential details discussed during closed-door council sessions began appearing in conversations with unauthorized individuals. Auditors reviewed electronic records dating back to mid-2023 and found 362 emails that potentially violated town policies. These breaches included the unauthorized sharing of legally privileged information and the improper forwarding of municipal documents to personal email accounts.
The audit also revealed that the town’s digital security had significant gaps. Individuals who received electronic invitations to private council meetings were able to maintain access to recordings of those sessions long after the meetings had concluded. While concerns regarding these records management issues were brought to the attention of senior management as early as December 2024, the town reported that no corrective actions were taken at that time.
In response to these findings, the municipality is now implementing new security measures. Access to recordings of closed meetings is being restricted solely to the Clerk and Deputy Clerk. The town is also modernizing its entire records management system and will require all staff and council members to complete mandatory confidentiality training.
This development is the latest in a series of governance challenges for Cochrane. The municipality is currently dealing with multiple legal actions from former employees, including lawsuits from former Chief Administrative Officer Monika Malherbe and former Director of Community Services Jason Boyer. Additionally, an investigation by the Ontario Provincial Police is underway regarding the potential misappropriation of $2 million in public funds connected to the Grain Bin project.
Current Chief Administrative Officer Daniel Gagnon stated that addressing these failures is an immediate necessity to protect municipal integrity, uphold public trust, and prevent potential breaches that could have severe legal, financial, and reputational consequences for the town.
