‘Unprecedented’ and ‘shocking’ were just some of the words used by two North Bay councillors after they were blocked by armed police from entering a town hall meeting
A town hall meeting at a North Bay retirement home drew controversy after armed police officers blocked several councillors and board members from entering, while mayors from across the region delivered a presentation to Castle Arms residents on why they believe municipal oversight of the seniors’ housing complex should be restored.
Castle Arms, a non-profit charity, provides housing for more than 250 seniors, and has been part of a lengthy battle for its oversight and governance.
The event, hosted by the Township of East Ferris, took place inside the Cassellholme auditorium and lasted for over an hour. Chisholm Mayor Gail Dégagné and East Ferris Mayor Rick Champagne ran the presentation.
Roughly eight Castle Arms residents attended. Upon arrival, they were met by approximately six OPP and North Bay Police officers—some armed—positioned at the entrance to the auditorium and instructed to admit only residents and the attending mayors. A Village Media reporter was also allowed in.
Among the mayors permitted to enter were North Bay Mayor Peter Chirico and Papineau-Cameron Mayor Robert Corriveau. Both sit on the Cassellholme board. Dave Mendicino, board chair of Cassellholme, and Jim Bruce, a Cassellholme board member, were also let in.
Those blocked from entering included North Bay councillors Chris Mayne, who sits on the Cassellholme board, Mark King, who sits on the Cassellholme and Castle Arms board, and Jamie Lowery, who is the Executive Director of Castle Arms, along with Castle Arms Board Chair Larry Fuld.
Mayne, King, Lowery, and Fuld stood on the opposite side of the glass foyer watching the meeting from outside.
“It’s extremely frustrating … unprecedented … never seen that before … I just can’t believe it,” Mayne told BayToday afterward.
“Armed police preventing entry … interesting that Cassellholme board members were in attendance and others weren’t allowed to attend, myself and Mark King.”
King expressed similar concerns, calling the scene “unbelievably shocking” and saying he had never experienced such an action “in four terms on Council.”
“I have never in my life ever watched intimidation like that where the OPP and the City Police were used to stop board members from just listening to a response from mayors in a public facility,” King said.
“That facility, my dad’s name is on that facility, and I can tell you today, he would be rolling over in his grave watching what’s transpired.”
He added, “I walked in there. I was approached by an OPP officer, and he said, ‘You’re going to have to leave. I said, ‘Well, I’m a board member of Cassellholme, I’m a board member of Castle Arms. I see the chair of Cassellholme standing over there, and one board member standing over there. They’re not mayors. They were allowed to stay.”
Mendicino and Bruce did not speak during the presentation and stood at the back of the room. Champagne was asked by BayToday why the two Cassellhome board members were let in and yet other board members were not. Jason Trottier, East Ferris’ chief administrative officer/treasurer, said the two have been assisting the mayors, not as Cassellholme board members.
The attending mayors represented East Ferris (Rick Champagne), Chisholm (Gail Dégagné), North Bay (Peter Chirico), Papineau-Cameron (Robert Corriveau), Bonfield (Narry Paquette), Calvin (Richard Gould), Mattawa (Raymond Belanger), and Mattawan (Peter Murphy).
“We just asked them to come down to make sure we only talked to the residents,” Champagne told BayToday when asked why there was a police presence.
“Town halls get to be a little crazy. We didn’t want stuff that turned out like it did at City Hall. We want to make sure the residents hear our side of the story.”
Inside the auditorium during the meeting, the atmosphere grew heated at times as residents pressed the mayors on whether their assurances were valid—specifically, that Castle Arms would not be sold if municipalities regained control.
Residents pointed to when Mendicino was a guest on a 2023 podcast episode for Dave Dale’s Small Town Times, where Mendicino discussed Castle Arms as an asset and the possibility of selling if the municipalities regained control.
“A portion of the podcast in question, done in 2023, dealt with Castle Arms and could the assets be sold,” Mendicino wrote to Baytoday after the meeting. “My answer was factual in that, yes, the Board of Castle Arms, whoever is in control, could vote to sell the assets … I would never support a sale of Castle Arms.”
Residents also challenged the mayors on past motions, conflicting legal opinions, and whether municipal takeover might, in fact, increase the risk of future asset sales. Others asked about the future of the North Tower. The mayors repeatedly asserted that their concern is the loss of municipal representation following previous governance changes, and that they want what is best for the residents.
As municipal leaders have pushed for mediation, the Castle Arms Board insists there is “nothing to mediate,” as they are independent, and that the residents are happy with how things are structured.
Following the session, Champagne said the meeting was intended to “get the facts out” and that the group continues to seek mediation.
Champagne was asked about prior claims of “secret meetings” by the mayors.
“There hasn’t been a secret meeting,” said Champagne. “The mayors were asked to get together, and that’s what we did.”
Castle Arms board members and councillors who were locked out criticized the incident.
“This is another reprehensible abuse of power,” Fuld told BayToday after the meeting, arguing that excluding certain officials while allowing some Cassellholme board members inside raised governance and transparency concerns.
“It wasn’t just a meeting of the mayors,” said Fuld. “There were three board members there from Cassellholme, which constitutes a quorum, which means the meeting had no notice… there were no minutes, no agenda was provided.”
King says the situation reflects a deeper conflict over the Cassellholme redevelopment and fears among partner municipalities about long-term financial pressures.
The dispute over Castle Arms governance has escalated over the years, and recent months have seen FOI requests, integrity commissioner complaints, legal counsel retained, and large turnouts at Council meetings.
