The London District Catholic School Board applied for relief from the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act (MCIA) provisions, specifically sections 5, 5.2, and 5.3, due to a quorum issue caused by seven of eight trustees declaring conflicts of interest.
These conflicts arose from family members being employed by the Board, particularly concerning the ratification of a collective agreement and the approval of the annual budget.
The court found that while section 7(3) of the MCIA (quorum less than two) was not engaged, the exemption under section 4(k) applied, as the pecuniary interests of the trustees were deemed too remote or insignificant to reasonably influence their decisions on these specific matters.
The court granted relief for the specific collective agreement and budgets but declined a sweeping general exemption for all future matters, emphasizing a case-by-case application of section 4(k) and the importance of self-policing and accountability.