An Ontario metropolis is going through questions after spending 1000’s on chauffeur providers in the course of the newest in a collection of abroad journeys for its mayor and councillors, which have taken them to locations starting from Dublin and Pakistan to the USA.
New paperwork obtained by World Information have revealed the Metropolis of Brampton spent tens of 1000’s of {dollars} on international direct funding journeys final 12 months.
The town organized a visit to Japan and the Philippines in January 2024, whereas a separate mission to London, England, was held a number of months later in Might.
World Information obtained receipts for bills charged in the course of the two journeys utilizing freedom of knowledge legal guidelines, though town didn’t affirm the entire price range or price for both funding mission.
In each Japan and England, Brampton spent 1000’s of {dollars} on drivers for its visiting delegation.
In England, town spent £4,578 — round $8,400 — on chauffeur service in the course of the four-day journey to London and components of the Midlands. For Japan, Brampton paid ¥679,250 to an organization for “transportation logistics.” That converts to roughly $6,520.
Brampton’s director of financial improvement stated the chauffeur service was “really helpful by the British Consulate Normal-Toronto’s workplace for security causes and for well timed supply of members.”
A consulate spokesperson, nevertheless, stated they have been “not conscious of getting supplied particular suggestions for transport ” in London, England.
In addition to the contracts for drivers in each international locations, officers attending the journey additionally filed expense receipts for native taxis, Ubers and airport limo service.
Brampton stated its missions to England, Japan and the Philippines have been designed to spice up the native economic system.
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The town stated it had met with a number of British companies related to Brampton in London — like Chaiiwala, IR2 Packaging and Horstman; the Japanese journey included “a go to to Canon’s headquarters in Japan” as a result of the digicam maker’s Canadian headquarters is situated in Brampton.
“Working with stakeholders, the workplace seeks new and sustainable alternatives for rising Worldwide Enterprise ties for the Metropolis of Brampton,” the Metropolis of Brampton’s financial improvement head stated in a press release concerning the London journey.
“This funding mission was deliberate to satisfy face-to-face with corporations within the U.Okay to debate alternatives for enterprise enlargement and collaboration, market diversification is a key precedence of the Financial Growth Workplace.”
The same assertion praising the Japan and Philippines journey was additionally supplied.
Mayor Patrick Brown’s workplace confirmed he had gone on the London journey with some municipal employees however stated the mayor had paid for his personal airfare, lodge and private bills.
The Canadian Taxpayers Federation, which advocates for extra restrained public spending, stated the journeys shouldn’t have been paid for in any respect with property taxes, even when Brown had coated his personal bills.
“The entire journey actually looks as if an inappropriate use of public cash,” Gage Haubrich, a consultant for the group, stated.
“I feel it’s most unlikely that the Mayor of Brampton is making a big impression in bringing corporations to Ontario. It seems like they’re simply utilizing this as an excuse to go on some form of trip, with a few conferences sprinkled in.”
The journeys are the newest in a collection of international missions undertaken by the Metropolis of Brampton.
As World Information has beforehand reported, councillors and employees spent more than $60,000 on a trip to Dublin in 2023 and virtually $93,000 on a contract to execute a trip to Pakistan.
In one other occasion, a councillor travelled twice to Dubai in a single 12 months, as soon as to satisfy with a company that had already agreed a deal with a university in Brampton. Different journeys included California and Detroit, in the USA.
The slew of international journeys for workers and councillors in Brampton comes because the province places intense strain on college board trustees for their very own journey.
Final week, Schooling Minister Paul Calandra appointed a supervisor on the Thames Valley District Faculty Board and put the Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic District Faculty Board on discover.
The previous had been caught up in an issue about an virtually $40,000 journey to the Blue Jays stadium lodge, whereas the latter went on a visit to Italy, which price $45,000 in journey bills and one other $100,000 for the acquisition of artwork.
Calandra stated the Italy journey, the place trustees went to purchase artwork, specifically, was a misuse of public funds.
“I’m a member of provincial parliament, you ship me to Ottawa to evaluate paintings, I can inform you I gained’t have a clue,” he stated. “That’s not what trustees are alleged to do — mother and father’ response to this was, correctly, as all of us felt, this isn’t what we spend cash for.”
Haubrich, from the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, stated he considered the journeys taken by Brampton officers in an analogous gentle — suggesting councillors and metropolis employees aren’t efficient worldwide advocates.
“I feel in case you speak to authorities official in any main nation, they’d do not know what Brampton is, not to mention be capable of put it on a map,” he stated.
“When you are able to do it because the (Ontario) commerce minister, that’s form of your complete job, there’s complete components in there between these two teams to perhaps get one thing performed. It’s a idiot’s errand to suppose that town goes to have a huge effect on this.”
The Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing’s workplace didn’t reply to questions from World Information asking if the Ford authorities authorized of Brampton’s international direct funding technique.
© 2025 World Information, a division of Corus Leisure Inc.
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