OttawaAn eastern Ontario mayor is having his pay docked for 90 days over a joke he made about “Old Spice” in reference to another councillor’s allergies to strong scents and perfumes, as a feuding council racks up yet another integrity commissioner complaint. Gag about Old Spice costs Rideau Lakes mayor 90 days’ pay at chaotic council meetingNathan Fung · CBC News · Posted: Oct 11, 2025 4:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 2 hours agoAt an Oct. 6 meeting, Rideau Lakes councillors voted to dock Mayor Arie Hoogenboom 180 days pay for two incidents, including a joke he made about another councillor’s allergy to perfumes. However, the integrity commissioner initially recommended a penalty of ten days pay. (Jean Delisle/CBC)A councillor called the police during a chaotic eastern Ontario municipal meeting in which the mayor had his pay docked for 90 days over a joke about Old Spice. Rideau Lakes Council was hearing seven integrity commissioner reports when its Monday meeting was interrupted by heckling from a meber of the public. “I’m going to phone 911,” Coun. Deborah Anne Hutchings responded to the heckler, video of the meeting showed. After further disruption later in the meeting, the town’s chief administrative officer closed the session early. On Thursday, the town announced that out of concern for staff safety it will hold meetings virtually until further notice .’Toxic work environment’Ordinary council business has long since ground to a halt in Rideau Lakes Township, a rural municipality between Ottawa and Kingston where an ongoing feud between a faction of council and Mayor Arie Hoogenboom has resulted in at least 18 integrity commissioner complaints this year alone. Hoogenboom was the subject of four of the complaints discussed Monday, including one about him making a joke about Old Spice in reference to another councillor’s allergies to strong scents and perfumes.While commissioner Ellen Fry recommended three days of docked pay for the deodorant quip, and seven days for another incident, a majority of councillors voted to increase the penalties to 90 days each, for a total of 180 days without pay. Hoogenboom called the penalty “vindictive” and said later councillors were weaponizing an independent disciplinary process.Members of the public present at the meeting also took issue with the heavy penalty. “I’m sorry, this is enough bulls–t. I just cannot believe the behaviour of you five!” one man yelled, referring to Hutchings and councillors who had voted to penalize Hoogenboom. A screengrab from the Rideau Lakes council meeting on Oct. 6 showing councillor and acting chair Deborah Hutchings getting up and walking towards the man who was heckling her. (screengrab)After threatening to call the police, Hutchings crossed the room to confront the man. “Debbie, sit down!” the man yelled. “You don’t tell me what to do!” she yelled back.”You’re an embarrassment as a councillor… you’re the laughing stock!” the man retorted.”I’m going to phone the cops,” Hutchings said.After the heckler left the room, the town’s chief administrative officer Shellee Fournier said she would pull staff from the meeting if decorum wasn’t maintained.”This is a toxic work environment, staff cannot be in this environment,” she said.When another heckler interrupted 80 minutes later, Hutchings moved to call the police, prompting Fournier to declare the meeting over. Police did not attend the meeting.Moving to virtual meetingsThree days later, the township announced in a press release that as a response to what happened, council meetings will be held virtually as “staff exercised their right to refuse work under [Occupational Health and Safety Act] provisions.” Fournier told CBC that she worried the confrontation with the first heckler and Hutchings could have led to a physical altercation. The township’s staff “felt psychologically and potentially physically unsafe,” she said.”My only goal is to make sure we’re conducting the the business of the corporation and the staff are in a field that they can be in a safe and respectful work environment,” she said.Hoogenboom told CBC he did not condone the behaviour of the hecklers, who were supporters of his. Hutchings declined an interview request.Rideau Lakes Coun. Sue Dunfield on June 2, 2025. (Emma Weller/CBC)Councillor Sue Dunfield, who was in favor of increasing the penalty against Hoogenboom, said she felt “afraid” during the first heckling incident. She said moving meetings online won’t fix the deep divides within council, but it could help limit negative interactions from the public.Dunfield pointed to other towns, including Sarnia and Pickering, that had to hold their meetings virtually due to workplace health and safety concerns.”I’m disappointed because the interaction with staff is important, the interaction with each council member is important, and being virtual, you don’t have that same sense of feel. So hopefully this may rectify the outbursts from the public that have caused this,” she said.Hoogenboom said the ongoing dysfunction has meant that council has not been able to get to the matters of the day, such as approving bylaws or choosing a new treasurer, and has appealed to Ontario’s Ministry of Municipal Affairs for help. “Our council has fallen into a situation where there’s utter chaos and I’m incredibly disappointed by that,” he said.ABOUT THE AUTHORNathan Fung is a reporter with CBC Ottawa, with a strong interest in covering municipal issues. He has previously worked as a reporter in Hamilton and Edmonton. You can reach him at nathan.fung@cbc.ca
Old Spice and grudges: Councillor calls police at eastern Ontario municipal meeting
