OttawaAll six town councillors in Gananoque, Ont., have signalled their lack of confidence in embattled mayor John Beddows. It’s a symbolic gesture, but council members are hoping it also marks a fresh start. John Beddows did not respond after council members questioned his leadership Dan Taekema · CBC News · Posted: Oct 23, 2025 2:27 PM EDT | Last Updated: 1 hour agoListen to this articleEstimated 3 minutesAn earlier investigation found Gananoque, Ont., Mayor John Beddows had breached the town council’s code of conduct eight times. (Dan Taekema/CBC)All six town councillors in Gananoque, Ont., have signalled their lack of confidence in embattled mayor John Beddows.The symbolic gesture was made during Tuesday night’s council meeting, following a motion brought by Coun. Matt Harper.It was unanimously supported, but Beddows abstained from the vote.”This has been a tough ride,” Harper said of the term so far.While the vote of non-confidence has no legal consequence, Harper said he hoped it would “serve as our formal expression of our stance on conduct we don’t agree with.”He specifically mentioned the mayor “interacting with staff” in ways the rest of council doesn’t support.Beddows’s conduct was the subject of an integrity commissioner’s report earlier this year, following complaints that he’d made “discriminatory” comments about women and affirmative action, and had made an “offensive sexual joke.”After an investigation found he’d breached council’s code of conduct eight times, councillors voted to suspend the mayor’s pay for 80 days and asked that he write a letter of apology to staff.Gananoque’s council voted to dock the mayor’s pay for 80 days following an integrity commissioner’s report earlier this year. (Dan Taekema/CBC)Harper and other members of council stressed the non-confidence vote wasn’t meant as a personal attack, describing it instead as an opportunity to move forward in a productive manner.Coun. Dave Osmond, who has sometimes clashed with the mayor, said he share that hope, but also described his frustration over a lack of progress on town business.”I think there’s a leadership gap, and I think those warnings have been thrown. I’m out of flares,” he said, adding the situation as been “brutal” on his own mental health.Osmond also acknowledged the vote lacks any real power.”It’s symbolic, but symbolically, I don’t have confidence anymore,” he said.Coun. Dave Osmond says he’s grown frustrated with a lack of progress on town business during the current council term. (Dan Taekema/CBC)Deputy Mayor Vicki Leakey questioned whether the mayor was aware of the impact of his statements and actions.She cited as an example his controversial suggestion that the town clamp the wheels of visitors from Quebec until they pay parking fines as an example.”It had got so bad we had to put a line in the sand,” Leakey said.Coun. Anne-Marie Koiner described the current mood around the council table as “unforgiving and vengeful.”Hoping for a ‘fresh start’It’s unfortunate things have gone so far, said Coun. Colin Brown.”The last six months have been very deflating,” he said, explaining he’s “sick and tired” of being asked around town what’s new at council and having to describe the situation.”I believe we need a fresh start at this table,” Brown declared. “Let’s get this over with. Let’s move forward, and let’s make a big difference on the rest of our term.”Asked during Tuesday’s meeting if he had any response to the council’s vote, he said he wanted to “reserve comments at this time.”The mayor did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent by email Wednesday.ABOUT THE AUTHORDan Taekema is CBC’s reporter covering Kingston, Ont. and the surrounding area. He’s worked in newsrooms in Chatham, Windsor, Hamilton, Toronto and Ottawa. You can reach him by emailing daniel.taekema@cbc.ca.Follow @DanTaekema on Twitter
Gananoque council signals ire at mayor with non-confidence vote
