By Pepper Parr
June 21st, 2023
BURLINGTON, ON
Blake Hurley has been appointed as the Executive Director of Legal Services & Corporate Counsel for the city of Burlongton,
Hurley joined the City of Burlington in 2008 as an Assistant City Solicitor, where he worked closely with members of the City’s leadership team, Council and various City Committees to assist in advancing the City’s goals and strategic plans relating to growth and development. He has been the acting Executive Director of Legal Service and Corporate Counsel since the retirement of Nancy Shea Nicol in April 2023.
Following his call to the Bar of Ontario in 2004, Hurley began his legal career in private practice at WeirFoulds LLP in Toronto, where he supported the firm in the area of Municipal and Planning Law. While there, he also completed a secondment at the Town of Oakville as an Assistant Town Solicitor. Before beginning his legal career, Hurley supported the City of Kitchener as a municipal land use planner.
Hurley has extensive experience and knowledge of land use planning and municipal legislation, regulations and policy. This will allow him to ensure compliance with local, provincial, and federal requirements, and ultimately protect and assist in the guidance of the strategic long-term growth and sustainability of the broader Burlington community. As Executive Director of Legal Services & Corporate Counsel, Hurley will provide strategic advice and guidance to the City, ensuring that it meets its legal obligations and the changing needs of Burlington with integrity and efficiency. Within this portfolio, Hurley will support Legal Services, Realty Services as well as Halton Court Services.
Hurley has a Bachelor of Environmental Studies from the University of Waterloo where he specialized in Urban and Regional Planning, as well as a Bachelor of Laws from Queens University.
Hurley began in his new role on June 19, 2023.
Hurley has been given a rough ride the past few years – his role was not to lead but to follow the the courts set out by Nancy Shea Nicol who has served the city for several decades.
Hurley now has the opportunity to craft his own course – a challenge for anyone involved in the city and its legal problems.
Blake Hurley is a decent man, soft spoken, well informed and not led or driven by an ego that is bigger than his personality.
If he is given the time he will need to let people appreciate the difference he will bring to the department we can expect to see different results.
Good luck to him.
Absolutely agree with Lynn on this. Where is the ‘new blood’, the fresh perspective, the re-energization of a very stale department. At best, Mr. Hurley should have been made “Acting Executive Director” pending a thorough search for other candidates. Should none have been available at the compensation offered, then that barrier should have been addressed. I’m sure, given the City’s need for expert legal counsel over the next decade, that even our depleted treasury could have borne the cost.
On a somewhat related issue I wonder if Mr. Hurley does us the considerable honour of actually living in Burlington. I’m well aware that this is not a condition of employment but it should be a strong factor is selecting senior staff. I’m a firm believer in having senior civil servants live and play in the community that they serve. It makes them more sensitive to the impact of the policies that they develop. I have heard through a very reliable grapevine that several of the most senior staff live far outside of the City – as far a Peterborough – and have not been physically in the office for months at a time. This is simply unacceptable by any standard and lies at the feet of Mr. Commisso who seems to be permissive to a fault. He also seems too have an organizational philosophy that is far different from mine.
I believe that physical attendance at the workplace is critical if you are to properly manage a staff environment, assess the spirit and mood of the organization and anticipate issues and problems. How can you “virtually manage” Human Resources with any degree of sensitivity and effectiveness?
Absolutely good luck to him as we deserve far better legal counsel than we have had which has impacted democratic rights across the board including pertaining to municipal elections. Now that Nicol is really gone it is time to work towards bringing democratic decision making back to the city.
Ask the 2100 Brant folks what they think of Hurley.
We need new people, not the same old, same old. Ugh. So typical COB.
The above was written tongue in cheek as we have never been impressed but hoping with Shea Nicol gone he can do his job with the public Interest and democratic rights front and centre.
Ahhh, I should have realized that! :).