By Gazette Staff
March 12th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
A small error on our part.
The swimmers training in Barcelona are from the BAD youth program (teens) not adults. Our error
It is a sign that despite everything that happened last year, the BAD Youth program is thriving.
The Burlington Aquatic Devilrays appreciate the work done by the City Auditor, but believe it leaves key questions unanswered.
They have identified gaps in the analysis that they believe haven’t been fully addressed; they intend to continue working with the City to resolve them.
Their concerns relate to the overall scope of the audit and certain procedural aspects of the process. The BAD leadership is still in active conversation with the City on a path forward.
This issue isn’t going away despite what the Mayor has said.
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Pam here. I am not at liberty to disclose the issues but suffice to say they are real and BAD’s Board will address matters with the city. BAD never lost the bid as their proposal wasn’t even reviewed. The facts are real and the circumstances very unfair and disappointing. It will come out but at the moment the best approach is not combative but factual and fair.
Pam,
Knowing how these things (lawyers) work, all parties would wish to ensure they do not any liability. So a compromise agreement having been achieved between BAD, GHAC & the City you can take it to the bank that all parties would have signed NDAs & releases. That being so you can be sure nothing more will come out about this matter that is not already public.
As to BAD’s bid whether one says it lost, was disqualified, was non-compliant, was not reviewed, that’s just semantics. Fact GHAC was awarded the ki hi
That’s like a soccer team saying they didn’t lose the game. They came second. LOL
The audit missed important points that the public generally is unaware of. Further issues remain. I am hopeful the council will have the strength to find a solution. It will take courage and a strong commitment to the community they serve. BAD has been a wonderful Burlington dedicated program for over 40 years. There are “out clauses” that should be exercised and the whole thing fixed.
Pam,
A few questions that you could help us with your answers so that we can all better understand the situation
You say there are points that the auditor missed and that issues still remain, but you don’t expand on that. Please would you let us all know what those points are and what issues still remain.
In order to obtain some allocated pool time having not won the RFP BAD entered into an agreement with the City and GHAC. Did BAD sign a release and an NDA?
If the answer to that is, yes BAD did, then what issues can possibly remain? Would the matter not be closed?
Please help us all understand better.
I did watch the council meeting. I think it was Councilor Nisan and Councilor Bentivegna who voted against the motion. Are you mistaken about it being Councilors Kearns and Stolte.
Having read the audit it appears BAD caused its own disqualification. The auditor says in 2020 when BAD won the RFP the same requirement to provide a certificate of insurance was met, having sought clearance from city staff, by its providing a copy of its Letters Patent. Prior to 2011 letters patent were issued as proof of incorporation from 2011 onwards letters. Patent were replaced by a certificate of incorporation. The auditor wonders why BAD did not again seek clearance from City staff to use the letters patent, or simply just provide the letters patent as it had done in 2020. The wording of the RFP was the same in 2025 as it was in 2020. It would seem the people at BAD had a brain freeze.
Please read the audit report. I think what you heard is incorrect.
https://burlingtonpublishing.escribemeetings.com/Meeting.aspx?Id=e477eda4-facb-41bb-896a-ec7c1a74f5ce&Agenda=Merged&lang=English&Item=23&Tab=attachments
Re: Aquatic Space Allocation Audit (Internal)
I’m glad to hear that BAD is moving forward with their dispute with the City of Burlington. At the end of the day, BAD is a Burlington run organization and must be supported by Burlington.
I watched this discussion between the city auditor and council at the Regular Meeting of Council on March 10th. And there are still alot of unanswered questions and details on how this RFP Application process was handled by both City Staff and Burlington Council!
It appears from what I heard and read re the Internal Audit presented to council, that the RFP Application and process was lacking on description details, mandatory registrant requirements (i.e. 85% of the organization’s participants live in Burlington) and the process.
The RFP Application and process must be redrafted and updated now so this does not happen again.
This whole process and loss of Burlington Pool Time has been such a huge disappointment for all of the Burlington swimmers and teams that train and participate with the Burlington Aquatic Devilrays!
There was a 5-2 vote to pass the “Aquatic Space Allocation Audit” with only 2 members, Lisa Kearns Ward 2 and Shawna Stolte Ward 4 opposing it.
Burlington residents should read and watch this video posted on the City of Burlington, Council Meeting Calendar held on March 10, 2026 at cityofburlington.ca