2023-03-28

Annual Report 2022

Summary

198 denunciations received

123 files opened

591 witnesses interviewed or contacted

65 surveillance operations

120 training sessions

Message from the Inspector General

The fight for integrity is a never-ending endeavour, and the dedication it calls for means sometimes we lose sight of all the progress we have made. However, as this report shows, we can say that 2022 was a year of renewed trust.

Creating an office such as ours is quite a bold and powerful move for a city. This reflects an institutional commitment to the underlying values of our mandate, namely free competition and sound stewardship of public resources. This is especially true since, over the years, our mission has often led us to intervene with Ville de Montréal in favour of potential bidders. Nevertheless, when a bill was under consideration last spring, the metropolis made a point of publicly reaffirming the relevance of having a Montreal-based watchdog, thereby reflecting its strong commitment to contractual integrity.

We wholeheartedly agree with this, as our steadfast presence in the field led us to acquire in-depth knowledge of the contracting process of both Ville de Montréal’s and its related companies, along with their issues. This means we can intervene better and more effectively, particularly through the findings of our reports, which are tailor-made to help preserve contractual integrity while avoiding any breach of service or jeopardizing public safety. Our annual site-monitoring program, detailed in the following pages, is a good example.

Secondly, this past year was marked by a number of judgments rendered after our public reports were challenged. Not only have we refined our investigative processes in the wake of the increased sophistication of the schemes uncovered, but also our own procedures fall within a mostly new area of law in which we are seen as trailblazers. These court decisions are further detailed in the section on legal affairs.

Far from resting on their laurels, our Office members remain driven and motivated to consistently improve our services. For example, we launched a pilot project this year to monitor the contract tendering and awarding process. This new service will enable us to intervene more proactively, always in Montrealers’ best interest.

Moreover, the investigation reports we have published clearly show that contract delinquency is sadly an ongoing issue in Montreal. The use of dummy corporations has become more sophisticated, with entities created through existing sub-companies owned by contractors. Undeclared profits are also hidden by means of clever financial manipulation. Whistleblowers are of great help in detecting such schemes. These people will forever have my deepest gratitude for their courage to report contractual delinquency, as well as the trust they place in us to put a stop to them.

In closing, I would like to remind you that 2023 marks the last year of my mandate as Inspector General of Ville de Montréal. I look forward to working with my teams to make us even more efficient, proactive and innovative. To that end, I hereby sign off on our very first strategic plan covering the next three years. It revolves around our core values, namely proximity, proactivity and sustainability. In the spirit of continuing our excellent service, we will keep leveraging our skills, expertise and motivation to the benefit of Montrealers.

 

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Annual Report 2022