(Developing Story) The City of Brampton is holding a special council meeting at 10am on Friday (April 23, 2021) in regards to a scathing email purportedly sent by a city employee to council members. The email was sent to various media groups in the city, however, Brampton Focus cannot confirm the authenticity of the letter, nor the sender nor the accuracy of its contents. The email content is being posted here for public benefit as it it now circulating publicly across social media platforms.
The email makes accusations against the city’s CAO David Barrick, Director of HR Sandeep Aujla and names other individuals in the organization and public. None of these accusations have been proven.
The email appears to be from Gurdeep Kaur, the City’s Director of Corporate Projects, Policy and Liaison. Kaur recently lost the Brampton West Conservative Party of Canada nomination election on Wednesday night (April 22nd) and sent the email to council early on Thursday morning (April 23rd).
Brampton Focus conducted an interview the CAO David Barrick when he was hired in 2019 under controversial circumstances. Mayor Patrick Brown was also interviewed at the time to comment about the hire.
The PDF document received by Brampton Focus was processed through an optical character recognition system the resulting text is included below.
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misuse of public funds
Kaur, Gurdeep Gurdeep.Kaur@brampton.ca
Thu 2021-04-22 5:00 AM
To: EmailGRP_Council EmailGRP_Council@brampton.ca
PLEASE HELP
I would like to bring up serious misconduct, misuse of public funds and discrimination at the City of Brampton. I am a Director of Corporate Projects, Policy and Liaison at the City of Brampton reporting directly to the CAO. The reason I write to you today is because this is in the public interest to know what is happening and there is no malicious intent. There is wrongful use of public funds by the MDC (David Barrick), and serious abuse of authority. I am bringing this to your attention because at the City of Brampton, we do not have any form of serious complaints; everything gets destroyed or tugged under the rug. The Human Resources department is flawed and it is all because the Director of HR Sandeep Aujla is a racist, she in her hiring interview (as I sat in the panel) made a racist remark openly about the Black community” Black people are dumb” these are her own words, this remark about the black community was made by the Human Resources Director and it was heard my myself, the CAO and two others but the CAO still hired her and did nothing to address this issue, but choose to hire a fired employee into a higher role. WHY???? Are we paying taxes for this again?????
I started at the City of Brampton in or around December 16, 2019 and within days, I was given a file for a project called Municipal Development Corporation (MDC) this was part of a motion that the City of Brampton (COB) Council brought forward to see a business case for a possible creation of Municipal Development Corporation. MDC would be a distinct entity and with a defined mandate for strategic projects and the MDC would be focused on providing revenue to its shareholder (the City) and by actively improving the City Economically, socially, environmentally and aesthetically.
The next step for MDC was to start on the business case framework and engage third party consultants to prepare a business work plan for the MDC. The monetary value of this project for this step was as approved by council motion dated in or around October 2019 was $300,000. Phase one $160,000 and Phase two $140,000.
On January 7, 2020, the CAO David Barrick, sent me a text message and instructed me to send initial emails to commence this work. On January 09, 20 we sent the initial emails to the contact provided by the CAO David Barrick in a text message (there is evidence of this). I requested a quotation for related services.
On January 20,20 I received the response by Brett Bell from Menes Company and I forwarded the attached to David Barrick as he is my boss. In or around the week of January 20 till February I was informed verbally by the CAO to move forward with the work with the Menes Company. During the following weeks the Menes Company requested certain information and all the requested information was provided to the above-mentioned company in order to continue the works.
On May 29, 2020 the CAO sent me on a WhatsApp message for a review of the MDC Business plan offline, suggesting that he may put this off for another week to absorb. On or about June 02, 20, I received the MDC Business case from Brett Bell (Menes Company) via email correspondence. On or about June 3rd, 2020 I forwarded it to David Barrick.
The following week it was submitted to COB Legal in order to be prepared for Council to be received and to be spoken to at council on June 10, 2020. This was further discussed at Council and approved for next steps. David Barrick prior to the start of this meeting informed that “if anyone asks the Consultant phoned in the city” I at that point thought that David is just providing information in case that question arose.
On or about July 24, 2020, we moved to the second portion of this work with the same company as per the CAO’s instructions. I forwarded it On July 14, 2020 the CAO the Phase 2 proposal to David Barrick. By this time David Barrick has pressured me into hiring one of his friends by the name of Robert D’Amboise as an administrative assistant and had the job description changed to tailor Roberts’s skills. In or around June 2020, David Barrick asked for a position to be posted for Senior Public Affairs Manager and David Barrick handpicked a person by the name of Blaine Lucas whom is known to David Barrick once again and Blaine Lucas did not even make it on the qualified list and many that were far more better fits for the role were overlooked. David Barrick forced me to hire Blaine Lucas. The aim to hire Blaine Lucas was to put pressure on employees and intimidate the employees to leave so that David Barrick can do whatever he pleases without having any interference from anyone. Blaine Lucas
was hired and proved to be exactly as expected, where he intimidated staff, as he is in close ties with the CAO and as per the CAO’s back and forth with Blaine Lucas, Blaine Lucas acted exactly on the instructions of the CAO even though I was his Director whom he is to report too. In or around September onwards Blaine Lucas continued to discriminate and make comments to staff about things that would make me seem incompetent and involved in this was Robert D’Amboise as well. During this time, David Barrick created hate between staff and often discussed other employees Clare from Ecdev whom I think is an amazing woman, but David Barrick created hate and same thing as another employee Lowell Rubin Vaughan. Blaine Lucas used corner Lowell (there is evidence of this) as David Barrick instructed this behavior.
In or around December 2020, I was on a vacation period; I was pulled out of my vacation to support David in his hiring panels. Which I had no choice for.
In or around October, Blaine Lucas was instructed directly by the CAO to support the MDC project and in or around December, Blaine Lucas wrote a report using Brett Bells second report to provide this update, there were several questions raised by the council on the MDC. The report was put off in or around January 18,21 there was an article that was posted by the local paper called the pointer on this project and as a result the CAO texted me on WhatsApp to ask for emails and I said I will send him all related emails, the CAO further wrote” We now have to take every quote to Mayor and see if he knows them, we have to throw that one out…ridiculous”. They have clearly destroyed evidence that is criminal.
On or about January 19, 2021 I received a call from Robert D’Amboise and clearly discussed the MDC with me and stated on the call” That it’s one of instances as much as can do to protect David” (There is evidence of this call). I sent the CAO a text message confirming the call and the Following day Robert D’Amboise denied even speaking to me on this issue. This report was further put off in the hopes of providing a seminar to council to answer any questions, and I was looking forward to this seminar and Blaine Lucas on the clear instructions of David Barrick decides to engage a Ryerson professor on this work to speak at the workshop. It was scheduled for last week of April but now it’s been postponed and the reality I was hoping to clarify on the workshop but it’s now been postponed and now I have to say that David Barrick hired a consultant without the procurement process and forced to do this work for his own benefit monetarily and without seeking other companies. David Barrick also hired his friends for the job, as that is why the whole team he hired is his own people that support this criminal work of writing facetious reports and aid in stealing monies from the COB. There is evidence that shows these tactics.
In or around January 22, 2021, I was part of a group of a hiring panel that was for a manager of corporate projects that is under my porfolio and David Barrick insisted that Blaine Lucas be part of this hiring panel.
The background of this job is as follows: I originally posted a position for a senior manager with a requirement for a greater skill set to cater to the caliber of the role but David Barrick had different plans and wanted to hire his own person once again as it’s easier for him to steal money. David Barrick immediately was notified by Blaine Lucas and Robert D’Amboise of the higher threshold job position that has been posted, immediately, David Barrick texted me to remove the position and change it to just a manager and hence, there would be no need for a higher threshold. As instructed Human Resources did so as we were instructed by the CAO to immediately make this change.
Following week: interviews were set up and David Barrick wanted an “Elizabeth to be interviewed for the role. Requested by David Barrick, I had to request Human Resources to forward a complete list of all the candidates’ that applied for the position, which I did. David Barrick called me and indicated that he wished that Elizabeth be given an interview; Elizabeth was on an unqualified list (this is an internal system used by HR to get the best candidate that meets the most requirements for the role). We had no say he pressured us so much.
Interviews were conducted and when Elizabeth came up, it turned out that this was one of the worst interviews I have ever sat on was with Elizabeth that David Barrick and Blaine Lucas had picked. Elizabeth did not qualify or even answer questions correctly. After our interviews for the role were concluded, myself, another panel member, another Human Resources panel member, Blaine Lucas decided that we would share our feedback on all the interviews. Myself and two other panel members agreed that Elizabeth that was recommended by David Barrick is not the correct candidate for the position from what we heard that particular interview, however Blaine Lucas was the only that said otherwise, we were almost in shock. At that point, we concluded our session and went forward with our day. The following day, I received a call from David Barrick (there is evidence of this call) asking how the interviews went, I stated “ I am not in a position to endorse such a person” the truth that three of the panel members that includes myself thought that David Barricks and Blaine Lucas recommendation, Elizabeth was not the right fit and David Barrick at that point lied that others liked her. I was firm and stated what I witnessed.
David Barrick put lots of pressure and tried to force me to say that I will sit on a second round of interviews, I suggested why don’t we get more candidates to add to the selection and he refused. It turned out that I found out from another source that David Barrick and Blaine Lucas’s “Elizabeth is a secretary of David’s Barricks friend.
During this time, In or around first week of January 2021, I received an email from Blaine Lucas and Blaine Lucas at this point had only been working for the COB for 6 months and he demanded that I give him a raise and I refused, Blaine Lucas decided to reach out to the factious HR department and exercised the next steps. The next step to appeal this process would be the next supervisor and that is David Barrick, he contacted me when I refused to give a raise. David Barrick asked for an explanation and I provided a reason for each category that was in question (there is an email) and why the raise was not justified, but David Barrick along with HR Director Sandeep Aujla decided to give David’s friend, Blaine Lucas a raise and I have not (two months after) received anything in regards to why and how this is even possible. Blaine Lucas has only been on the job for 8 months and at the time of the raise it was 6 months. From August 2020 onwards, Blaine Lucas, Robert D’Amboise and David Barrick have created false facts to pressurize me, discriminate against, harass me and made me look incompetent in order to gain financially at the expense of the people of city of Brampton.
In or around February 2021, I decided to stand in nomination for federal election and in or around April 13 onwards till April 16 I was sick and I sent David’s Barrick the details of me being sick on those days. David Barrick calls me on Wednesday April 14, 2021 on my sick day and tells me that in closed session today there was a discussion on me and how I am running a nomination and that this is a conflict of interest for government relations. I said this is the first I am hearing of this. He then decided to present me a job in planning that would magically get rid of this fake conflict that David Barrick, Blaine Lucas, Robert D’Amboise and Sandeep Aujla made up. I said I’m sick and need more information and would discuss it later on as David is aware that I am away, he on Friday while I was still on a sick day sends me an email with an immediate transfer to a lower role that I never agreed to too or sign off on, this is a clear breach of my constitutional rights, this is clear discrimination, harassment and David Barrick, took his friend Blaine Lucas and put him in my position acting. This move was done to cover up so I would not speak and this would go away but this abuse of authority and misuse of public funds. This is a clear breach of my rights and abuse of the process. David Barrick and Human Resources says it’s a conflict of Interest but The Mayor openly supported Peter McKay (a federal leadership candidate) where was the conflict of interest when the Mayor bought Peter McKay to city hall and we were made to support this, David Barrick is a previous counselor from Niagara for 12 years, where is the conflict of interest??? Why is there a factious Conflict of Interest is it because I am a woman that is qualified and am getting treated like this? Ninder Thind is administrative assistance in Corporate Services and she is a previous two time nominated candidate, where is the conflict of interest???
If one chooses to not steal money or decides to stand up to their factious lies this is what they do. I need my justice. I hope you will hear this and get rid of these people. All of the above are from Niagara and that includes Blaine, Robert, David and David’s friend Elizabeth.
There is no one at the City of Brampton that will do something about these people that are openly discriminating against people.
I hope you will listen and not brush this under the rug.
Gurdeep Kaur
Director of Corporate Projects, Policy and Liaison 905-874-3694
City of Brampton Gurdeep.Kaur@brampton.ca
