Residents of Sturgeon County, County employees, and vendors may report concerns in good faith about suspected wrongdoing within Sturgeon County through the Whistleblower Program (WBP).
The Whistleblower Program is a secure, confidential process for reporting concerns about the wrongdoing involving County staff or contractors. All reports are reviewed fairly, equally and objectively.
Investigations are handled by trained and experienced staff who specialize in conducting confidential investigations.
All information included in a report is kept strictly confidential and is shared only with those staff members who are required to complete the investigation.
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Report a Concern
Report your concern to the whistleblower program.
Policies
For detailed information on the whistleblower program and the process of reporting, read the whistleblower policy.
Policy: Whistleblower Program
What to Report
What to Report
Examples of what can be reported to the Whisleblower Program include:
- Misuse of County funds, equipment or other resources.
- An action that creates substantial danger to the life, health or safety of individuals, and
- Any other clearly reported concern about possible wrongdoing that is reported honestly in good faith.
What Not to Report
Sturgeon County Mayor and Council are not within the scope of the whistle-blower program in accordance with the Municipal Government Act (MGA).
Reports should not:
- Be made with bad intentions.
- Be made only for personal gain.
- Be used to support a political agenda.
Before You Report a Concern
It is important to include complete information so the Whistleblower Program (WBP) can properly review your concern. Before you submit a report, take time to review what you know and gather any details that may help explain the issue.
Members of the public who are thinking about reporting a concern may contact the CAO for information or advice, or the Mayor if the CAO is involved or has a conflict of interest.
Employees, volunteers, or contractors who are thinking about reporting a concern may ask their supervisor or the Chief Administration Officer (CAO) for information or advice. Email cao@sturgeoncounty.ca for more information. If the CAO is involved in the concern or has a conflict of interest, they may contact the Mayor instead.
Things to Consider When Reporting a Concern
Your report must:
- Clearly explain the suspected wrongdoing.
- Be made in good faith, meaning it is honest and based on facts. A good faith report is not meant to mislead, harm others, or cause trouble, and is not reckless or frivolous.
- Be based on reasonable grounds.
If known, your report should include:
- The name(s) of the person or people involved.
- Dates, times, and locations.
- Any evidence that was collected legally, such as photos, emails, or invoices.
You may also include:
- Your name and contact information, if you choose to provide it.
- Whether you tried to raise the concern through other Council policies or processes, and what happened as a result.
All reports are treated as confidential. Information you provide will only be shared with people directly involved in reviewing or investigating the concern.
Information may be shared only when it is:
- Needed to properly investigate the concern.
- Required by law.
- Necessary when the public interest is more important than keeping the information confidential.
- Needed to prevent a serious and immediate risk to the life, health, or safety of a person, or to the environment.
- Required for fairness, so a person accused of wrongdoing has enough information to respond to the concern.
If you choose to use your name, your identify will only be shared on a need-to-know basis, when required to resolve the matter or when required by law. The investigator will take all reasonable steps to protect the identity of the person who made the report.
Any County employee who reports a concern in good faith is protected from retaliation or reprisal.