The complaint also alleges, among other things, a ‘toxic workplace culture’ at emergency management and a conflict of interest in Joanna Beaven-Desjardins\u2019 promotion.<\/p>\n
Published Jan 27, 2026 \u00a0\u2022\u00a0 Last updated 2\u00a0hours ago \u00a0\u2022\u00a0 6 minute read<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n You can save this article by registering for free here<\/a>. Or sign-in<\/a> if you have an account.<\/p>\n The City of Toronto\u2019s emergency management boss has allegedly violated accountability policies, possibly in an attempt to thwart freedom-of-information law amid an investigation by the Toronto Sun.<\/p>\n Advertisement 2<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY<\/p>\n Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.<\/p>\n Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account.Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on.Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists.Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.<\/p>\n SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES<\/p>\n Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.<\/p>\n Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account.Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on.Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists.Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.<\/p>\n REGISTER \/ SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES<\/p>\n Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.<\/p>\n Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.<\/p>\n THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK.<\/p>\n Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.<\/p>\n Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authors<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n \u201cA significant group of current and former staff from Toronto emergency management are writing to raise concerns regarding the leadership of executive director Joanna Beaven-Desjardins,\u201d a complaint, purportedly made to one of Toronto\u2019s deputy city managers, says. It was leaked to the Sun last year.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n \u201cWe do not submit this lightly and fully understand the gravity of raising such matters. Given the risk of retaliation by the executive director, staff are remaining anonymous at this time.\u201d<\/p>\n The complaint alleges, among other things, a \u201ctoxic workplace culture,\u201d a conflict of interest in Beaven-Desjardins\u2019 promotion and that Beaven-Desjardins \u201cissues directives\u201d using the Signal messaging app, which \u201cautomatically deletes communications, undermining obligations related to public record-keeping and transparency.\u201d<\/p>\n An employee at city hall told the Sun the complaint was sent to deputy city manager Kate Bassil in late April 2025. Bassil replied that June and the matter was effectively shelved, the person said. The Sun has agreed not to publish the employee\u2019s name to protect the person from reprisals for speaking out.<\/p>\n Advertisement 3<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n The complaint apparently closely followed freedom-of-information requests by the Sun. Beaven-Desjardins\u2019 appointment calendar and her emails related to former deputy city manager Tracey Cook were requested on April 23, 2025.<\/p>\n Asked about the complaint and the alleged use of Signal, a representative said city hall \u201ccannot comment on the specifics of this personnel matter.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCity staff are expected to conduct all city business through approved channels and in accordance with corporate policies. City staff are not permitted to use third-party messaging applications for official city business,\u201d the statement said. (Beaven-Desjardins was not made available for comment.)<\/p>\n The Sun had been acting on a tip about Beaven-Desjardins\u2019 management of the division and the alleged conflict in her promotion, to serve under Cook. In 2017, the Toronto Star reported Beaven-Desjardins \u201chas been close with Cook since they did their police training together in 1987<\/a>.\u201d (City hall did not respond to a question asking for specifics as to who had a say appointing Beaven-Desjardins.)<\/p>\n Your Midday Sun<\/p>\n Thanks for signing up!<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Advertisement 4<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n When Beaven-Desjardins came in, it ended a long stretch of turmoil atop Toronto\u2019s emergency management team. Two of the three men who preceded Beaven-Desjardins served only as acting director, and one of them took on that position twice. The third, Charles Jansen, was the subject of front-page headlines<\/a> as he was let go, without no rationale provided by the city, just as COVID began to grip Toronto in 2020.<\/p>\n In 2022, what had been Toronto\u2019s office of emergency management became its own stand-alone division, called Toronto emergency management, and Beaven-Desjardins became executive director.<\/p>\n A document signed by city manager Paul Johnson, dated May 30, 2023, breaks down the powers and responsibilities Beaven-Desjardins has as executive director, including control over hiring and firing staff. Cook retired in May 2023.<\/p>\n According to budget documents, the team\u2019s pool of emergency operations centre staff dropped by half in 2022<\/a>. One document says training was hurt by \u201cresponse priorities and staffing,\u201d but after a change in approach the problem was remedied by 2023.<\/p>\n Advertisement 5<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n While the Sun requested texts between Cook and Beaven-Desjardins as well as emails, city hall said those would be impossible to provide, as their devices were wiped clean. Only two email chains were provided, one of which involved Beaven-Desjardins and Jill Bada \u2014 then Cook\u2019s direct report as director of strategic policy and programs \u2014 debating who the nickname \u201cArizona Cruise\u201d belongs to.<\/p>\n \u201cThank God we have you,\u201d Cook wrote on July 8, 2022, after Bada pointed out a detail in an attached slide deck.<\/p>\n \u201cYou rock Arizona Cruise!\u201d Beaven-Desjardins replied.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, remember \u2013 you are Arizona Cruise!!\u201d Bada wrote.<\/p>\n While Beaven-Desjardins\u2019 calendar does not appear to include appointments outside of work, it raises questions of a possible conflict. In Cook\u2019s final year and a half or so on the job, starting from January 2022, there were 50 days in which Beaven-Desjardins had a documented meeting involving the deputy city manager.<\/p>\n One of those meetings, on March 15, 2023, is listed as a \u201c2023 performance appraisal.\u201d Meanwhile, on May 3, 2023, Beaven-Desjardins\u2019 whole afternoon and early evening were blocked off for an apparent meeting labelled only as \u201cTracey Cook.\u201d<\/p>\n Advertisement 6<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n After learning of Beaven-Desjardins\u2019 alleged unsanctioned app use, the Sun requested screenshots from her phone displaying settings for messaging software including Signal, iMessage and WhatsApp. On Tuesday morning, city hall sent a letter saying that after \u201ca review of the requested records,\u201d they were exempted as a personnel matter and would not be provided under freedom of information.<\/p>\n \u201cUse of city mobile devices is governed by the city\u2019s acceptable use policy. Enforcement of the (policy) is considered to be an employment-related matter,\u201d the letter said.<\/p>\n Matt Malone is an expert on freedom of information law with the Balsillie School of International Affairs in Waterloo. He told the Sun that while the request for a screenshot is atypical, it\u2019s legally valid, as the concept of what counts as a government record evolves with time.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is the cat-and-mouse with FIPPA,\u201d the law that governs freedom of information, Malone said. \u201cThings move toward channels where they don\u2019t have to be transparent, where they can maintain secrecy, and that way they can avoid accountability. It\u2019s part of the purpose of using the apps.\u201d<\/p>\n Advertisement 7<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n The Office of the Provincial Land and Development, which now employs Cook, refused to relay a request for comment. Mayor Olivia Chow\u2019s office did not respond to a request for comment.<\/p>\n jholmes@postmedia.com<\/a><\/p>\n For an app that has been associated with staying out of the news, Signal has made a lot of headlines.<\/p>\n The messaging app isn\u2019t very different from similar platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Snapchat or Discord. However, Signal\u2019s encryption is prized by some users, and it\u2019s the first selling point on the app\u2019s website, signal.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cState-of-the-art end-to-end encryption \u2014 powered by the open-source Signal Protocol \u2014 keeps your conversations secure. We can\u2019t read your messages or listen to your calls, and no one else can either,\u201d the website says.<\/p>\n Matt Malone, a Balsillie fellow with the Balsillie School of International Affairs in Waterloo, specializes in freedom-of-information law. He said politicians and government officials use apps like Signal for the same reason as anyone else \u2013 \u201cbecause they want privacy.\u201d<\/p>\n Advertisement 8<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n \u201cBut when you\u2019re a government official or an elected official, the zone of privacy shrinks considerably,\u201d he said. \u201cThe legislation is being rendered utterly useless because you\u2019ve got these people who are just saying, \u2018Well, we keep something to document the business decision,\u2019 but that\u2019s a trust-me approach, right?\u201d<\/p>\n Signal has been a hot topic in government circles. Last year, a senior U.S. official used it to discuss sensitive details about striking military targets \u2013 and a journalist was mistakenly included in the chat<\/a>.<\/p>\n More recently, the use of Signal to organize attempts to obstruct the operations of immigration agents in Minnesota has reportedly prompted an FBI investigation<\/a>.<\/p>\n Read More<\/p>\n City of Toronto named in $22M suit against \u2018sham\u2019 contractor<\/p>\n <\/a> Just 2 reports daily at Toronto Police cyclist crash report centre<\/p>\n![\"Joanna](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/beaven-desjardins-e1769553409219.jpg\")
Joanna Beaven-Desjardins, then with the Toronto Police Service, is seen at a press conference in July 2015. Some of her current subordinates with Toronto emergency management have reportedly filed a complaint about her, alleging a \u201ctoxic\u201d workplace and that she has tried to circumvent record-keeping requirements. Photo by Veronica Henri \/TORONTO SUN FILESArticle content<\/p>\n![\"Toronto](\"https:\/\/dcs-static.gprod.postmedia.digital\/20.4.0\/websites\/images\/identity\/logo-identity-tsun.svg\"){kind=logo}
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Tracey Cook, then executive director of municipal licensing and standards, speaks at a press conference at Toronto City Hall in November 2014. Photo by Ernest Doroszuk\/Toronto Sun files\u2018Personnel matter\u2019<\/p>\n![\"opening](\"https:\/\/dcs-static.gprod.postmedia.digital\/20.4.0\/websites\/images\/newsletters\/icon-sun-middaySun.svg\"\/){kind=icon}
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This entry in Joanna Beaven-Desjardins\u2019 appointment calendar appears to show a performance review was carried out by her boss Tracey Cook weeks before Cook\u2019s retirement in 2023. The two have reportedly been friends since 1987. Photo by City of Toronto\u2018Arizona Cruise\u2019<\/p>\n![\"Signal](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/signal-app.jpg\")
This photograph taken on 11 January, 2021 in Toulouse, southwestern France, shows the logo of Signal mobile messaging service. Photo by Lionel BONAVENTURE\/AFP via Getty Images filesSIGNAL\u2019S MIXED<\/p>\n![\"Toronto](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/torontocityhall.jpg\")
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