Sudbury fire chief fired: Trevor Bain dismissed amid harassment allegations

Trevor Bain is no longer the chief of fire and paramedic services at the City of Greater Sudbury.

The city send around an all-staff email Friday afternoon saying Bain is "no longer with the organization".

The CBC has been told by several sources close to the decision that Bain was fired. 

This comes just days after allegations that he was being harassed by two city councillors came to light.

Bain, who grew up in Greater Sudbury, came to the city to be chief of fire and paramedic services in April 2015, after working at the Ontario fire marshall's office.

He found himself at the centre of controversy of the proposed fire optimization plan, drawing the ire of volunteer fire brigades in the outlying area who felt they were being pushed aside.

The disciplining of 11 volunteer firefighters who allegedly spoke out against the city during that process brought the story back into the spotlight in recent weeks.

A week ago, the union for full-time firefighters went public with a complaint it made in March, suggesting Bain was being harassed by two city councillors.

The Sudbury Professional Firefighters Association said little action had been taken by the city and it was considering calling in the Ministry of Labour to investigate.

The Ministry of Labour confirms that it received a complaint Oct. 19 and is following up, but could provide no other details.

Association president Kris Volpel says he was "disappointed" by the news of Bain's departure from the city, but said he didn't know if it was connected at all to the harassment allegations.

Volpel praised Bain as a manager, saying he was highly qualified and got the brunt of public opposition to the optimization plan.

"It's my opinion that his assessment was very truthful, but not necessarily politically convenient for some," Volpel said. 

Bain's sudden exit is how a half dozen managers have left the city since this mayor and council were sworn in three years ago.

A CBC investigation last year revealed that severence paid out to four of those managers alone cost taxpayers over $1 million.