Ontario Trustee Resigns Amid $45K Italy Art Trip Scandal
An Ontario school trustee has stepped down following mounting controversy over a $45,000 taxpayer-funded trip to Italy and a rare legislative move to remove him from office.
Mark Watson, a trustee with the Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic District School Board, was one of four board members who travelled to Italy earlier this year to purchase $100,000 worth of art. The trip sparked widespread outrage and prompted Ontario’s Education Minister, Paul Calandra, to table a bill aimed solely at firing Watson and barring him from serving as a trustee anywhere in the province until 2030.
In a statement to CBC Toronto, Calandra called Watson’s resignation “unfortunate but necessary,” adding that it should not have required legislation for him to “do the right thing.”
“This bill will continue through the legislative process and stands as a clear message that our government will always protect accountability and integrity in education,” Calandra said.
The minister also stated that Watson still owes money to the school board.
“Those funds should be supporting student achievement, not paying for lavish all-inclusive European summer vacations for out-of-touch trustees,” he added.
Watson has not commented publicly, but the school board confirmed on Friday that he has officially resigned from his position.
The high-profile case has reignited debate about spending oversight and governance within Ontario’s school boards, with the province signaling potential reforms to ensure greater financial accountability in the education system.
