Prof. Lex’s Corner — Jim McIntyre and the Hurlwood Encounter

PROF. LEX’S CORNER

Jim McIntyre and the Hurlwood encounter

Updated issue • October 5, 2026 • Prepared for factual review

John Tait | Watershed Debacle Inquiry

THE QUESTION FOR LANDOWNERS

What did councillors know about the possible lawsuit and landowner concerns, what did they do with that information, and what records show the answer?

John Tait’s account

John reports that he handed the notice to candidates to Dan Janssen in the Hurlwood parking lot. Janssen was already a councillor. According to John, Janssen said he had not been told about the possible lawsuit. The encounter’s exact date and time remain to be confirmed.

Immediately after the handover, another man pulled in. John asked Janssen who he was. Janssen supplied the first name “Jim.” John did not know the surname at the time; he later identified the man as Jim McIntyre after checking council photographs.

John recalls asking the man he later identified as McIntyre whether Mayor Burkett had advised him about the possible lawsuit. According to John, the man moved away, saying that he did not want to hear about a lawsuit. This wording is a paraphrase, pending any recording or contemporaneous notes.

John adds: “My wife, Donna Tait, witnessed the entire Hurlwood parking-lot encounter.”

Identity and source limits

Severn’s official 2022–2026 Council directory lists Jim McIntyre, Ward 5, and Dan Janssen, Ward 2.[1] It confirms their official names and roles; it does not independently establish who was present at the parking-lot encounter. The encounter account comes from John’s recollection recorded on October 5, 2026.[2]

Two encounters; distinct evidence

Janssen’s reported statement about notification

John’s October 5 clarification adds that Janssen told him he had not told landowners. The existing Candidate Post-Meeting Accountability Report places that statement in a separate September 21 exchange, after the earlier Hurlwood handover.[3]

That report records John’s recollection that Janssen said he had read the package and had not explained it to landowners. This is an attributed statement requiring confirmation from the recording, notes or Janssen’s response. It is more specific than an inference from silence, but does not establish what he did after that exchange.

The same report records John’s subsequent personal insult and his withdrawal and apology. That context remains part of the September 21 account.[3]

What remains unanswered about McIntyre

The reported parking-lot response does not answer whether McIntyre already knew about the inquiry, subsequently reviewed the materials, raised the matter with Council, or notified any landowners. Those are questions for him and the relevant records.

John’s concern about common direction

John reports hearing little back and believes officials may be acting under common direction or control. That is his present suspicion. The encounter and limited responses do not establish coordination, outside control, deliberate concealment or a shared motive. The issue should test that concern against documents and individual explanations.

COMMON-SENSE QUESTION

If landowner concerns and possible litigation had reached councillors, what practical steps followed? Please identify the action, the date and the supporting record.

Why this matters

Residents can ask how their representatives received and acted on this information. This issue documents questions and reported conduct; it does not establish that a lawsuit has been filed or liability determined.

Questions and next actions

Questions for Councillor Jim McIntyre

1. Were you the person who arrived during John Tait’s exchange with Dan Janssen at the Hurlwood parking lot? Please confirm or correct the account and, if possible, identify the date.

2. Did you say that you did not want to hear about a lawsuit? If so, what did you mean? Please correct the wording or supply any missing context.

3. Before that encounter, what information had you received about the Watershed inquiry and possible lawsuit, from whom, and when?

4. After that encounter, did you review the notice or website, raise the matter with Council or staff, or communicate with landowners? Please identify dates and available records.

5. Did anyone ask, advise or direct you to limit discussion or circulation of the landowner materials? If so, identify the person, date and nature of the direction, and any non-privileged record.

The next three steps

1. Complete the event record. Establish the date from calendars, messages or notes; preserve the notice handed to Janssen and the council photograph used for identification. Identify any witness and what that person independently remembers.

2. Check the recordings. Locate any recording of the Hurlwood encounter and the separate September 21 exchange. Keep the originals and enough surrounding conversation to preserve context.

3. Request a written response. Once the date and account are checked as far as possible, put the five questions to McIntyre. Ask Janssen separately to confirm his identification of “Jim” and the two reported statements. Record responses, corrections and any unanswered items.

NOTICE TO READER

A missing answer remains an unanswered question. It is not an admission. Any response or correction should accompany this account in an updated issue.

Record basis

[1] Township of Severn, “Council,” members for 2022–2026, checked October 5, 2026: severn.ca/our-government/council/.

[2] John Tait’s account and clarification in this conversation, October 5, 2026; includes his later identification of McIntyre from council photographs. Encounter date remains unconfirmed.

[3] EVI_Candidate_Post_Meeting_Accountability_Report_2026-09-24.pdf, current version 3, produced September 26, 2026, pages 5–6, sections 5.1–5.3. This earlier report records recollections; it is not independent corroboration.