Dave Aspden

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David Aspden is the 41st mayor of Barrie, Ontario.

Aspden defeated incumbent Mayor Robert J. Hamilton in the November, 2006 municipal election by a margin of 14,616 to 12,175 votes. Aspden's campaign focused on issues such as delays in industrial and commercial development, property taxes, doctor shortage/health care, downtown re-development, city growth, and more.

Aspden was a police officer for over 20 years and a municipal councillor for 9 years, representing Ward 2 before he was elected as Mayor. He has been a member of the Royal Canadian Legion for over 28 years, received the President's Award from the Navy League of Canada and is the Secretary/Treasurer for the Ontario Association of Police Services Boards.

Aspden's initial months as mayor have been marked by controversy.

In January 2007, while serving as Chairman of the Barrie Police Services Board, Aspden "wrote a character reference for Const. Brian Byblow in January in connection with an Ontario Police Services Act disciplinary hearing, which found Byblow guilty of discreditable conduct relating to a May 2005 incident"[1]. Aspden's fellow councillors passed a motion on April 30, 2007 referring the matter to the Ontario Civilian Commission on Police Services.

Aspden's trip to China in April 2007 attracted further controversy due to the alleged involvement of Chinese and Canadian land developers, as well as the Mayor's apparently secretive approach to the trip. After "in camera" meetings on April 23 and April 30, councillors passed a unanimous motion to request an OPP probe into the situation. Aspden, who alleges he paid his own airfare on the trip, has denied any impropriety and suggested that a public inquiry would be a more appropriate method for reviewing his conduct.[2].

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