TORONTO — A Catholic school board trustee in Ontario at the centre of a high-profile controversy over a taxpayer-funded trip to Italy has resigned, even as the province’s education minister moves forward with legislation to remove him and bar him from public office for five years.
Mark Watson, a trustee with the Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic District School Board, was one of four trustees who travelled to Italy in 2023 to purchase approximately $100,000 worth of art for the board. The ten-day trip cost taxpayers about $45,000, prompting widespread outrage and an investigation into spending practices across Ontario school boards.
Education Minister Paul Calandra said that while three of the four trustees reimbursed their full expenses, Watson refused to repay his share in full and still owes the board more than $12,000. Earlier this week, Calandra tabled legislation designed specifically to remove Watson from his post and ban him from holding any trustee position in Ontario until 2030.
Watson did not respond to media requests for comment, but the school board confirmed his resignation on Friday, ending months of mounting pressure and political scrutiny.
Despite Watson’s departure, Calandra said his government will still proceed with the bill, calling it a necessary measure to uphold public accountability.
“It is unfortunate our government had to introduce legislation for Mr. Watson to finally do the right thing,” Calandra said in a written statement. “His resignation was long overdue. Mr. Watson still owes the board thousands in taxpayer dollars, and I expect him to pay it back. Those funds should be supporting student achievement — not paying for lavish all-inclusive European summer vacations for out-of-touch school board trustees.”
The Italy trip has become a flashpoint in the province’s broader push to reform school board governance and spending transparency. Calandra has repeatedly cited the case as an example of how taxpayer funds are being mismanaged, vowing to strengthen oversight and impose stricter accountability measures on trustees provincewide.
While the resignation may diffuse some immediate political tension, the Education Ministry’s legislative push signals that the Ford government intends to make an example of the case — using it to justify upcoming reforms aimed at curbing financial abuses and restoring public confidence in Ontario’s education system.