Former Ontario integrity commissioner J. David Wake, who authored Greenbelt report, dies
Wake served as integrity commissioner from 2016 to 2025 and conducted the investigation into the government's decision to remove protected Greenbelt lands for housing.
The day's top stories, food & events — every morning at 7. Unsubscribe anytime.
Ontario's former integrity commissioner, who authored a lengthy report on the provincial government's Greenbelt scandal, has died a year after retiring.
J. David Wake served as Ontario integrity commissioner from 2016 to 2025 and conducted many investigations during his tenure, including the consequential report on the government's decision to remove lands from the protected Greenbelt area for housing. That investigation led to a cabinet minister resigning.
Wake and his team spoke to 62 witnesses and reviewed more than 2,300 documents. They concluded that the housing minister failed to properly oversee his top staffer, who led a "chaotic" process that created opportunities to improperly further some developers' interests.
Wake was previously the associate chief justice of the Ontario court of justice from 1999 to 2005. Current integrity commissioner Cathryn Motherwell said Wake's impact on the world of Canadian public sector ethics was indelible. He is survived by his wife, two children and five grandchildren. Premier Doug Ford extended his condolences to Wake's family and loved ones.
