Restaurant meals at $158 and $170 billed to taxpayers by former OCPM president Dominique Ollivier

Former president of the Montreal executive committee Dominique Ollivier ordered dishes worth $158 and even $170 at the restaurant’s expense at taxpayers’ expense, while she chaired the Office de consultation publique de Montréal (OCPM) .

New documents received by our Bureau of Investigation following access to information requests show that M^me Ollivier sometimes chose some of the most expensive dishes on the menu.

For example, in February 2019, Dominique Ollivier met a “potential commissioner” at the Damas restaurant in Outremont, where refined Syrian cuisine is served.

On the bill, we find in particular a dish for $170 before taxes. Since the receipt was redacted by the OCPM before being sent to us, it is impossible to know exactly what the president and her guest ordered.

On its website, the restaurant advertises a plate of grilled meat for two people, including Alberta rack of lamb and filet mignon, sold at exactly that price.

Two other items were also consumed that evening for a total of $269.98, including taxes and tip, with Montrealers’ money.

• Listen to the Dutrizac – Dumont meeting via QUB :

Chic restaurant

In December of the same year, another meeting with a “potential commissioner”, this time at the chic Ikanos restaurant in Old Montreal, renowned for its seafood and fish.

The invoice notably mentions the purchase of a dish worth $208 before taxes. A “manager promo” of $150 reduced the total bill for taxpayers, which still amounted to $177.97, taxes and tip included.

In March of the previous year, Dominique Ollivier requested reimbursement for a $158 dish at the same restaurant.

The purpose of this meeting was to discuss the “consultation on racism and [d]’other files’ according to the documents we received. The identity of the person M met there^me Ollivier was redacted.

Expensive expenses

This meal was held more than a month before the citizens’ petition was opened which forced the City of Montreal to launch a public consultation on racism and systemic discrimination. It was only in August 2018 that Mayor Plante officially mandated the OCPM to hold this consultation.

Dominique Ollivier did not respond to our questions related to these meals.

In November 2023, our Bureau of Investigation revealed a series of costly expenses on the part of four leaders and ex-leaders of the OCPM. Our reports showed, for example, that M^me Ollivier spent some $17,793 of public funds on restaurants between 2016 and 2019.

• Listen to Luc Lavoie’s analysis on Yasmine Abdelfadel’s microphone via QUB :

We also revealed that the one who replaced her as president of the OCPM, Isabelle Beaulieu, purchased $900 headphones with taxpayers’ money.

Last week, the daily The Gazette published a long investigative report on Dominique Ollivier’s stint as director of the Institute of Cooperation for Adult Education (ICÉA), between 2006 and 2011.

The report notably showed that the organization’s board of directors discovered a huge deficit a few months after his departure. M^me Ollivier argued that she was not responsible for this deficit.

She repaid the oysters… with interest

Dominique Ollivier has indeed reimbursed taxpayers for his now famous $347 oyster dinner taken in Paris in 2016, even adding nearly $80 in interest.

The City of Montreal recently sent our Bureau of Investigation a copy of the check that Mr.^me Ollivier issued his statement on November 14, the day after his resignation from the position of number two in the administration of Mayor Valérie Plante.

The check for $427.01 is marked “dinner reimbursed Paris 2016 with interest”.

The one who chaired the OCPM from 2014 to 2021 had seen fit to charge Montrealers for this dinner which aimed to highlight the “remarkable contribution” to the organization of her ex-business partner Guy Grenier.

The meal was taken as part of an official OCPM mission lasting 23 days.

In November, our Bureau of Investigation revealed the existence of this meal as part of an investigation into the expenses of OCPM leaders, including Mr.^me Ollivier as president, as well as former general secretary Luc Doray and their respective successors, Isabelle Beaulieu and Guy Grenier.

The latter two were fired in November and February respectively. Mayor Valérie Plante also asked the auditor general to investigate the management of the OCPM.

In the days following the publication of our reports, M^me Ollivier agreed that charging Montrealers for this meal was “not [s]”Have a better idea.”

“I admit, with hindsight, that I perhaps would not have made the same choice today,” she declared to TVA.

Lawsuit against Quebecor

In a $1.7 million civil suit filed in early February against Quebecor, Dominique Ollivier claims that she “felt obliged to repay this amount, even though it had been legitimately requested.”

According to his allegations, the reporting created “the false impression” that it was “a purely personal and unjustified expense.”

M^me Ollivier also argues that the exposure of her use of public funds forced her to resign from her position as president of the executive committee and “permanently compromised her political career.”

– With the collaboration of Dominique Cambron-Goulet and Annabelle Blais