City discreetly changes details of an online document

It’s easy to change information on a website without leaving an obvious trail. This was made evident in November 2016, when the city of Gatineau modified an online document regarding the maintenance of outdoor rinks.

“We reorganized the website’s information on November 29,” a city spokesperson told the Bulletin in response to questions about the last modification to this page on the Gatineau website.  Was any information actually changed?  The city emphasized that the information had been “reorganized”; however, some details did not match the previous version which the Bulletin had reported.

Gatineau’s website, prior to November 29, stated that outdoor rinks are flooded twice a week. The website now reports that flooding is done three times a week.  The city’s response to one bidding company before the 2014-2015 skating season also states that rinks are to be flooded three times a week.

The city’s spokesperson acknowledged the change, and added “That was simply a mistake and we made the correction.” Indeed, the correct information is three times a week, as confirmed by the city's tendering document on maintaining municipal outdoor rinks, which the Bulletin obtained.

One extra flooding per week represents a lot if one company maintains all of the city’s outdoor rinks, which is the case in Gatineau. In Aylmer alone, there are a dozen outdoor rinks. The municipal contract to maintain the outdoor rinks is split up, primarily by sectors (Aylmer, Hull, Gatineau and Buckingham/Masson-Angers), and one company outbid its competition in the fall of 2014 to win the contract for rinks in all sectors.

The number of floods was not the only piece of information modified on the outdoor rinks online document. There was also an alteration regarding snow removal requirements for rinks.

The city website had stated that there is a 24-hour maximum delay allowed in clearing snow from outdoor rinks, following a 2 cm or more snowfall. According to contract details sent to the company, snow clearing must be finished 8 hours after a 2 cm snowfall.

 

When presented with this inconsistency, the city changed information on the website to state that 9 (and not 8) hours is permitted for snow removal.  Again, this change can be important in terms of manpower for any company looking after Gatineau’s outdoor skating rinks. Such inconsistencies – and changes to contract essentials -- can lead to legal problems.

Nowhere on the Gatineau city website is it indicated that details of the work offer were modified, or when.