ONTC leads local $100,000 club list (updated)

Over 30 people at the Ontario Northland Transportation Commission made over $100,000 last year, according to a list released today by the province.

The list details the salaries of public sector employees making $100,000 or more in 2003.

Topping the 32-person ONTC list is Russell Thompson, counsel for the ONTC, at $132,216. Steve Carmichael, the vice-president of transportation services, is next at $127,494.

John Donnelly, the vice president of finance and administration, makes $125,348.

He's followed by Richard Cushing, the acting vice president of ONTel, at $119,379.

Cindy Boston, the vice president of corporate strategy, development and service improvement, is the only woman on the ONTC $100,000 list, at $118,866.

Here is the balance of the ONTC list:
-Trainman Dean Church,$118,708;
-Trainman Calvin Cozac, $117,604;
-Brian Wheeler, director of product development, $116,971; --Trainman Laurent Picard, $116,271;
-Engineman Dennis Wood, $114,946;
-Trainman Chauncey Corley, $114,208;
-Engineman Kelly O'Grady, $114,044;
-Engineman Mervin Marshall, $113,183;
-Engineman Michael Kenney, $111,352;
-Engineman Kirk Archer, $110,609;
-Trainman Wayne Quevillon, $109,591;
-Engineman Brian Hofferd, $109,005;
-Trainman Sonny Gowlett, $108,413;
-Engineman Gerald Seguin, $108,217;
-Trainman Bernard Lacharity, $107,597;
-Trainman Dale Church, $106,634;
-Trainman David Hueston, $104,574;
-Trainman James Mudrick, $104,195;
-Engineman Clement Yantha, $104,086;
-Engineman Paul Grant, $103,891;
-Timothy O'Grady, manager, train service and rules, $102,896;
-Trainman William Routledge, $102,533;
-Trainman Jerry Miller Jr., $102,091;
-Trainman Brian Hagar, $102,035;
-Ernesto Marasco, senior director, track and structures, $101,993;
-Engineman John Fearnley, $101,502.

John Thib, superintendent, train operations, rounds out the list at $100,234.

ONTC VP Roy Hains did not make the list even though he was paid an average of $35,000 per month. He is a consultant to the ONTC rather than an employee.

Maintain good jobs
Phil Koning, general chairperson of the United Transportation Union, which represents operating employees at the Ontario Northland Railway, said there were a few reasons some of his members had made the $100,000 list.

“This was a contract year in which a contract was settled and some of the money represents backtime paid retroactive to 2002 in a lump sum,” Koning said.
“There were also 27 pay periods in 2003 rather than 26.”

Koning said the rate of compensation, too, “reflects what the industry pays.”

“We’ve always said we’re trying to maintain good jobs,” Koning said, “and these are wages that are pumped back into the economy not only here in North Bay, but throughout Northeastern Ontario.”

Overtime was a factor as well, Koning said.
“Certainly in peak season guys worked extra shifts,” he said.


Deputy chief joins club
On the municipal front, North Bay deputy police chief Paul Cook made the $100,000 list.

Cook earned $111,253.94 and joins Chief George Berrigan, who earned $126,101.51, on the list.

Dave Linkie, North Bay's chief administrative officer, is also a newcomer to the list, earning $100,889.40. That's less than the $123,314.88 his predecessor Tim Sheffield made, but Linkie didn't move into the job until early October.

City solicitor Michael Burke, at $110,526.80, and public works director Brian Baker, at $107,426.84, round out the city list.

Near North District School Board director of education Colin Vickers earned $130,000. 13, and superintendents Bill O'Hallarn and Tom Shultz, earned $115,000 each.

At the post-secondary level, former president Dave Marshall was the top university earner in North Bay in 2003, pulling in $150,752.

Andrew Dean, dean of faculty, arts and science, was next at $138,308.

Here's the rest of the Nipissing list:

-Ron Common, dean of education, $138,155;
-Associate professor Ted Chase , 135,037;
-Murray Green, vice president of administration and finance, $134 280;
-Associate professor Ron Weeks, $134,023;
-Matti Saari, professor, $129,054;
-Assistant professor Michelann Parr, $104,884;
-Brian Nettlefold, executive director, library services, $104,522;
-Al Carfagnini, executive director student affairs, $100,886;
-Denis Lawrence, registrar, $100,886.

Barbara Taylor, president of Canadore College, made $149,900, Gary Linford, VP academic $123,050, Ewen Cornick, VP technical services,facilites development, $116, 735, as did James Connell, vp administration, and board secretary.

Turning to the health field, Dr. Catherine Whiting, the medical officer of health, made $200,219, more than Mark Hurst, the president and CEO of the North Bay General Hospital, whose salary was $185,780.

Here's the balance of the hospital list:
-Paul Landry, executive director of planning and development, $127,433;
-Glenn Scanlan, chief operating officer, $117,974;
-Michael Hewitt, vice president corporate, $117,075;
-Nancy Jacko, vice president,medicine care, $117,075;
-Tiz Silveri, vice president surgery/maternal child care, $117,075;
-Alan Cameron, pharmacist, $103,257;
-Lisa Randall, pharmacist, $100,444.

Over at the court house three judges made $188,000: Justice Gregory Rodgers, Justice Jean-Gilles Lebel, and Justice Louisette Duchesneau-McLachlan.