The CEO of Canada’s national immigration museum retired Thursday, one day after a federal report accused her of more than a decade of staff mistreatment.
Marie Chapman stepped down immediately from her role at the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 in Halifax, according to a letter sent to staff and stakeholders by board chairperson Cynthia Price Verreault.
“In early December as the board was gaining a better understanding of the report — its timing, content and the expectations of government — the board confirmed CEO Marie Chapman’s decision to retire, and effective today, she has stepped away from her role,” Verreault wrote, according to the CBC.
Board accepts findings
The museum’s board of trustees said it accepts the commissioner’s findings and is taking immediate action in partnership with the federal government.
Chapman was appointed CEO by the Harper government in 2011 and reappointed by the Trudeau government in 2016 and 2021. Her salary reached $221,700. Her four-year term expired in October, but the board had contracted her for a 90-day transitional term ending in January.
Chapman told the commissioner she disagreed with the report’s findings and raised concerns about the investigation’s impartiality and fairness.
Interim leadership appointed
Fiona Valverde, vice-president of revenue generation, has taken over responsibility for the museum’s day-to-day operations effective immediately, according to the CBC report.
The board will bring in an external expert to assess employee wellness and find ways to support staff, following the commissioner’s recommendations.
Culture Minister Marc Miller called the report “alarming” Thursday morning and said it provided grounds for the board to take action if the allegations were accurate.
