Town councillor in Clarington, Ontario charged with two counts of uttering threats against rival

A Clarington councillor accused of leaving violent threats against a political rival in a phone message in late August has been charged after a three-month investigation by Peterborough Police.

Clarington Ward 3 Councillor Corinna Traill denied leaving the threatening voicemail message on the phone of 2022 mayoral candidate and retired Durham Police homicide detective Tom Dingwall, a message that also suggested sexual violence would be carried out against Dingwall’s wife if he decided to run in next year’s election.

“I was shocked and horrified by the allegations since the kind of statements attributed to me are wholly out of character,” Traill, a practising lawyer, told INsauga.com in an email in October. “I want to state clearly and unequivocally: I did not create this message.”

Traill, 41, speculated in a press release that “artificial intelligence technology” was involved. “Portions of the voicemail were my voice, but other parts were artificially generated.”

Corinna Traill

Dingwall said he received a voicemail message on his phone from a woman he believes to have been Traill, warning him to stay out of the October 2026 election in Clarington to allow Joe Neal, who finished second in the last election, to “run unencumbered.”

Dingwall, now retired, said the 39-second voicemail “crossed a line” and he called for Traill’s resignation if it was determined by police that the councillor is responsible for the threats.

As Dingwall is a former Durham cop, Durham Regional Police asked Peterborough Police to take charge of the investigation, and Traill was charged on Wednesday with two counts of uttering threats.

Tom Dingwall

She was released on an undertaking and is scheduled to appear in court on Jan. 13.

Clarington Mayor Adrian Foster acknowledged that charges had been laid against Traill but said it was “important” to let the court do its job.

“I want to affirm to residents that Clarington Council is focused on serving our community and we will continue to do so,” he said in a statement. “As this is an ongoing matter before the courts, the Municipality of Clarington cannot make any further comments at this time.”

Dingwall ran for mayor of Clarington in 2022, finishing third with 5,411 votes behind Foster (8,607) and Neal (6,053). Dingwall has also run unsuccessfully for the Conservatives in Ajax in 2019 and for the Durham Region chair position in 2018. Since retiring from the police ranks, he has taken on a role as investigator with the Law Society of Ontario.

The explosive allegations came to light just as the Ontario government would, for the first time, allow municipal council members to be removed from office for serious violations of codes of conduct.