CAO Jay Barbeau Announces Retirement

Departure Set for December 19, 2025.

West Nipissing’s longtime Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), Jay Barbeau, has officially announced his retirement, marking the end of a 25-year tenure with the municipality. Barbeau made the announcement during the February 4th council meeting, stating that his final day in office will be December 19, 2025.

“I just want to officially announce to council, staff, and the residents of West Nipissing that after 25 years as CAO, I’ll be retiring this year,” Barbeau said. “It’s been a great run, and I’ll continue working hard over the coming months to ensure a smooth transition.”

Barbeau has been the CAO of West Nipissing since the municipality’s amalgamation. Mayor Kathleen Thorne-Rochon reflected on his impact, highlighting the pivotal role he played in shaping the municipality. She noted that hiring a new CAO is going to be a “huge process” for council.

Contentious Relationship with Council

As the city’s longest serving employee, Barbeau has drawn controversy several times. Most notably due to his apparent disagreement with the 2018-2022 council which led to several months of missed meetings. He was often criticized by former councillors and residents for “unprofessional behaviour” at council meetings.

*Recording of a 2022 council meeting.

Questions on Severance

Council has had multiple closed meetings in the last few months where the only item for discussion was “CAO succession”. While Barbeau has previously indicated a 2026 retirement date, in these meetings a proposed severance package that allowed him to retire sooner was approved. No official details on this package have been released.

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