Tim Jones, CEO at Base31 for 4 years and still a partner in the project, filed suit with the Ontario Superior Court in Picton in May. An initial hearing was held June 30.

The Application is addressed to the principals of Rockport Group, Deco Communities, Caraco Corporation, and Pargate Investments. Jack and Daniel Winberg and Valerie Kendall of Rockport; Alexandra and Silvio De Gasperis and Gennaro Disanto of Deco, and Anita, Carolyn and Robert Blommestyn of Caraco are all named as respondents. The grounds of the suit are what Mr. Jones calls “forced exclusion from management and governance, and misconduct by the co-owners now in control of the Project.”

Mr. Jones was inducted into the Order of Canada in 2023 for his achievements in creative placemaking and city building. He has an equity stake in Base31 through his company, Prince Edward Community Partners Inc. (PECPI). He sits on numerous governance committees, including the Base’s Management Committee, where key strategic and financial decisions are taken.

The suit seeks a court order requiring his partners to buy out Mr. Jones’s personal equity interest in Base31 — he owns 3.75 percent of the development project.  “He is not willing to be a passive owner in the Project nor to have his name and reputation associated with it now that he has been excluded from his roles.”

The Notice of Application and a signed affidavit detail Mr. Jones’s case: he argues he was forced out of his role as CEO and is now denied access to routine business and financial records and sidelined from key decision-making.

Documents filed with the court—the complete package is 1596 pages — tell how the consortium of wealthy developer families behind the Base pushed out Mr. Jones as soon as his expertise and vision became inconvenient. At first welcomed precisely “because of his expertise in social purpose real estate and creative placemaking” in 2021, as early as 2023, the suit alleges, the partners “abandoned the Project’s core principles…such as ensuring that [the Base] is developed in a way that benefits the local community.”

Mr. Jones claims his partners routinely make “decisions outside of formal processes that diminish both the prospect of operational viability and the long-term value-creation potential of a heritage district located on the site.”

That approach was codified in two carefully negotiated contracts and in a statement of principles. Yet, the suit alleges, the long-term strategy of creative placemaking, which involved such things as the creation of a WWII museum, was hijacked by partners who, seeking a faster return on investment, wanted to get to selling houses and failed to see how central the creation of a heritage district would be in anchoring and sustaining neighbourhood and community building over the long term.

The application also alleges his developer partners created “a defensive narrative that Jones mismanaged the Project, which is demonstrably false.”

“During Jones’ tenure, the Heritage District thrived, with the development of a bustling cultural centre with live music performances, festivals, cultural events, and food vendors. Under Jones’ management, the Project made substantial progress in transforming the site into a recognized cultural destination, increasing visitation and public engagement, delivering social and economic benefits consistent with a social-purpose real estate model, and advancing community amenities ahead of residential build-out.”

For their part, the partners named as respondents plan to bring a motion to stay the court proceedings in favour of private arbitration. That would keep the dispute confidential. 

Writing to the Gazette on behalf of her partners, Alexandra De Gasperis noted, “we understand that local media is now aware of materials filed in connection with a court application brought by Timothy Jones.

“The application puts forward a one-sided account that omits important context regarding the management of the project and the substantial financial commitment made by the project partners.

“Because this matter is now before the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, we will not argue its merits in public or respond to specific allegations. We are confident that once the full evidentiary record is presented, a very different picture will emerge.

“In the meantime, we remain fully committed to the long-term success of this remarkable project and our focus remains on advancing it responsibly and honouring the trust of the community, our employees, our tenants, and the many stakeholders who have helped build Base31.”