The Peterborough police department has formally charged Corinna Traill, a Clarington Local Ward 3 councillor, with allegedly making threats against a potential mayoral candidate who is a former Durham Regional Police officer.
According to a statement released by the police on Wednesday, Traill, aged 41, faces two counts of uttering threats following a thorough three-month investigation.
The investigation, initiated by the Durham Regional Police Service (DRPS) and later handed over to Peterborough Police, centered around communications involving Traill, a former DRPS officer, and a current member of DRPS, aimed at a potential mayoral candidate for the 2026 Clarington election.
Traill has been granted release on an undertaking and is set to appear in court on January 13, 2026.
The individual at the center of the incident, Tom Dingwall, a former Durham officer who ran for Clarington mayor in 2022 but lost to Adrian Foster, claimed in a September 4, 2025, Facebook post that Traill left a threatening voicemail for him on August 28, 2025.
According to Dingwall, in the voicemail, Traill warned him to stay out of the upcoming mayoral race to allow her friend to run unopposed, threatening harm to him and his wife if he did not comply.
It is essential to note that these are allegations and have not yet been proven in court.
Clarington Mayor Adrian Foster emphasized the importance of allowing the legal process to unfold before drawing conclusions, stating, “It is important to allow the court to determine the outcome of this case. I want to affirm to residents that Clarington Council is focused on serving our community and we will continue to do so.”
Following the accusations, Traill issued a statement asserting her innocence and claiming that her voice was manipulated using artificial intelligence technology in the alleged threatening voicemail.
She stated, “Recent media coverage has raised questions regarding a voicemail that has been attributed to me. I want to state clearly and unequivocally: I did not create this message. I have been advised that artificial intelligence technology was involved. Portions of the voicemail were my voice, but other parts were artificially generated.”