Ottawa city councillor Chiarelli took vacation after hospital visit, ‘per doctors’ orders’

College ward city councillor Rick Chiarelli is at home resting, after a vacation to Prague.

He filed for a leave of absence from City Hall on Tuesday, as he said he had been rushed to hospital on August 14 and was too sick to formalize the process any earlier.

On Wednesday, Chiarelli's office confirmed he took a trip to the Czech Republic on August 16.

“For extensive time, three doctors advised me that it would be more beneficial to leave town and visit family in the Czech Republic then stay home in bed, alone,” wrote Chiarelli. “The doctors advised me to get away from all the stress and two out of three doctors agreed that it would be better to go with my family overseas then to deal with stress alone, at home. 

“This trip was planned for years and while away, I had to follow a very strict regiment of rest, sleep, and medication,” he continued. “As a matter of fact, the doctor told me to leave town for the next three to four weeks to deal with my on-going stress.”

Ottawa City Council has not approved Chiarelli's leave of absence, saying it's still premature, but it has agreed to allow councillors Allan Hubley and Scott Moffatt to help out with any College ward issues.

On September 12, a CBC Ottawa report surfaced, accusing Chiarelli of sexual misconduct at City Hall. He has yet to address these accusations.