The City of Vancouver’s integrity commissioner found Mayor Kennedy Stewart violated the city’s code of conduct when he posted a series of tweets about city councilor Colleen Hardwick in March.
Integrity Commissioner Lisa Southern outlined her decision in a 42-page report released July 5 regarding Kennedy’s comments on a draft proposal by Hardwick regarding her request for a plebiscite to determine whether Vancouver residents are interested in a bid for the Winter Olympics in 2030
“Mayor Stewart violated Section 3.4(a) of the Code of Conduct when he posted tweets that were inaccurate about Councilman Hardwick,” Southern said in the report.
The bylaw code of conduct sets out rules that members must follow in carrying out their duties as an elected or appointed official.
That section says council members “must ensure that their communications accurately reflect the facts of the council’s decisions.”
The charge
In the tweets, Stewart accused Hardwick of violating a formal Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed between the City of Vancouver, the Resort Municipality of Whistler and the Musqueam, Squamish, Tsleil-Wautuh and Lil’wat Nations.
Stewart said the council had approved the memorandum of understanding to work with nations to explore how the Olympic bid could become the “world’s first reconciliation games”.
—@kennedystewart
“The MOU is a critical component of our obligations to UNDRIP – already formalized in provincial legislation – as it outlines a clear process that everyone must follow in good faith, which when concluded includes a vote in council on the recommendation and may still include a vote on community,” Stewart wrote in one of the tweets.
He added that he did not support Hardwick’s draft proposal and urged other councilors to consider what Hardwick’s decision – which he described as a “tear-up” of the memorandum of understanding – says about their own commitment to reconciliation.
According to the report, Hardwick said in response that her proposal did not violate the agreement and confirmed that an initial draft proposal was presented to the city clerk in February.
She said she sought input from staff and council and at no time was the memorandum of understanding brought up as an issue by anyone consulted in the period leading up to the council meeting.
She also claims that her proposal is not against reconciliation and does not violate UNDRIP (United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples) obligations.
Vancouver City Councilor Colleen Hardwick, pictured here, said in the report that she sought input from staff and council on her proposal and at no time did anyone note that it violated the Memorandum of Understanding between the city and the four First Nations B.C. no. (Ben Nelms/CBC)
According to the report, Stewart stood by his comment, saying “my tweets confirm my understanding of the applicability and validity of this MR.”
Southern recommended that the public record be corrected to reflect that the proposal was not in violation of the Memorandum of Understanding.
She also said the mayor and city council should receive more training on their obligations under the Code of Conduct.
Olympics 2030
Back in June, BC’s four First Nations and the Canadian Olympic Committee announced their concept for how the province could host the 2030 Winter Olympics.
The plan includes details of where the events will be held and an outline of how Indigenous-led games will represent their cultures and history.
xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) Chief Wayne Sparrow said at the announcement that all nations will take the next few months to consult with their communities and decide if they want to move forward with a formal bid to the Canadian Olympic Committee.
Sparrow said he hopes the city will accept whatever decision is made by the host nations on whether to move forward without a firm council vote or a yes-or-no plebiscite.
CBC News reached out to Hardwick and City Hall for comment, but did not hear back in time for publication.
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