Surrey mayor receives 'dishonourable mention' from Code of Silence Awards
The decision to ban seven seniors from Surrey city council meetings has earned Mayor Doug McCallum and four councillors a "dishonourable mention" from the annual Code of Silence Awards.
The tongue-in-cheek awards, which recognize "outstanding achievement in government secrecy," are chosen by the Canadian Association of Journalists, Ryerson University's Centre for Free Expression, and other organizations with an interest in transparency.
The 2021 Code of Silence Award in the municipal government category was given to Stratford city council – but CAJ president Brent Jolly said Surrey deserved its own dubious distinction for barring a group of RCMP-supporting citizens from participating in discussions on the city's policing transition.
"For something that is so significantly in the public interest – talking about the future of policing in a major city in British Columbia – the heavy-handed tactics of the mayor and some of those councillors was definitely worthy of recognition," Jolly told CTV News.
Councillors Doug Elford, Laurie Guerra, Allisson Patton and Mandeep Nagra were named along with McCallum.
The seven banned seniors were eventually allowed back into council meetings, though Jolly noted there was no apology or reimbursement of the legal fees the citizens paid fighting the decision.
CTV News reached out to McCallum and the four councillors, and only Guerra offered to comment on the award, saying it "reeks of political pandering to me."
Guerra said the citizens who were barred from participating broke council rules repeatedly, and were "completely disrespectful of our city staff and public hearing process."
"They are all members of a group called Keep the RCMP in Surrey and they will stop at nothing to get their way," Guerra wrote in an email.
But Coun. Linda Annis, who has also been critical of the city's transition process, argued the incident is just one example of McCallum and other councillors "hiding information" from the electorate.
"City hall and city council need to be honest, transparent, accessible and willing to listen. That really hasn’t been the case over the past three years," Annis said in a statement.
The process for choosing Code of Silence Awards begins with public nominations, backed up by original documents and news reports, according to the Canadian Association of Journalists.
"There's definitely no shortage of deserving candidates out there, from what we see every year," Jolly said.
Earlier this month, the B.C. NDP earned the Code of Silence Award in the provincial government category for adding a $10 fee to freedom of information requests, which are used by journalists and private citizens to obtain data and documents that officials do not make readily available.
"They took the 'free' out of freedom of information, and that was really disappointing to see," Jolly said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Pedestrian, baby injured after stroller struck and dragged by vehicle in Squamish, B.C.
Police say a baby and a pedestrian suffered non-life-threatening injuries after a vehicle struck a baby stroller and dragged it for two blocks before stopping in Squamish, B.C.
Senate expenses climbed to $7.2 million in 2023, up nearly 30%
Senators in Canada claimed $7.2 million in expenses in 2023, a nearly 30 per cent increase over the previous year.
Demonstrators kicked out of Ontario legislature for disruption after failed keffiyeh vote
A group of demonstrators were kicked out of the legislature after a second NDP motion calling for unanimous consent to reverse a ban on the keffiyeh failed to pass.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
RCMP uncovers alleged plot by 2 Montreal men to illegally sell drones, equipment to Libya
The RCMP says it has uncovered a plot by two men in Montreal to sell Chinese drones and military equipment to Libya illegally.
Government agrees to US$138.7M settlement over FBI's botching of Larry Nassar assault allegations
The U.S. Justice Department announced a US$138.7 million settlement Tuesday with more than 100 people who accused the FBI of grossly mishandling allegations of sexual assault against Larry Nassar in 2015 and 2016, a critical time gap that allowed the sports doctor to continue to prey on victims before his arrest.
Man wanted in connection with deadly shooting in Toronto tops list of most wanted fugitives in Canada
A 35-year-old man wanted in connection with the murder of Toronto resident 29-year-old Sharmar Powell-Flowers nine months ago has topped the list of the BOLO program’s 25 most wanted fugitives across Canada, police announced Tuesday.
Doctors ask Liberal government to reconsider capital gains tax change
The Canadian Medical Association is asking the federal government to reconsider its proposed changes to capital gains taxation, arguing it will affect doctors' retirement savings.
Pro-Palestinian protests roiling U.S. colleges escalate with arrests, new encampments and closures
The student protests of Israel's war with Hamas that have been creating friction at U.S. universities escalated Tuesday as new encampments sprouted and some colleges encouraged students to stay home and learn online, after dozens of arrests across the country.