Vancouver mayor says he and his wife were harassed while shopping in Yaletown
The mayor of Vancouver says police are investigating harassment against him and his wife after the pair was reportedly approached in a store over the weekend.
Mayor Kennedy Stewart released a statement about the incident on Monday, saying they were shopping in Yaletown on Saturday.
"A white male in his late 40s or early 50s who was shopping in the store approached us and began to verbally harass me," Stewart said in his statement.
"He then moved to target Jeanette with his verbal abuse and to disparage people living without homes. His attitude became increasingly aggressive and he initiated physical contact with me."
Stewart said he asked the man to leave them alone "repeatedly."
"I told him three times that if he did not leave us alone and respect our personal space, I would call the police," the mayor's statement said.
"When he continued and challenged me to step outside, I called the police and described the incident."
Officers arrived and took statements. Stewart said police told him the man would be given a warning and "possible charges would be considered."
It's the second time this month a Metro Vancouver mayor has claimed they've experienced aggressive behaviour from the public. About two weeks ago, Surrey Mayor Doug McCallum said he was grocery shopping one weekend when he was reportedly "verbally assaulted" and hit by a car.
Stewart said there has been an "increase in this kind of aggressive behaviour directed at public officials."
"Where I fully respect people’s right to express different viewpoints, resorting to harassment or violence is unacceptable," he said.
With files from The Canadian Press
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING New York appeals court overturns Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction from landmark #MeToo trial
New York’s highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction, finding the judge at the landmark #MeToo trial prejudiced the ex-movie mogul with improper rulings, including a decision to let women testify about allegations that weren’t part of the case.
BREAKING Monthly earnings rise, payroll employment falls: jobs report
The number of vacant jobs in Canada increased in February, while monthly payroll employment decreased in food services, manufacturing, and retail trade, among other sectors.
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
2 military horses that broke free and ran loose across London are in serious condition
Two military horses that bolted and ran miles through the streets of London after being spooked by construction noise and tossing their riders were in a serious condition and required operations, a British government official said Thursday.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.