London, Ont. mayor filing complaint against fellow council member
The Mayor of London says he will be filing a complaint with the integrity commissioner against a fellow member of city council.
During Monday’s Middlesex-London Health Unit COVID-19 briefing, Ed Holder commented on an anti-vaccine mandate rally that was held in Victoria Park over the weekend, saying, “It's not lost on me as well, that a member of city council not only attended but spoke at this event on Saturday. Unfortunately I'm not surprised, but I am horribly disappointed.”
Known for using colourful language in the past to describe anti-mask or anti-vaccine rallies, this time, Holder said, “Most of these people who showed up at Victoria Park over the weekend aren’t even from London…Instead, they pull like-minded knuckle draggers from across Ontario…”
While Holder didn’t name which councillor he was referring to who attended the rally, he goes on to say that “He's [the councillor] openly and visibly defying and undermining council policy by virtue of his participation.”
According to Holder, council doesn’t have the ability to sanction a fellow councillor and says the legality of the process in terms of outcomes is a function of the integrity commissioner.
When asked specifically if he would be filing a complaint, Holder said, “…Can anyone file a complaint, the answer is yes. Will I file a complaint? The answer is yes.”
On Sept. 14, city council directed staff to develop a draft COVID-19 vaccination policy for council members that will be similar to the policy recently implemented for city employees.
It would require an attestation from all 15 members of council that they are either fully vaccinated or have a health or Human Rights exemption.
Potential violations of the policy would be sent to the Integrity Commission for investigation. If a council member was found in contravention, council could impose consequences ranging from a verbal reprimand to a suspension of pay.
As CTV News London reported earlier this month, Councillor Michael Van Holst is inviting those who share his beliefs when it comes to COVID-19, to join his creed.
The Ward 1 Councillor confirms to CTV News London that he attended the weekend rally saying, “A freedom rally seemed like a good opportunity to speak to people who would be interested in the [creed] website, so I went and read the creed to them.”
Van Holst previously stated the “Order of Freedom” was launched online to provide what he believes will be a Human Rights exemption to COVID-19 vaccine policies.
— With files from CTV London's Daryl Newcombe
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
Boeing's financial woes continue, while families of crash victims urge U.S. to prosecute the company
Boeing said Wednesday that it lost US$355 million on falling revenue in the first quarter, another sign of the crisis gripping the aircraft manufacturer as it faces increasing scrutiny over the safety of its planes and accusations of shoddy work from a growing number of whistleblowers.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
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.