Van Holst's 'creed of convenience' target of mayor’s complaint to integrity commissioner
“To me, that was a creed of convenience,” Mayor Ed Holder tells CTV News shortly after submitting a formal complaint about Councillor Michael Van Holst to city hall’s integrity commissioner.
Holder takes aim at Van Holst’s promotion of his Order of Freedom, a creed posted online in September which the Ward 1 councillor believes provides a Human Rights exemption to COVID-19 vaccination policies.
Van Holst has twice promoted his creed by speaking at rally’s against COVID-19 vaccination mandates.
“What he did was incited others to follow the creed, to sign up and add thousands to his own list,” explains Holder. “Frankly, I see this as a public health and safety issue too, because as more people use this as an ‘exemption’, it had to be challenged.”
Holder says he tried to avoid filing the complaint by speaking privately with Van Holst.
“He made it very clear to me that this was his perspective, and that he felt the creed was sufficient to have an exemption,” says Holder. “So it was clear that providing logic to this argument wasn’t going to make a difference,”
The Council Code of Conduct includes a requirement that “Members shall seek to serve the public interest by upholding both the letter and the spirit of the laws of the Federal Parliament, the Ontario Legislature, and the bylaws and policies of the Corporation (City of London).”
On Monday, Van Holst told CTV News in a statement that he expects the complaint will be resolved quickly by the integrity commissioner.
“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,” he added.
City council approved a COVID-19 vaccination policy for council members that is similar to the policy recently implemented for city employees.
It requires 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.
Council does not have the authority to remove one of its members.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Trudeau acknowledges charges in Nijjar killing, calls for commitment to democracy
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has acknowledged the charges laid Friday in relation to the murder of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
Bodies recovered in Mexico likely 2 Australians, 1 American who went missing: officials
Three bodies recovered in an area of Baja California are likely to be those of the two Australians and an American who went missing last weekend during a camping and surfing trip, the state prosecutor’s office said Saturday.
Princess Anne lays wreath at B.C. veteran's cemetery; receives 21-gun salute
Princess Anne paid tribute to veterans buried at a cemetery in British Columbia today, laying a wreath to honour the more than 2,500 military personnel and family members buried there.
Mystik Dan wins the 150th Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in a three-horse photo finish
Mystik Dan won the 150th Kentucky Derby in a photo finish, edging out Forever Young and Sierra Leone for the upset victory.
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
Quebec police hand out hundreds of tickets to Hells Angels and other bikers before 'first run' meeting
Quebec provincial police handed out hundreds of fines to Hells Angels members and other supporting motorcycle clubs who met for their 'first run' in a small town near Sherbrooke, Que.
Work stoppage possible as WestJet issues lockout notice to maintenance engineers' union
A lockout notice issued by WestJet to a union representing aircraft maintenance engineers could result in a work stoppage next week.
London Drugs begins 'gradual reopening' on 7th day after cyberattack
Almost a week after all London Drugs stores across Western Canada abruptly closed amid a cyberattack, they began a "gradual reopening" on Saturday.