A request for an apology in Victoria council chambers will have to wait a week after failing to make the Jan. 29 committee of the whole agenda.
Coun. Stephen Hammond submitted a council member motion on Jan. 28 asking Coun. Jeremy Caradonna to issue an "unequivocal and sincere apology" for comments calling him a liar during the Jan. 23 meeting.
Because the notice of motion came in late, it had to pass a vote at council, with two-thirds in favour of adding it to the agenda.
Conversation surrounding adding the motion to the agenda specifically did not consider the content or merits of the motion, but only whether it should be added to the day’s agenda.
Some who opposed adding the item to the agenda noted it didn’t meet the threshold for “timeliness” to be addressed by council.
“I’m at the will of the chamber of course,” Hammond said ahead of voting. “If this council wants to drag this issue out for another week I’m more than happy to bring it in next week. … I assume people would want to get this out of the way now, but I’m more than happy to let it be discussed yet another week in the public discourse.”
It needed two-thirds support around the table and failed in a 4-4 vote with Mayor Alto and Couns. Hammond, Chris Coleman and Marg Gardiner in favour and Couns. Dave Thompson, Susan Kim, Matt Dell and Caradonna opposed.
As the item didn’t make committee, it also didn’t appear at the council meeting held later the same morning.
The comments in question arose during a committee of the whole meeting discussing advertising around the coming Crystal Pool referendum.
Victoria residents vote on whether the city can borrow up to $168.9 million to replace the facility; and to select a preferred site option between Central Park North or Central Park South. Advanced voting is already underway with general voting on Feb. 8 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
At the Jan. 23 meeting, Hammond put forward a motion to "put a stop to one-sided advertising regarding the referendum" and to "replace upcoming advertising and information sessions, as well as the city’s website to include arguments or reasoning for both the ‘yes’ and ‘no’ sides of the binding question on the referendum.”
In response, Caradonna said Hammond lied to the public.
"I find it very hard to believe that the mover of this original motion was shocked to see this poster at a bus stop when he in fact was involved in unanimously approving it," he said.
While Hammond’s motion seeking apology didn’t arise at the council meeting held directly after committee, as it wasn’t on the agenda, members did discuss the related referendum communications strategy presentation from September 2024, released as a “rise and report” item on the Jan. 30 council agenda.
Caradonna apologized for mentioning who voted for what and incorrectly implying council endorsed a certain communication strategy. Instead what happened is council endorsed a path of neutrality on the advertising campaign, he said.
He was careful to point out the poster that was “a topic of much discussion” was in the presentation.
“The mea culpas are a little late on this,” Hammond countered later, mentioning the apology motion won’t be discussed until next week.
The final decision taken during that closed meeting isn’t shared in the rise and report, but Hammond contends it didn’t say council will take a neutral and balanced approach.
“It comes close but it did not say that.”
Council next meets Thursday, Feb. 6. Find the agenda and ways to participate online at victoria.ca.
- with files from Bailey Seymour.
