Amid veiled accusations that B.C.'s premier and Victoria's mayor had a hand in a firefighter's suspension, a Conservative Party of BC candidate has offered no direct information to support his claims.
Tim Thielmann, the provincial Conservatives' choice for the Victoria-Beacon Hill riding, released a statement on Wednesday morning saying the firefighter was disciplined due to a letter addressed to Premier David Eby.
The open letter penned by Josh Montgomery spoke out against a new Dowler Place facility that's near his home and said "I am writing to you as both a dedicated first responder and a deeply concerned citizen." The letter was published by various media outlets, including Victoria News.
The City of Victoria said the Dowler site will house various supports to reduce the impacts of homelessness, including services related to food, overdose prevention, health care and more.
Thielmann hosted a virtual "community safety" town hall on Tuesday (Aug. 13) where Montgomery was set to speak as a featured guest representing Victoria's North Park neighbourhood.
"But attendees learned from Stephen Andrew, a journalist and the event’s moderator, that Mr. Montgomery had been forced to cancel and had just been suspended without pay for his letter to the Premier," the candidate's statement said.
"Was Mr. Montgomery’s suspension at the insistence of the Mayor or did it come from the Premier himself?" the statement added.
Black Press Media asked Thielmann and Andrew what information they had regarding the suspension. Neither said they heard directly from the firefighter.
"Mr. Andrew was clear that the information came from his own sources in the fire department and not from Mr. Montgomery himself," Thielman said, adding that he and the town hall attendees "were informed that the discipline came at the insistence" of Victoria Mayor Marianne Alto.
The Conservative candidate doubled down on his original statement's assertions as his response said "What needs to be asked is whether the push for Mr. Montgomery to be punished came from the Mayor's office or the Premier's office."
Thielmann has not responded to a follow-up question asking if he had any information – other than what the moderator reported – showing the mayor was involved.
“A number of people connected to the fire department are aware of the situation and are aware of the status of the suspension," Andrew – a former Victoria councillor who lost to Alto in his 2022 mayoral bid – said in an email. "To be clear, Josh Montgomery is not talking, was not willing to discuss the situation in any way."
Mayor and council have no role in the operational decisions of the Victoria Fire Department, a City of Victoria spokesperson told Black Press Media.
Thielmann posted his original statement on X, formerly Twitter. The post had hundreds of likes and reposts by Wednesday afternoon.
Victoria Firefighters Association Union (IAFF Local 730) president Jeremy Wilson released a statement on the issue Thursday morning.
"There has been misinformation that has been circulated amongst the public regarding employment matters with one of our members. Local 730 can confirm that a member, Josh Montgomery, was disciplined for his opinions shared in a letter to Premier Eby. He was suspended without pay for 1 day. That day is Friday, August 16th. There is a process to be followed under the collective agreement and that has been initiated."
The union added that Montgomery is a highly respected firefighter who has had a distinguished career over 13 years with the City of Victoria. He was also awarded in 2018 for stopping at the scene of a motorcycle crash to perform CPR while he was off duty.
Thielmann did not respond to a question asking whether he had permission to use the firefighter's story in his statement.
Premier David Eby's office rejected the suggestion that the premier had played any role in Montgomery's case.“This is completely false," Jimmy Smith, spokesperson for the Premier's Office, said. "Premier Eby actively seeks out information from front-line workers and welcomes feedback of all kinds. It’s an important way we can hear how issues are impacting people on the ground."
On Thursday, the premier issued a statement calling for no action to be taken against Montgomery.
“I want to hear from front-line workers, first responders, and any member of the public who wants to share what they are seeing in their communities. No one should face consequences for writing to me and if that’s the reason he was sanctioned, then he deserves an apology and back-pay from the person responsible," said Eby.
"I’ve asked staff to follow up with the firefighter’s union to see if there’s anything I can do to support. First responders do heroic work in our communities. I will always stand firm in supporting the work they do to keep us all safe.”
