Vancouver Island councillor resigns after referring to mayor as 'Mr. Hitler'
A municipal councillor on Vancouver Island has resigned effective immediately after referring to the mayor as "Mr. Hitler" during a public council meeting.
North Saanich Coun. Brett Smyth submitted his resignation letter to the district's director of corporate services on March 24.
"It has not been an easy decision, but one made necessary, but not specifically, in light of my off‐handed comment at a recent council meeting," Smyth wrote in the letter obtained by CTV News.
The comment was made during a March 20 meeting when Smyth took issue with the membership of an official community plan advisory working group, calling the member selection process political and not transparent.
"It is not a political approach," North Saanich Mayor Peter Jones responded. "It's a practical approach to getting the new version of the OCP [official community plan] done. So would you please refrain from referring to political approaches or anything similar?"
"I cannot refrain from something that is the truth," Smyth replied.
"OK, we're not taking any more questions," the mayor said. "It is advisory only so therefore we move on to the next item."
"Thank you, Mr. Hitler," Smyth responded.
In his resignation letter, the councillor said he "would have preferred a more positive environment at the municipal hall but when all voices are not respected, then it is difficult to practise the patience required of an elected official."
In a telephone interview Monday, Smyth said "some people wish to be offended" by his comment "and some people understand."
"I'm a pretty good guy," said the long-time farmer and produce market operator. "If I'm saying something like that, there's a reason for it. It's not that I’m unbalanced."
The mayor told CTV News on Monday he is disappointed that Smyth decided to resign, saying he appreciates Smyth's concerns around the advisory group membership, and said the community will suffer with the loss of the experienced councillor at the table.
"I didn’t expect that he would step down. My view is I still wish he had not. His comments are fair in the sense that there has been some dissension in council but that's typical," Jones said.
"He's done a lot of work for the residents of North Saanich and I would have liked him to complete his term because he has a lot to offer."
Smyth was first elected to council in 2018 and was re-elected to a second term last October.
In a statement Monday, the district thanked Smyth for "his years of dedicated service to this community."
The district says a byelection will be held to fill the vacant council seat in accordance with the municipality’s community charter.
"Details on a byelection will be made available soon," the district said.
Smyth, in his letter, wished the mayor and council "good luck in moving forward with a more collaborative and free‐thinking approach that has the best interests of all residents."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
Cargo ship had engine maintenance in port before Baltimore bridge collapse, officials say
The cargo ship that lost power and crashed into a bridge in Baltimore underwent 'routine engine maintenance' in port beforehand, the U.S. Coast Guard said Wednesday.
A Nigerian woman reviewed some tomato puree online. Now she faces jail
A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.
Far North police 'dispatch' polar bear stalking schoolyard
Police and local hunters in an Ontario Far North First Nation community have “dispatched” a polar that was showing abnormal behaviour and treating the area as a hunting ground.
Donald Trump assails judge and his daughter after gag order in N.Y. hush-money criminal case
Donald Trump lashed out Wednesday at the New York judge who put him under a gag order that bars him from commenting publicly about witnesses, prosecutors, court staff and jurors in his upcoming hush-money criminal trial.
Families shocked after Niagara Falls hotel cancels bookings made year in advance of solar eclipse
After having the foresight to book their Niagara Falls hotel rooms more than a year in advance, several families planning to take in the solar eclipse next month were shocked to find out their reservations had been cancelled.
B.C. rescuers face 'high likelihood' of failure to reunite orphaned orca with pod
The race to reunite an orphaned orca calf that’s stuck in a shallow lagoon with a neighbouring pod has entered its fifth day, and a marine scientist says the clock is ticking.
Video shows police interrupting auto theft in progress outside Toronto home
New video footage obtained by CP24 shows the attempted theft of a vehicle in a North York driveway earlier this month that was ultimately interrupted by police.
What happens after we die? Most Canadians say an afterlife does exist, survey shows
A new survey from the Angus Reid Institute has found that a majority of Canadians believe in some form of life after death, a proportion that has held steady for decades.