City of Powell River’s annual report generated some controversy, as one resident took exception to wording in the city’s vision, mission and values statement in the report.
At the July 19 city council meeting, during the public input period, Pat Martin said she had sent numerous emails in the past week identifying a “significant legal error” in the annual report.
“I have received a legal opinion from a very distinguished lawyer,” said Martin. “It is legally incorrect to state ‘we acknowledge that we reside on the lands of the Tla’amin people.’ Fortunately, council is now aware of this error that has been ongoing and can now correct it.”
Martin said her lawyer has identified appropriate language and that would be: “on the ancestral lands or territories.”
“This is language that does not indicate ownership,” said Martin. “Council, do you believe you are acting in the best interests of city residents if you leave this error…?”
Martin was advised she could not ask questions during public input and that the time allocated was for comments.
She said her comment was that council is now aware there is a significant error.
“It is important that this is corrected,” said Martin. “You can’t leave something that is not right in an official city report.”
During discussion on adoption of the annual report, deputy corporate office Jessica Walls said the report has been available at city hall and online for the past two weeks for public comment. She said regarding the request to change the wording in the values, the value that Martin was referring to has been a value of the city since 2019, and the annual report was reporting on the active values of 2024, so that was what was put in the report.
Walls said council could adopt the report as presented or amended if it chose to make any changes.
Councillor George Doubt made a motion that council approve the city’s 2024 annual report.
Councillor Rob Southcott said, however, that in the introduction to the report, it referred to Tla’amin First Nation.
“Tla’amin no longer refers to itself as a First Nation,” said Southcott. “I believe the reference is Tla’amin Nation. “If we are going to make changes, we should probably change that.”
Councillor Earl Almeida made an amendment motion that the reference be edited to say Tla’amin Nation, and not Tla’amin First Nation. The motion carried.
Councillor Jim Palm said the amendment did not address the public concerns about the annual report.
“It’s the legal issue that I’m worried about,” said Palm.
Councillor Cindy Elliott said the problem was that the vision, mission and values stated in the annual report exists outside of the annual report. She said one option was that council could strike the vision, mission and values from the annual report.
“Changing this document would not change the city’s vision, mission and values,” said Elliott. “The only way to really address this document is to strike the vision, mission and values from the document because it’s quoting another document that is not before us tonight.”
Doubt said he was in favour of approving the 2024 annual report as amended.
“I see no evidence to suggest that a couple of words in the vision and values statement does not change the ownership of the property, and it doesn’t change treaty negotiations,” said Doubt. “If we want to adjust the document to better reflect the detail of what we think is right, we should do that in a meeting held to do that.”
Council passed a motion to approve the annual report as amended, to eliminate the word “First” in the introduction.
Palm said he would like to see the vision, mission and values that contained the reference by Martin to be struck from the annual report.
“That’s the simple way to handle it,” said Palm.
Councillor Trina Isakson said the report had already been adopted, so to change something that has been adopted would be out of order.
Palm made a motion to reconsider the previous motion, but the motion was defeated, so the annual report will be published with the reference to residing on the lands of the Tla’amin people.
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