Briefly: Coun. Sarah Kirby-Yung apologized after swearing in a committee meeting on Oct. 23 during a rare show of discord with a fellow member of the ABC Vancouver supermajority.
Bob Mackin
You’re obviously familiar with the nasty war of words between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris en route to the Nov. 5 election day.
North of the border, no doubt you’ve witnessed the animosity between Justin Trudeau and Pierre Poilievre.
Maybe you followed the barbs traded by David Eby and John Rustad during the B.C. election campaign?
Coun. Sarah Kirby-Yung (lower left) on Oct. 23, 2024 as chief of staff Trevor Ford, Mayor Ken Sim and Coun. Rebecca Bligh react (City of Vancouver/YouTube)
But how about Sarah Kirby-Yung and Rebecca Bligh?
The Vancouver city councillors quit the NPA caucus (together with Lisa Dominato) in early 2022 and were re-elected later that year under Ken Sim’s ABC Vancouver banner.
They both have reasons to be in a good mood. Last week was the second anniversary of Sim’s landslide win.
Kirby-Yung’s husband, retired cop Terry Yung, was elected Oct. 19 in the Vancouver-Yaletown riding for Eby’s NDP.
Bligh began this week with a promotion, from the vice-presidency to the presidency of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, replacing Colchester, N.S. deputy mayor Geoff Stewart.
But something suddenly went awry on Oct. 23 at the Standing Committee on Policy and Strategic Priorities meeting. A hint that all is not well inside the supermajority caucus as the 2026 election slowly comes into sight.
Coun. Mike Klassen, who was chairing the committee meeting, sought approval to carry on past 5 p.m. without a break. ABC Coun. Brian Montague had tabled his motion to explore upgrading intersection traffic cameras to allow real-time surveillance by police.
Bligh suggested completing the item, breaking for an hour and reconvening at 6 p.m.
Kirby-Yung protested.
“There is a procedure to allow councillors to comment on it, so we can’t just whip in whenever we feel like it, throw it out there without taking the queue — and councillors do have a right to debate motions. So if we could not dispense with procedure, and councillors could follow that out of respect for their colleagues,” Kirby-Yung said, looking toward Bligh.
“So colleagues have a chance to weigh in, to decide or to advise if they’re able to stay. I would appreciate that. This is not the wild west of fucking procedure, and I apologize for…”
Said Bligh: “Oh my gosh, I’m gonna call a point of order!”
A surprised Sim and chief of staff Trevor Ford suddenly emerged from a back room.
Klassen called a recess.
When the meeting reconvened, Kirby-Yung apologized “unreservedly.”
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