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Bob Mackin 

The office of B.C.’s conflict of interest commissioner Victoria Gray confirmed it has received a complaint from an Ontario watchdog about ex-Premier John Horgan’s pending directorship of a steelmaking coal company. 

The day after Horgan formally resigned as the Langford-Juan de Fuca NDP MLA on March 31, he announced he would join the board of Teck Resources spinoff Elk Valley Resources. Glencore’s hostile takeover attempt has delayed the votes by Teck shareholders on splitting the company and appointing Horgan to the Elk Valley board.

Jonathan Wilkinson (left) and John Horgan in Victoria on March 15, 2019 (BC Gov/Flickr)

Democracy Watch co-founder Duff Conacher formally complained Aug. 17 to Gray, alleging that Horgan was in conflict of interest for participating in or attempting to influence government decisions about whether the International Joint Commission should investigate Teck for contaminated runoff from its mines.

Gray’s office acknowledged receipt of the complaint, but would not comment on next steps. 

Horgan met with Teck executives on Oct. 11, more than a month before David Eby succeeded him as premier on Nov. 18. Horgan claimed that he did not discuss the board opportunity until December. 

In the Legislature on April 20, Environment Minister George Heyman said “to the best of my recollection, I never had a discussion about the IJC with the former premier.”

Conacher said the only way to determine whether Horgan and Heyman’s statements are true is by Gray launching an investigation. 

Conacher’s letter said that “Horgan clearly had a conflict of interest or apparent conflict of interest” as defined by the law, “given that he was negotiating a position with Teck that would provide him with financial benefits.”

B.C. Greens leader Sonia Furstenau unsuccessfully tabled a private member’s bill to amend the Members Conflict of Interest Act. Furstenau proposed a two-year, post-employment ban on cabinet members from accepting a board appointment with any entity that they had direct and significant dealings.

When Horgan revealed his new job in the Globe and Mail on April 1, he said: “I don’t have a lot of time any more, none in fact, for public comment on my world view, or what I am doing with my time.”

Teck has not responded for comment. 

In another letter dated Aug. 17, Conacher filed a similar complaint to the office of the federal Ethics Commissioner about Liberal Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Jonathan Wilkinson. 

Wilkinson is one of the senior ministers from B.C. in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s cabinet, the government and cabinet are considering whether to request an investigation by the IJC and Teck has lobbied Wilkinson directly six times in the last year, said Conacher’s letter.

“His spouse has investments in financial institutions that are among the top 25 largest institutional investors in Teck Resources and he was CEO of BioteQ when it had a contract with Teck to clean up selenium contamination caused by Teck’s mines,” Conacher’s complaint said.

A statement from Sabrina Kim, the director of communications for Wilkinson, said: “Minister Wilkinson takes his obligations as a public office holder seriously. The Minister has fully and consistently adhered to all of the requirements under the Conflict of Interest Act and the Conflict of Interest Code for Members of Parliament.”

The Democracy Watch complaint noted Wilkinson’s current portfolio and past roles as minister and parliamentary secretary since December 2015, “always in the areas of natural resources and the environment.”

The government has been without an ethics commissioner for six months. If an interim or full-time commissioner is appointed by the Trudeau cabinet, Conacher said that person should recuse themself from investigating Wilkinson. 

“This complaint letter is about one of ministers in the Trudeau cabinet,” the letter said. 

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Bob Mackin  The office of B.C.’s conflict of

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For the week of Aug. 20, 2023: 

The PNE Fair is back at full-strength, after three years of reduced capacity due to the pandemic. The 113th edition of the summertime tradition runs through Labour Day. Mir Huculak, Ukraine’s honorary consul in Vancouver, is one of the biggest fans of the fair. He has seen 74 of them and joins host Bob Mackin on this week’s podcast. 

Plus, hear from Premier David Eby and Emergencies Minister Bowinn Ma on the Kelowna wildfires. 

Plus Pacific Rim and Pacific Northwest headlines. 

CLICK BELOW to listen or go to TuneIn, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Podcasts.

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Bob Mackin

Anne Kang, the NDP minister in charge of B.C.’s economic immigration program, announced Aug. 16 that the government had opened an account on Weibo, a Chinese language social media service sometimes compared to Twitter. 

But Charles Burton, a former diplomat at Canada’s embassy in Beijing, called it “irresponsible to the extreme.”

NDP MLAs Henry Yao (left), George Chow and Anne Kang (CCSA/Lahoo)

“Serving Canadians in their native languages should be through Canadian social media with the data derived stored securely on servers in Canada,” said Burton, a China analyst with the Macdonald-Laurier Institute think tank, pointing to privacy and national security concerns.  

By the the time it announced the verified account, the B.C. government had 1,100 followers and 47 posts about public safety, emergency preparedness, cost of living, housing, education, health care and justice services. The move comes almost six months after B.C. followed Ottawa’s lead and banned the TikTok video app from government devices for security reasons.

“Weibo is not being downloaded to or used from any government assets such as computers or cell phones,” said a statement from Kang’s Ministry of Municipal Affairs. “A third-party contractor is responsible for day-to-day account administration – at arm’s length from government.” Vancouver-based marketing agency Catalyst Agents, a Weibo, WeChat and TikTok specialist, is the contractor, with a maximum $42,000 value. 

The Ministry of Municipal Affairs estimates 11% of B.C.’s population counts Chinese as the first written language and Weibo has an estimated 800,000 users in Canada, out of 600 million worldwide every month. An account is not needed to view the content, but the government recommended account-holders review and understand Weibo’s privacy conditions. 

“But we know thousands of people in B.C. do use Weibo to stay up to date on current events and news, and it’s critical that we reach people with information that’s accessible to them in their preferred language – for example about things like health care or wildfires,” the ministry said. 

A leader of the Vancouver Society in Support of Democratic Movement, which advocates for democracy and human rights in China, called it disturbing. 

“In the name of ‘providing service’, this would be another opportunity for agents of the [Chinese Communist Party] to infiltrate Canadian society, and to try to influence the views of overseas British Columbian-Chinese,” said Mabel Tung.

It is not the NDP government’s first foray into Chinese social media. During former Premier John Horgan’s 2018 China trade mission, he visited with executives from Tencent, owner of WeChat, to sign a tourism promotion agreement for the Destination B.C. Crown corporation.  

“It will give B.C. a preferred marketing platform on the messaging social media app, which attracts over 900 million daily active users — making it one of the largest in the world,” the government boasted in 2018.

A professor at McGill University’s School of Information Studies said it is understandable why the B.C. government is on Weibo and WeChat, but there are potential negative consequences. 

Benjamin Fung, the Canada research chair in datamining for cybersecurity, said the Chinese government can use algorithms to restrict the reach of B.C. government posts.

B.C. government Weibo account (BC Gov/Weibo)

“Instead of recommending a post to 10,000 people, they can just show it to 100 people. If they do not want you to see something, it will not appear on your list while you are browsing,” Fung said.

Weibo is also useful in tailoring a foreign interference strategy, he said. “The participation of the B.C. government on these platforms provides a wrong signal to the general public that these platforms are safe to use.”

More than two years before China’s foreign interference in Canadian elections and intimidation of politicians became one of the biggest national news stories, the Liberal Public Safety minister at the time told a House of Commons committee that Canadians should be wary of using China-based social media apps. 

“I would say yes, there is a legitimate concern that sometimes the information that’s publicly available on those platforms can be used by the hostile activities of state actors, and some caution should be exercised,” Bill Blair testified at the Special Committee on Canada-China Relations in February 2021. 

In the June 2021 “Buying Silence: The Price of Internet Censorship in China” report, the Washington, D.C.-based Jamestown Foundation estimated China budgeted US$6.6 billion in 2020 to govern online public opinion and dispose what it deemed “harmful” online opinion through its Cyberspace Affairs Commissions.

“To do so, they monitor posts on platforms such as WeChat and Weibo, as well as foreign social media, including Facebook and Twitter. CACs also employ teams of network commentators—internet trolls collectively referred to as the ’50 Cent Party,’ to ‘guide the trend of public opinion’ inside and outside the country,” the report said.

In 2012, then-Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson became one of the first western politicians with an account on Weibo, which became a key strategy in marketing Vancouver as a destination for tourists and real estate investors. 

Robertson’s office hired a consultant from a Beijing company called Flow Creative to prepare content and identify and contract key influencers to promote the Mayor’s account. 

Kang, who was first elected in 2017 to represent Burnaby-Deer Lake, is originally from Taiwan. She raised eyebrows in January as the senior B.C. government official at the pro-Beijing Canadian Community Service Association Lunar New Year banquet in Richmond’s River Rock Show Theatre. Kang and fellow NDP MLAs George Chow and Henry Yao were seated at the head table with local Chinese diplomats, across from Rongxiang “Tiger” Yuan, the president of the Canada-China Friendship Promotion Association who had a career in China’s People’s Liberation Army.

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Bob Mackin Anne Kang, the NDP minister in

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Bob Mackin 

Vancouver East NDP MP Jenny Kwan, one of the targets of China’s foreign interference campaign, is sponsoring a new online petition to the House of Commons aimed at passing a foreign influence and transparency registry. 

E-petition e-4534, initiated by Winnie Ng of Toronto, calls upon the House of Commons to pass such a law expeditiously during the fall session, develop a strategy to eradicate systemic racism and develop a public education strategy to promote civil engagement and democratic participation.

Jenny Kwan in the House of Commons (ParlVu)

In a June interview, Kwan said that the Liberal government was not moving fast enough. 

“The more you send the message that the government is not taking this in the way it needs to, that doesn’t do Canada any good,” said Kwan, who has represented the federal riding since 2015. “The whole thing about foreign interference, of course, is that they want to undermine our democratic process, and to create chaos in our system. If we allow for this to continue, then they win.”

The new e-petition is the response to an earlier campaign that opposed a foreign agents registry, which was launched by a purported anti-racism activist, sponsored by a Liberal MP from Ontario and backed by pro-China Senators Yuen Pau Woo and Victor Oh. 

Critics of that petition, which drew 2,450 supporters, said it conflated the centennial of the Chinese Immigration Act of 1923, a law that excluded nearly all categories of Chinese from moving to Canada until 1947, with calls in 2023 for a foreign agents registry to reduce the risk of any country seeking to intimidate or coerce Canadians. 

“As an ‘evergreen’ target of foreign interference, it is critical that every effort is made to uncover the extent to which foreign interference has impacted Canada’s political processes and electoral system,” Kwan said. “The threat of foreign interference is real and safeguarding the Charter rights of every Canadian is paramount.”

The earlier petition exceeded the minimum 500 supporters needed for tabling in the House of Commons. It was spearheaded by Ally Wang of Coquitlam, who co-founded the Stop Anti-Asian Hate Crimes Advocacy Group Association of Canada (SAAHCAG) and the Chinese Canadians Goto Vote Association (CCGVA). Wang appeared at a June 24 rally on Parliament Hill with Oh and Woo, where organizers bused-in hundreds of people and told them not to wave Chinese flags or sing patriotic Chinese songs. 

While Wang and co-founder Ivan Pak claimed CCGVA is non-partisan, some of its sign-waving, T-shirt wearing supporters gathered with Liberal Parm Bains before election day in 2021 and displayed Bains’ campaign signs in Steveston. 

Bains upset Kenny Chiu, the Conservative incumbent in Steveston-Richmond East who originally proposed the foreign agents registry and voted to condemn China for committing genocide against Uyghur Muslims. Chiu was the subject of a disinformation campaign on Chinese language social media that wrongly said his private member’s bill seeking a foreign agents registry would make Chinese second class citizens in Canada. A leaked report from the Canadian Security Intelligence Service indicated Chinese diplomat Tong Xiaoling boasted of helping defeat Chiu. 

The new petition went live on Aug. 16 with a deadline of Oct. 16. 

Supporters of the new e-petition, from the Vancouver Society in Support of Democratic Movement and Toronto Association for Democracy in China, officially launched their campaign Aug. 18 in Toronto. 

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Bob Mackin  Vancouver East NDP MP Jenny Kwan,

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Bob Mackin

Two stars from Canada’s Qatar 2022 World Cup team could debut with the Vancouver Whitecaps when the club returns to Major League Soccer play on Sunday at home. 

The Ryan Gauld-captained, Vanni Sartini-coached roster is arguably the most-exciting version fielded in B.C. Place Stadium over the last dozen years. But attendance has not returned to pre-pandemic levels, which peaked at 25,832 for a Sept. 15, 2018 visit by the Seattle Sounders.

Sam Adekugbe (left), Richie Laryea and Axel Schuster (Whitecaps FC)

Newly acquired Richie Laryea and Sam Adekugbe could fix that and help the club clinch a home playoff date this fall. 

According to actual attendance data obtained under freedom of information from B.C. Pavilion Corporation (PavCo), the Whitecaps averaged just 12,687 fans during 13 league and tournament matches through the June 10 visit by FC Cincinnati. That is less than the 15,780 average of what the club has announced publicly, the amount of tickets allotted or distributed. Three matches — two of which in CONCACAF Champions League — drew just under 10,000 (March 8 vs. Real CD Espana, April 5 vs. L.A. FC, and May 31 vs. Houston Dynamo).

The biggest announced attendance for the period was 20,072, when when the Whitecaps defeated CF Montreal on June 7 for the Canadian Championship. But the actual figure, as reported by PavCo, was 16,735. 

Whitecaps CEO Axel Schuster said Laryea and Adekugbe broaden the team’s audience and have already sparked enthusiasm among unnamed commercial partners. The pair helped Canada qualify for its first men’s World Cup in 36 years and Canada is already guaranteed a spot in the next tournament, co-hosted by Vancouver and Toronto in 2026. 

Off the pitch, Schuster hired former Ticketmaster vice-president Aditi Bhatt in March as chief commercial officer. She was not made available for an interview. But, when Schuster addressed the attendance issue in May, he said the club wanted to be the “most affordable professional sport in this town for families.” Initiatives so far have focused on free tickets to Whitecaps MLS Next Pro and League1 BC matches at Swangard Stadium for anyone under 18, but Schuster hinted at more to come.

“We have to understand our market, we have to understand what has changed since COVID, this is also reality, habits have changed, needs have changed,” Schuster said. “People feel challenged also by the rise of costs. Everyone knows that who is living here. So, for that reason, we will continue to work on that.”

Landlord PavCo has promoted a limited $5 food and drink menu and offers other time-restricted promotions at matches. Whitecaps and the Crown corporation held a 24-hour “save the fees day” on May 15 for discounted purchases of all remaining MLS match tickets. 

It all comes down to time and money, according to an instructor with the Langara College School of Management. Aziz Rajwani said that while there are many things to see and do in the region during summer months, consumers are also wrestling with a triple-whammy of high inflation, high interest rates and high gas prices.

B.C. Lions president Duane Vienneau (BC Lions)

“When there’s less disposable income, the industries that are going to hurt are going to be things like: restaurants, instead of getting take out you might cook at home; instead of going to a Lions game, you might watch it at home; instead of going to a Whitecaps game, you might watch it at home,” Rajwani said.

The B.C. Lions, who are vying for top spot in western conference standings this season, were struggling at the gate before the pandemic, which forced cancellation of the 2020 season. During four dates in 2019, from late July to late September, the average for Canadian Football League games at B.C. Place was just 11,767, well below the 17,560 average of the announced crowds. The meeting with the Saskatchewan Roughriders was the best of the bunch, announced in-stadium as 20,950, but actually 16,233.

Building products tycoon Amar Doman bought the club from the estate of the late David Braley in summer 2021 and kicked-off 2022 with a bang. The home opener against the Edmonton Elks, featuring the pre-game OneRepublic concert, drew 25,279. The Lions fared even better with 25,821 for the home playoff game against the Calgary Stampeders. 

This year’s kickoff extravaganza featured LL Cool J and an actual 26,814 was counted, according to PavCo.

Duane Vienneau joined last season as chief operating officer and became president this season. The CFL’s former Chief Grey Cup and Events Officer is focused on turning each game day into an event of its own, on the road to the biggest CFL event of 2024: the 111th Grey Cup at B.C. Place.

So far, the Lions also held a family festival, dual tailgate party with Roughriders fans, and inducted ex-coach Wally Buono and the Bob Ackles-inspired Water Boys business support club to to the Wall of Fame. Coming up Aug. 26 is the Superhero night tribute to military and first responders, followed by Orange Shirt Day for Truth and Reconciliation, Gravy Bowl on Thanksgiving Weekend and the Halloween-themed Blackout Night. 

“We really use those themes to to attract new fan bases and try to, over the season, if not have two or three or four games that will appeal to somebody, maybe they’ll appeal to all of them,” Vienneau said. “Trying to make sure that something in our product mix that a non-traditional football fan will intrigue them to come.”

Keys to Vienneau’s marketing strategy include six kickoffs at 4 p.m., entry-level adult tickets at $25 (plus the $6 Ticketmaster order processing fee) and a $10, London Drugs-sponsored kids club for children 6-12 that includes a free game ticket. The late afternoon time works for eastern zone audiences on TSN and for those who commute to games from Vancouver Island, Fraser Valley and the Interior. 

“We’re really trying to do our best to be cost effective as possible, and we don’t want price to be a barrier,” Vienneau said.

“So basically, you can come in and out of the game on one day, you don’t have to stay overnight, it solves that affordability piece and it really is an outreach into into the community.”

Inside B.C. Place Stadium (Mackin)

Rajwani said the provincially focused Lions are outpacing the Whitecaps in the affordability race. An end zone ticket to Sunday’s Whitecaps’ match with a $31.75 face value via Ticketmaster totals $48.50, after the $10.75 service fee and $6 order processing fee.

It also matters that Doman is visible at Lions games and in the media, but Whitecaps’ owner Greg Kerfoot is not. An owner should stand behind the product and realize that his fandom can be contagious. 

“I need to know and sense your passion for winning,” Rajwani said. 

Rajwani said other factors are challenging the Whitecaps and Lions at the gate, such as a hesitancy to visit downtown due to well-publicized public safety concerns. The University of Toronto School of Cities’ ongoing “Downtown Recovery” rankings project, based on mobile phone device activity detected in a downtown core, shows Vancouver lagged at 54th place between March and May, comparable with Philadelphia and Seattle.

“If you don’t feel safe, if you don’t feel you could actually go down there and just have fun, like you did, for example, during the Olympics [in 2010],” Rajwani said.

It is a whole different story for concerts at B.C. Place. Unlike sports, they are not televised live. According to PavCo stats, the stadium drew a dotal 231,986 to six dates featuring five acts since last year. 

Luke Combs in May 2023 (42,208), The Weeknd in August 2022 (40,873) and Elton John’s second show in October last year (39,673) were the top draws. 

Five big dates with big audiences are coming: Ed Sheeran (Sept. 2), Beyonce (Sept. 11), Coldplay (Sept. 22-23) and Guns ’n Roses (Oct. 16). 

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Bob Mackin Two stars from Canada’s Qatar 2022

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Bob Mackin 

A Surrey Police Service officer will not be charged after a dispute last week at a store in the 80th and 128th area of Newton. 

A shopkeeper complained to Surrey RCMP after an incident in late morning Aug. 11 about a customer who allegedly sought an excessive discount. The customer’s relative, an SPS officer, allegedly intervened in support of the customer.

Payal Business Centre in Newton (Payal)

“We are aware of a report to police made by a local business owner, but are unable to confirm any specifics,” said Sgt. Tammy Lobb of the Surrey RCMP. “No charges have been recommended in relation to the file you referenced.”  

SPS media liaison Ian MacDonald said there was no action taken against the officer because no wrongdoing occurred. 

“They determined in the initial investigation that the allegations made by the shopkeeper were not founded,” MacDonald said. “The event was concluded, determined no criminality from any party involved, and that the SPS officer — off-duty — that officer’s role was peripheral.”

MacDonald said a copy of the file was forwarded to the human resources department as a formality, “if we ever need to reference it or review it further.” He said he became aware of the details on Aug. 15 from the human resources officer. 

The previous day, MacDonald had denied allegations circulating online that an SPS officer had been under investigation for shoplifting. He told a reporter the SPS had no plans to set the record straight. 

“We have been trolled online for two-and-a-half years, if we responded to every rock thrown we’d waste a lot of time and embolden the posters who undoubtedly would enjoy continue wasting it and forcing us to respond,” MacDonald said.

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Bob Mackin  A Surrey Police Service officer will

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Bob Mackin

Desperate, 11th hour pleas to the NDP government from a Quest University graduate and a researcher failed to delay the province’s acquisition of the Squamish campus.

Selina Robinson, the Minister of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills, and Paul Dangerfield, the president of Capilano University, announced the $63.2 million purchase from Primacorp Ventures on Wednesday. Capilano University plans next year to reopen the former private university, which suspended operations in April.

“They obviously, totally ignored everything and went ahead,” researcher Vivian Krause said after the announcement. “Why did they go ahead, why couldn’t they have postponed the press conference? That’s what they should’ve done.”

Jake Henderson, a member of the class of 2014, unsuccessfully appealed to Robinson and Premier David Eby in an open letter, urging them to reconsider the decision. He said it is “ill-considered,” because the campus was designed for Quest’s unique, student-led research curriculum. 

Henderson said Quest owes property owner Primacorp $20 million and that Peter Chung, Primacorp’s chairman, notionally agreed to forgive the debit if Quest did not oppose the land sale. But, “bad actors prejudiced the financial interests of the institution to enrich themselves” and Henderson said he is concerned that 2016-deceased founder Dr. David Strangway’s vision “will die because of greed and government apathy.” 

Henderson, founder of the Save Quest campaign, was a member of Quest’s third graduating class, worked as facilities manager from 2014 to 2019 and lived on campus. He left to study law at the University of Victoria and now practices criminal law in Vancouver. Quest “made a below average high school student into a lawyer,” he wrote.

Henderson suggested the provincial government should have leased land back to Quest at a reasonable rate, with payments directed to Capilano University, while offering the Quest curriculum through Capilano.

Quest University Canada in Squamish, B.C. (Quest)

“I have concerns that the provincial government has not had sufficient time to consider whether these previously allocated funds will cover the actual costs of Capilano University’s prospective transition,” he wrote. “I have concerns that the public has not had an opportunity to provide comment on this intended use of public funds.”

Meanwhile, Krause wrote to Eby, calling the deal a “grave mistake” and urging him to “hit pause,” because she had complained to the RCMP, which is considering an investigation.

In her letter, Krause said multiple audits by the Canada Revenue Agency “reveal gross malfeasance involving tens of millions of dollars” after pieces of the original 240-acre property were carved up and transferred to charitable foundations set-up by Vancouver charity law specialist Blake Bromley. One of the land owners, the Eden Glen Foundation, lost its CRA charitable status earlier this summer over a nearly $5 million gift to a numbered company when it sold one of Quest’s original land parcels in 2018.

“If the tax-receipted donations and the land that was Quest’s birthright had actually been received by the university, I believe that it would not have ended up in creditor protection and been sold under [the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act],” Krause said.

“No government should purchase ill-gotten goods, least of all a government that has promised to tackle corruption.”

Robinson said Primacorp was invited to the announcement, but no representative attended. She did not indicate whether anyone from the Quest board had been invited. 

Robinson was asked why the government gave Capilano University $48 million toward the purchase, despite the concerns.

“Government always does due diligence in any any purchase, and so due diligence was, in fact done,” Robinson said. “So we’ve worked together with Capilano University, the challenges that Quest has had over over several years, you’ll have to ask Quest, these were their dealings. They were a private institution.”

The 55-acre campus, its buildings and surrounding lands, were valued at almost $89 million, and listed for sale by NAI Commercial earlier this year. 

Primacorp paid $43 million for the land and university buildings to rescue Quest out of court protection from creditors in December 2020. Quest’s biggest lender, the Vanchorverve Foundation, demanded repayment of $23.4 million at the start of 2020. 

Chung is a constituent of Eby, who reportedly paid $42 million in July 2021 for the Northwest Point Grey mansion formerly owned by philanthropists Joe and Rosalie Segal.

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Bob Mackin Desperate, 11th hour pleas to the

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Bob Mackin

Almost six months after the NDP government refused to fund a bid to bring the Winter Olympics back to B.C. in 2030, senior bureaucrats finally explained the decision in a private meeting.

Neilane Mayhew (BC Gov)

Documents released under freedom of information show Neilane Mayhew, the Deputy Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport, led an April 14 technical briefing in-person and on web conference for Canadian Olympic and Paralympic officials and leaders of the Four Host First Nations to “talk through the factors that the province considered when evaluating the 2030 Hosting Proposal, including: estimated costs, identified risks and other considerations.”

The meeting came after Premier David Eby’s Feb. 23 web conference with the same parties. The agenda for April 14 showed representatives of the Musqueam, Squamish, Tsleil-Waututh and Lil’wat nations attended, along with two executives from the Canadian Olympic Committee and one from the Canadian Paralympic Committee. They joined six bureaucrats, including Mayhew, Eby’s deputy minister Shannon Salter and deputy chief of staff Don Bain and assistant deputy finance minister Doug Foster.

The presentation document included the province’s estimate of potential costs and risks, but the dollar figures were censored because the government claimed disclosure would compromise cabinet confidentiality and policy advice or recommendations and it feared disclosure would harm government financial interests and intergovernmental relations. 

What was not redacted from the summary indicated the province found some aspects of the bid satisfactory, calling it “broadly aligned with government priorities of reconciliation, climate action and economic development” and the process for developing the proposal “was collaborative, detailed and well coordinated.”

Vancouver 2030 bid logo

“Generally, the results of provincial analysis on venues was consistent with information presented in the 2030 Hosting Proposal,” it said. 

However, when it came to the direct costs of policing a Winter Olympics in 2030, “Provincial analysis found that public safety and security estimates were still preliminary.” Text at the next bullet point was censored. 

Based on information provided, the province’s preliminary analysis indicated estimates for essential services needed from all levels of government were “potentially sufficient.” Again, the text at the next bullet point was censored. 

A big hurdle, however, was the province’s review of indemnification and guarantees — specifically the International Olympic Committee’s terms and conditions for the host province to finance deficits.

“Based on the information provided at the time of decision making, the province did not see any indication that the IOC would be willing to moderate any of its requirements. These same requirements were being required for all 2030 Games candidates.”

Other factors and considerations included: government priorities alignment; other marquee event commitments; and timelines and resources. 

In June, when a reporter found an entry about the April 14 meeting in Mayhew’s calendar, the Ministry issued a statement that said “supporting the proposal would have required dedicated provincial resources across government, which are already committed to planning other near-term international sporting events, as well as expanding on services British Columbians need.”

“Our government remains committed to the important work of putting reconciliation into action and continuing to build strong relationships with Indigenous partners.”

The “other near-term international sporting events” include Prince Harry’s Invictus Games in Vancouver and Whistler in 2025 and the FIFA World Cup coming to B.C. Place Stadium in 2026.

In July 2022, the COC estimated it needed at least $1 billion from taxpayers for the $4 billion project, plus a guarantee that the province would pay for any deficit. It proposed reusing most of the 2010 Winter Olympics venues in Vancouver, Richmond and Whistler, with the exception of the Agrodome for curling, Hastings Racecourse for big air skiing and snowboard jumping and Sun Peaks resort near Kamloops for snowboarding and freestyle skiing.

BC 2030 Olympic bid logo (BC Gov/FOI)

A version of the bid circulated to governments early last fall said the 2030 Games would have needed $2.12 billion from governments in cash and goods and services, based on 2022 dollars, estimated to be worth $2.715 billion by 2030. The proposal called for half the funds from Ottawa and 35% from B.C. taxpayers — $742 million in 2022 dollars or $957 million in 2030.

The bid budget also contemplated $1.6 billion in allowances for contingencies and cost overruns. It bundled security with essential services totalling $756 million ($958 million in 2030) and also sought public funding for venues ($286 million) and villages ($267 million). 

“The proposal looks to the municipalities and [First] Nations to contribute land for the villages and in-kind essential municipal services,” said the bid proposal. 

Lisa Beare, then the tourism minister, announced last Oct. 27 that the government had declined to support the bid. 

Vancouver had been in the running with 1972 host Sapporo and 2002 host Salt Lake City ahead of the IOC’s late fall deadline to formally express interest in negotiations. 

Sapporo’s bid, however, became overshadowed by the Tokyo Olympics bribery scandal. Salt Lake City has said it would be ready to host in 2030, but the U.S. Olympic Committee prefers 2034 in order to avoid sponsorship conflicts with the Los Angeles 2028 Summer Olympics. 

The IOC discussed awarding 2030 and 2034 hosting rights at the same time, but delayed the decision and shifted gears in December to study whether to rotate the Winter Games to cities that already have necessary infrastructure. 

Since then, interest has emerged from Southeastern France, Sweden and Switzerland. The IOC’s decision is expected at the members’ session before the next Olympics open in Paris in July 2024. 

The only certainty, for now, is the next Winter Games are scheduled for February 2026 in Milano-Cortina, Italy. 

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Bob Mackin Almost six months after the NDP

Business, News

Bob Mackin

A lawyer for an immigration consultant who was arrested last week in Shanghai told a federal court in New York that Linda Mei He resides in Vancouver where two of her companies are based.

Linda Mei He of the Wailian Group (EY)

He was reportedly detained by Chinese authorities who accuse the 54-year-old of illegal foreign exchange trading involving more than RMB100 million (or $18.6 million in Canadian funds). Chinese language media reports indicate He was among five people arrested, but only two kept in jail. The other is an employee surnamed Sun. At Wailian, He’s assistant is Sun Xiaocui, also known as Carrie Sun. 

Wailian Overseas Consulting Group Ltd., the company He chairs, has not responded for comment. 

Wailian claims to be one of China’s largest full-service immigration agencies, which helps wealthy immigrant investors move to North America, Australia and Europe, get employment, buy real estate, make investments and find elite private schools for their children. He’s arrest may signal a crackdown on capital outflows under dictator Xi Jinping. 

On Saturday, Global Affairs Canada said it was not aware of a Canadian citizen under arrest in Shanghai. On Monday, it said it “has not has not received any requests for consular assistance in relation to a Canadian detained in Shanghai.”

In a March court filing in the Southern District of New York, lawyer Micala Campbell Robinson called her client a “foreign national with a domicile in Vancouver, Canada.”

(Wailian Group)

“WL Global Corp. is a Delaware corporation with a principle place of business in Vancouver, Canada. WeEducation Group Inc. is a Delaware corporation with a principle place of business in Vancouver, Canada. Wailian Overseas Consulting Group Ltd. is a British Virgin Islands corporation with a principle place of business in Shanghai, China,” said the court document.

He and the three companies were sued last November by former WL Global Corp. president Hong Danielle Accettola for wrongful termination and violation of New York state labour laws.

Accettola, who was hired in 2013 and worked at He’s Manhattan office, alleged that she was wrongfully fired in November 2021 in retaliation for complaining to He and internal auditor Shuha Li about Paycheck Protection Program fraud and academic fraud. Accettola also claimed that her personal information continued to be used without her permission. 

Accettola’s lawsuit said she objected to He’s abrupt switch of banks, use of the pandemic relief funds for non-eligible categories, and transferring funds between her companies in different jurisdictions. The lawsuit also alleged breaches by other He-owned companies, such as foreign investment sales without a broker-dealer licence through My Visa Services Inc. and foreign worker visa violations through My Job Tank Inc.

In a March defence statement, He denied the claims and countersued Accettola, alleging her former president had committed fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, disloyalty, unjust enrichment and conversion.

None of the allegations has been proven in court. 

Accettola is now a real estate agent with Keller Williams New York City. She did not respond for comment. 

He and Accettola were both quoted in an April 2015 story by the U.S. edition of Chinese state newspaper China Daily about Wailian’s sponsorship of the Carnegie Hall National Youth Orchestra’s China tour. The story said Wailian helped raise about US$2 billion in capital within the last 10 years for more than 60 immigrant investor projects in the U.S. 

“The investment projects Wailian promoted to Chinese investors include work on the Hudson Yards development and the George Washington Bridge in New York, and the University Hospital of Cleveland, Ohio,” China Daily reported.

In 2015, Dennis Nally, Chairman, PricewaterhouseCoopers Intl. (left); Karen Nally; Sharon Bush; Danielle Accettola; China’s New York Consulate General, Zhang Qiyue; Ronald Perelman, Chairman of MacAndrews & Forbes and Revlon; Linda Mei He; and Kevin Sheekey, Chairman, Bloomberg Government (WL Group)

The company’s website, translated to English, says Wailian “advocates the lifestyle of ‘immigration without emigration’ and does special research on ‘rapid immigration,’ constantly breaking its own fast record.”

“American customers can pass in two days at the earliest,” Wailian boasts. “With the approval of the Immigration Bureau, Australian customers can be approved by the state government as soon as one day, Canadian customers can land in Vancouver as soon as one month, and European customers can get an investment residence visa as soon as five days without going abroad.”

British Columbia’s corporate registry shows an entry for Wailian Overseas Consulting Group Inc., Wailian Education Group Inc. and Wailian Investment Group Inc. The latter two name Xu Weibiao as a director. A source familiar with Wailian said that Xu, who also uses the English name Sean, is He’s husband. A residential address in Arbutus is listed on the corporate registrations.

The website for Walian’s 2019-opened U.K. office, Wailian Moon Boat Ltd., said its partners and clients include Bank of China, China CITIC Bank, China Construction Bank, University of Oxford and Imperial College London. It said the company employs nearly 450 people in 30 locations around the world in U.S., Canada, U.K., Australia, Singapore, Greece, Portugal, Spain and Hungary.

“Wailian Moon Boat has pioneered its unique closed loop immigration system, providing Chinese families with a comprehensive relocation, citizenship, employment, education, investment, and living package.”

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Bob Mackin A lawyer for an immigration consultant

Business, News

Ex-Surrey City Manager Vince Lalonde (Surrey)

Bob Mackin

The biggest personnel move during a time of turmoil at Surrey City Hall was announced Aug. 14, with the sudden retirement of city manager Vince Lalonde.

The announcement came after a weekend of social media chatter that Lalonde had been replaced by Rob Costanzo, the general manager of corporate services. Lalonde’s name had remained on the website throughout the weekend and Mayor Brenda Locke did not respond to a text message. 

According to last year’s statement of financial information, Lalonde was the highest-paid employee at city hall with more than $465,000 in salary and benefits plus $11,652.26 in expenses.

Almost an hour before Surrey city hall’s news release, a reporter asked the receptionist in Lalonde’s office whether it was true that he had departed. 

“He is off on vacation till September the fifth,” she answered.

Lalonde had a 26-year career at Surrey City Hall, including as general manager of engineering. He had been city manager for the past nine years, but half of that was consumed by an overarching controversy: the establishment of the Surrey Police Service to replace the Surrey RCMP detachment under ex-Mayor Doug McCallum and Locke’s winning campaign promise to close the SPS and keep the RCMP. 

Last month, Solicitor General Mike Farnworth directed Locke to carry on with the SPS and phase out the RCMP, a process that could take another three years.

The announcement about Lalonde’s departure came in the wake of Aug. 10’s closed door city council meeting. A source close to the mayor’s office, who is not authorized to speak on the record, said Lalonde’s employment status was on the agenda. Council appointed Costanzo to be acting city manager. 

In the news release, Lalonde said “the decision has not been an easy one,” but he was filled with pride over the achievements of city staff during his tenure. Locke thanked Lalonde for his leadership, which helped bring Surrey through the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“Vince’s legacy will be felt for a very long time and I wish him only the best in this next chapter of life,” said Locke’s quote in the news release. 

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[caption id="attachment_13480" align="alignright" width="317"] Ex-Surrey City Manager

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