Vancouver moves non-Canadian residents to end of public-hearing queue

The City of Vancouver has changed its public-hearing procedures so speakers who are not Canadian residents are placed at the end of the queue. The move followed Mayor Ken Sim’s allegation that out-of-country callers were interfering with council business.

The issue arose during the third day of a hearing on the Villages Plan, which would increase density in neighbourhoods across the city. Caller Cristina Melendez said she was calling from California and had not visited Vancouver. Councillors also said some California callers appeared to repeat the same remarks.

Green Coun. Pete Fry said the City introduced telephone participation during the COVID-19 pandemic and described the recent use of the system as a weaponization of the process that drowned out legitimate public voices. The City said its consultation process is intended to allow Vancouver residents to address elected officials, and that intentional compromise by people outside Canada devalues local engagement.

Sim reported the matter to the Vancouver Police Department. Chief Const. Steve Rai said investigators will assess the information and could refer it to the RCMP if there is concern about political interference. Sim has also asked the province to amend the Vancouver Charter to allow only Canadian residents to register to speak.

Unite Here Local 40 president Zalida Chan criticized Sim’s description of worker solidarity as foreign interference and confirmed to the Vancouver Sun that the union had asked people outside Canada to call into the hearing.