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Now, you’d think what with Vancouver City Council (not to mention, the Vancouver Courier’s Allen Garr) on vacation for the remainder of the summer, and Supreme Court Justice Robert J. Bauman having trampled on the hurt feelings of the recently deposed members of the City of Vancouver Board of Variance, that this ‘story that won’t die’ would be over.
But you’d be wrong. You can take the hint from the latter sentiment expressed in the previous paragraph: the Board of Variance sacking is a story that won’t die. And, why not?
Well, just when you thought to yourself, good riddance to that Ray Tomlin fella, and fair thee well to Quincey Kirschner, Terry Martin, Tony Tang and Jan Pierce, it would be too soon if I ever heard any one of their names ever again … it seems that your cherished opinion in the matter has been overturned by citizens honourable and true, an as yet unidentified band of truth and justice seekers who, when the Board was fired four weeks ago today, filed a complaint with the Office of the BC Ombudsman.
So what, you say? Well, this is what: the office of the City Clerk, City of Vancouver, informed Secretary to the Board of Variance, Louis Ng, on Thursday afternoon that the aforementioned Ombudsman’s office has launched a “full and thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the dismissal of the City of Vancouver Board of Variance.” Mr. Ng was instructed to co-operate fully with the investigation.
Justice Robert Bauman ruled that Board of Variance counsel, Derek Creighton, had not proved evidence of “bad faith” by Vancouver City Council in its dismissal of the Board. But now, with a truly independent arm of government conducting an investigation into the firing, perhaps evidence of “bad faith” might finally be proven. We’ll wait and see.
Seems that the Office of the Ombudsman will issue a full report on the matter sometime later this year, or as late as next spring.
Board of Variance fired. Story over. Not by a long shot. This is the story that won’t die.
