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PRINCE GEORGE
Citizen
Serving the Central Interior since 1916
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2002
80 CENTS (HOME DELIVERED: 54 CENTS A DAY)
ON THIN ICE — A lone skater strides out of the sun on the frozen surface of Shane Lake at Forests for the World on Tuesday. The ice is still quite thin and the city has posted warning signs, saying the ice is still unsafe until the weather gets colder and the ice gets thicker.
Major link
Mayor, 3 councillors backing casino move got contributions to ’99 campaign from owner
by GORDON HOEKSTRA Citizen staff
Four of five city council members who voted in favour of moving the downtown Casino Hollywood to Highway 16 received campaign contributions in 1999 from the casino owner, a review of campaign contributions by The Citizen shows.
Those who voted in favour of considering the move — Mayor Colin Kinsley and councillors Don Bassermann, Shirley Gratton and Gord Leighton — were backed financially by John Major, his wife Shelley, or companies they own in the 1999 election.
The three councillors who voted against the move — Cliff Dezell, Dan Rogers and Don Zurowski — received no contributions from the Majors or their companies.
Coun. Bruce Strachan, who financed his own campaign, also voted in favour of considering a casino move, which needs rezoning approval following a public hearing, a date for which has not been set.
Major’s numbered company was the successful bidder, at $3.76 million, for the Pine Valley driving range land at the corner of Highway 16 West and Range Road in the 5-3 council vote Oct. 25 during a special meeting.
The mayor and councillors Leighton, Gratton and Bassermann say their decision had nothing to do with campaign contributions.
“It was three years ago (the contributions), long before (the casino move) was an issue,” said Kinsley, when asked how the vote split and contributions would look to the public. “It depends on what kind of spin people want to put on it. But the vote for selling the land and going to public hearing, in my case, is based solely on what’s good for the community. And quite frankly, there’s several downtown merchants that agree with me that the best place for the casino would be out of downtown.”
Kinsley received a contribution of $3,000 in the 1999 election campaign from Tower Plaza, a company whose sole directors listed with the B.C.’s corporate registry are John and Shelley Major. The contribution made up more than one-third of Kinsley’s $8,050 in campaign contributions.
But Kinsley noted that Craig Wood also contributed to his campaign, a donation of $500. Wood at $2.5 million was the unsuccessful bidder for the driving range property. Kinsley added he has told his campaign finance team not to take contributions from Major or any of his companies this time around.
Gratton received a contribution of $2,000 from Otter Properties, another Major company, in 1999.
She also received a personal contribution of $300 from John Major. The $2,300 made up nearly two-thirds of her $3,517 in campaign contribution in 1999.
Gratton noted she had been dealing for years with the Majors through the casino and bingos to raise money for Little League and junior baseball. “They supported me, and I support them,” said Gratton.
She stressed that a final decision has not been made on the sale, and that the public will have input during the hearing. “We allowed it to go to hearing for the public to voice their opinion,” said Gratton. “If we hadn’t done that, that’s not fair to any business person.”
Leighton received a $300 contribution from Major in 1999.
He pointed out it was just one of close to 50 donations totalling $11,135, and made up less than three per cent of
Annie’s Mailbox..............28
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Shaak leaving film post
by BERNICE TRICK Citizen staff
Sara Shaak, the key player who brought several movies to Prince George for filming, is leaving to become the film commissioner for the Okanagan region.
Shaak said, although it was a hard decision to make, she realized she needs a new challenge after doing the job here for seven years. “I also realize that Prince George and the Okanagan are not competitors in this field. In Prince George I was promoting a winter dty and snow (for movie locations) and in Kelowna HI be dealing with orchards, wineries and some desert area,”
Shaak, who leaves November 20, said she’s “willing to help with the transition” of the Initiatives Prince George Film Commission. “I feel good because I believe I’m leaving it in good hands.” Initiatives Prince George has appointed Renee McCloskey (nee Foot) as acting film commissioner. McCloskey worked for several years as communications co-ordinator with the northern health authorities.
McCloskey has worked with the film commission on several occasions in a
scouting role, and is familiar with the organization and current projects, said Ken Veldman, vice-president of Initiatives Prince George (formerly the Prince George Development Corporation).
He said Shaak has been the driving force behind the film commission since its inception and “was key to attracting the movies, Double Jeopardy, Reindeer Games, Insomnia and Dreamcatcher to northern B.C. “In total, this activity has brought in an estimated $17 million in economic activity.” Mayor Colin Kinsley said Shaak “wall be greatly missed for her tireless promotion of the community and the great job she’s done for Prince George.”
Shaak’s parents and 15-year-old brother, Josh, now all live in the Okanagan and Shaak said this is an opportunity to be closer to family.
Gerry Offet, Initiatives Prince George president paid tribute to Shaak’s contributions, saying “without her there would not be a film commission.” McCloskey begins her interim position on Nov. 12, and recruitment will begin in the near future to permanently fill the position.
Law lets
politicians vote despite contributor
connection
There is nothing in the province’s Municipal Act which prohibits a mayor or councillor from voting or participating in discussions that involves a business or person which contributed to their campaigns.
The act says only that municipal politicians must excuse themselves from a discussion or vote only when they have a direct or indirect pecuniary (monetary) interest.
That means that they could direcdy or indirectly receive a benefit from the outcome.
The issue of whether a campaign contribution constitutes an indirect benefit has come up in the B.C. court system recently.
In a case involving a dismissed Nanaimo city councillor, the B.C. Court of Appeal wrote in 2001 that a campaign contribution cannot, by itself, establish a direct or indirect pecuniary interest.
There could be circumstances where there could be a link, but the ruling didn’t elaborate on what they might be.
KINSLEY GRATTON
BASSERMANN LEIGHTON
his contributions in 1999. Wood-Wheaton also gave $250 to his ’99 campaign.
Leighton said he didn’t see how this could be construed as an influence on his vote, although he added there may be a case — where the percentage from a single contributor was high enough — where the public might perceive a conflict of interest. Leighton added he will not be accepting contributions from Major this election.
Bassermann received a $350 individual contribution from John Major, the largest single contribution to his campaign, which collected $3,967, more than half of it from himself.
Bassermann said councillors who received contributions from Major are likely to be strong backers of business in the community and make a decision on the driving range based on those business merits. “The thinking behind my decision was what’s best for Prince George as a community,” he said.
— See election story on page 3; editorial and column on page 4
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