Kelowna mayor ‘disappointed’ with councillor’s latest opinion column

A Kelowna, B.C., city councillor may find his words scrutinized through a recently adopted code of conduct.

Coun. Ron Cannan has an opinion column published regularly through an online news site.

His conservative Christian views are often the basis of these community-directed missives, but on Jan. 2 many felt he went too far.

In his latest column, he used the platform to offer his perspective on SOGI, the situation in the Middle East, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and. among other things, recommended that people download a bible and make reading it part of their routine.

A letter-writing campaign raising concerns about these views was launched after its publication, and that caught the attention of Mayor Tom Dyas, who on Thursday sent out a statement. He was not able to speak to the issue in person and is said to be on vacation.

1:49 Code of conduct hearing for Kelowna RCMP officer

In the statement, however, Dyas said that Cannan’s personal views “do not represent the views of Kelowna city council.”

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“It is incumbent upon individual councillors to explicitly state their views are personal and not those of council as a whole.

“Members of council and the public have shared their concerns with me regarding councillor Cannan’s viewpoints and we are disappointed that he has used his elected position as a city councillor in this way.  Many of the issues he has expressed opinions about are outside the jurisdiction of local government.”

The Mayor of Kelowna is the official spokesperson for the City of Kelowna, he added

“I will continue to promote inclusivity and safety for all citizens while focusing on matters within the purview of local government,” Dyas said.

Council recently approved a code of conduct governing the behaviour and expectations of council members, and Dyas said this matter will be given due consideration.

When asked for a response, Cannan sent a statement and noted that he, too, is away on vacation.

“I have written several columns in Kelowna Now before I was a city councillor and resumed writing regular columns as a councillor late last year,” Cannan wrote. “I mentioned to Mayor Dyas that I am well aware of the council code of contact and respect it.

“I continue to serve with honesty and integrity. There is a disclaimer at the top of the article saying the opinions are those of the writer. Also, stated in the opening paragraph that these are my personal predictions. I respect that some may not agree with my opinion and I am sorry if some may be offended.”

Cannan went on to say that he doesn’t personally support Donald Trump, though he predicted him winning the election, he loves Ukranians and doesn’t support Putin.

He also spoke more about his Christian biblical beliefs and how they are the basis of his views on SOGI.

“I appreciate that we do not all share the same opinions and these predictions in the article were my personal,” he said.

Cannan also said he’s received support from his constituents amid backlash,