London’s mayor and deputy mayor are calling on their fellow council colleagues to support an emergent motion to remove Trooper Mark Wilson’s name from all city amenities, including a park in the city which bears his name.
The request comes in a letter set to go before next week’s meeting of city council, signed by Mayor Ed Holder, Deputy Mayor Josh Morgan, and city councillors Shawn Lewis and Elizabeth Peloza.
In addition to the park, Wilson has a street named after him in the area of Hale and Trafalgar, and a yearly charity ride, the Trooper Mark Wilson Ride, has raised money in his name in support of several local organizations.
“Earlier this week, it was revealed he pleaded guilty at a court martial in 2004 to assaulting a woman at a base in Quebec,” the letter reads, referring to recent reporting by the London Free Press.
“As you know, this Council made a commitment to creating a safe London for women and girls, which made London the first city in all of Canada to make this a strategic priority.”
On Wednesday, reporting by the London Free Press revealed that Wilson had been convicted of assaulting a woman, a fellow Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) member, in 2004, while both were recruits in a military training program.
According to the report, Wilson was charged with sexual assault and drunkenness following a military investigation into the incident.
During his court martial, he pleaded not guilty to sexual assault, but guilty to simple assault and drunkenness under the National Defence Act, and was given a reprimand and fined $1,500.
The victim, whose identity is protected by a publication ban, told the London Free Press that the annual praise and events in his name have been a reminder about what happened.
The emergent motion being brought forward by Holder, Morgan, Lewis and Peloza asks that city staff be directed to identify all instances where Wilson’s name has been used on city amenities, and “begin removing his name in every instance.”
The motion also asks that staff be directed to “subsequently begin the process of renaming these locations, including consultation with residents and community members in all affected areas.”
Wilson died on Oct. 7, 2006, at the age of 39 in Afghanistan’s Panjwaii district after his armoured vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb.
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In the wake of the reporting, Wilson’s parents have retained London Lawyer Phillip Millar, who told Global News on Wednesday that, from the Wilson family’s perspective, their son “is now being cancelled without an opportunity to defend himself.”
“At the time, you didn’t want to testify at trial, but now, 14 years later, you know, you’re kind of saying how much it traumatizes you? It’s difficult. Nobody knows what really happened,” Millar said.
According to the London Free Press report, the woman did not testify during the court martial, saying she had been told that if she had, she would not be able to continue with a career training course she was taking.
“But what we do know is that it was resolved by way of a simple assault many years ago, and we know that Mark went on to serve his country and perish with honor… I don’t think this does anybody any good,” Millar said.
City council meets in full on Tuesday.
— with files from Sawyer Bogdan
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