Chair denies Bear conflict

Published in Monday Magazine, 24 January 2007

With Langford councillor Denise Blackwell taking over for Victoria mayor Alan Lowe as CRD chair, there was some question what it would mean for the ongoing dispute over Bear Mountain resort’s plans for Spaet—or Skirt—Mountain and the destruction of a cave representatives of several first nations say is sacred.

Lowe, you’ll recall, worked as an architect for Bear Mountainand at times removed himself from discussions when it came up.

But what about Blackwell? Her day job is at the ministry of tourism, sport and the arts’ archaeology branch, which has been blamed for failing to protect the cave. How does Blackwell’s political work affect her work for the government? How does her government work influence her politics?

“I was voting forBear Mountainfor three years before I ever joined the ministry,” says Blackwell, who adds the development has been great for Langford’s economy. She is an administrative assistant who does clerical work for the archaeology branch, she says, and doesn’t make any of the relevant decisions. Also, while the branch’s offices are on the third floor of a Davidson Avenue building, she works on the first. “I don’t even hear any decisions that go on.”

She adds, “My duties at Langford and the CRD have nothing to do with my duties at the provincial government . . . After 14 years in this business [of politics] I would say I’d know if I had a conflict.”

But Ben Isitt, who has been involved in the fight to protect the cave, says, “My understanding of conflict of interest guidelines is even the appearance of a conflict is a problem for a public official.”

She should disclose the potential conflict whenever the development comes up at Langford or CRD meetings, says Isitt. “It’s one thing for her to decide she doesn’t have a conflict, but I think there’s a duty to disclose something where there’d even be the appearance of a conflict.”