Sean Chu's deputy mayor duties removed; Gondek says he photographed her licence plate
Calgary city council has removed Coun. Sean Chu from his deputy mayor duties and has forwarded a Calgary Police Commission report to the province to ask the premier whether her government can take further action to remove the Ward 4 representative.
The meeting comes as Mayor Jyoti Gondek learned she was to miss a December meeting, which would have meant Chu would be mayor and chair the meeting.
The meeting he was supposed to chair was going to be one in which a declaration of remembrance and action on violence against women was made.
She said that meeting may be inappropriate for Chu to attend, especially considering recent controversy involving the Ward 4 councillor.
Chu was accused of sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl in 1997 when he was 34 years old and a serving member of the Calgary Police Service. Chu admitted to having sexual encounters with the underage girl.
Furthermore, Gondek said she was alerted about some strange behaviour by Chu. It’s alleged that Chu took photos of her personal vehicle licence plate in a secured area.
She called it a security issue and she's concerned for her safety.
“I am not comfortable liaising with Coun. Chu's office or entrusting him with the responsibilities of deputy mayor,” she said.
“I am well aware that my own experience pales in comparison to what others have had to go through. It should, however, demonstrate that working with this individual has jeopardized my safety and created fear of reprisal for speaking out.”
Gondek says she learned of this from a member of the public, and that she did not alert the city's integrity commissioner, but someone else did.
"I didn't want an apology, I want this man to not be able to do this job. I want him to resign," Gondek said.
CHU APOLOGIZES
Chu has agreed to step down as deputy mayor for December – Coun. Andre Chabot will step into the role instead.
In May, Coun. Courtney Walcott will do so.
Chu apologized to Gondek in council chambers.
“I want to publicly apologize to the mayor for what I have done. I don't want to bore the public with my reasoning, but I just want to let you know that I accept the punishment, which is I am not allowed to park in executive parking – I park in the public parkade,” he said.
Gondek did not accept.
“I appreciate you making the apology. I will not accept it, Coun. Chu. You have chosen to apologize only today, when I have made this public,” she said.
In chambers, Coun. Kourtney Penner also spoke on the matter.
“Safety in our city is paramount, and that includes around this horseshoe (council table),” she said.
“We have a responsibility, I believe, to look out for each other, and each other's safety.
“What I hear today astonishes me and disappoints me.”
REPORT SENT TO PROVINCE
Gondek has put forth a motion and council unanimously agreed to send the provincial government a copy of a report done by the Police Commission that admitted errors were made during a 1997 investigation into Chu.
No criminal charges were laid as a result of the investigation into the allegations, but he was convicted on one of two counts of discreditable conduct. The Law Enforcement Review Board issued a letter of reprimand to Chu.
The Calgary Police Commission has since stated that the internal investigation into the matter was improperly performed and errors were made.
Chu was re-elected as the representative for Ward 4 in 2021, and there were immediate calls for his resignation.
His fellow council members voted 9-6 in the weeks that followed in favour of removing a minimum requirement on how many councillors were on each committee. The move paved the way for the blocking of Chu from serving on boards, committees and commissions.
Gondek did not participate in the swearing-in ceremony for Chu.
-With files from Ryan White
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Boeing's financial woes continue, while families of crash victims urge U.S. to prosecute the company
Boeing said Wednesday that it lost US$355 million on falling revenue in the first quarter, another sign of the crisis gripping the aircraft manufacturer as it faces increasing scrutiny over the safety of its planes and accusations of shoddy work from a growing number of whistleblowers.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
"It's a bit of a complicated pattern; we've got a lot going on," said Jennifer Smith of the Meteorological Service of Canada in an interview with CTVNews.ca on Wednesday. "[As is] typical with weather, all of these things are related."
Police tangle with students in Texas and California as wave of campus protest against Gaza war grows
Police tangled with student demonstrators in Texas and California while new encampments sprouted Wednesday at Harvard and other colleges as school leaders sought ways to defuse a growing wave of pro-Palestinian protests.