FARTGATE – What Karpuk said, what the mayor said, what the CHBA said

Confused about what was said and what wasn’t said in the Fartgate fiasco? Here’s the text of the confrontation at Tuesday’s (June 27, 2023) City council meeting between Coun. Stephen Karpuk and Mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson, followed by Karpuk’s admission the following day that he got it all wrong.

The scene was set during the Mayor’s Report, which is a regular part of the agenda. Councillors have previously criticized the mayor for lack of details about what he’s doing, so it was lengthy. We’ll pick it up at the point where Hamer-Jackson says he’s had complaints about Community Service Officers. Keep this in mind, as it plays a part in Karpuk’s outburst, and in his later apology.

THE MAYOR’S REPORT

HAMER-JACKSON: …. Been getting a lot of complaints of CSO and the attitudes of some of the officers, people are upset with not having investigations into certain issues that they’re dealing with, so I think we need to look at a process like we have with the RCMP, like independent investigations, non-partisan look at it, you know.

The mayor continues with his report and then mentions a Canadian Home Builders Association dinner meeting.

HAMER-JACKSON: Went to Canadian Home Builders Association, I think Coun. Karpuk was there also, is that right?

KARPUK: You told a great joke.

HAMER-JACKSON: Did I?

The mayor carries on with his report, wraps it up, and then moves on to the next agenda item, Councillors’ Reports. Coun. Nancy Bepple gives a lengthy five-point report and then Coun. Karpuk presents a detailed overview of his own activities. Then comes the accusation.

THE ACCUSATION

KARPUK: CHBA, great evening dinner; loved it… embarrassed at the end when the mayor asked whether we should pass gas as a way to generate more green energy. The groans in front of 230 people were embarrassing to me.. not thrilled… ‘do you want me to fart more?’ Really disgusting… so that, I was really embarrassed.

HAMER-JACKSON: That’s dead wrong.

KARPUK: No, there were enough people there who can back that up so we’ll just leave it at that.

HAMER-JACKSON: No, that’s dead wrong.

KARPUK: No, it’s not dead wrong, it’s dead on the mark.

Karpuk then complains about Hamer-Jackson’s comments about CSOs, saying they were “derogatory” and “negative” and that he should apologize. Hamer-Jackson reiterates that he said he was getting complaints, then adds, “And that part about farting is just a bunch of BS.”

KARPUK: Mr. Mayor, when the question was asked are there questions from the community, I’m just going to repeat your words, ‘so you’d like us to fart more to produce more green energy?’

HAMER-JACKSON: No.

KARPUK: Yes, that’s exactly what was said. Everyone at my table heard it, the other 200 people in the room heard it, too.

HAMER-JACKSON: Well, we’ll talk about that, won’t we? Yeah. It didn’t happen. It was about renewable fuels was it not?

KARPUK: Green natural gas.

HAMER-JACKSON: Yeah, renewable fuels? Cattle?

KARPUK: Should we have more hamburger and steaks? Second question, “Do you want me to fart more?”

HAMER-JACKSON: Whatever.

THE APOLOGY

KARPUK: Good morning and thank you for giving me the opportunity this morning to set the record straight.

Yesterday I made a few avoidable mistakes during our regular city council meeting.

Yesterday in the council meeting, during the Mayor’s report, I and others took offense to some inappropriate comments that the mayor made about city staff. Subsequently, in my council report I asked the mayor to apologize for his comments towards our staff and reminded him of our role at city hall. As an employer for our city and being responsible for our workplace I felt it was important to speak my concerns. Given the past months of stress, frustration and emotions that I have endured dealing with city business I became emotionally hijacked after the mayor’s comments about staff. My mistake was not stepping out and away from the situation in that moment. Instead, I engaged the mayor and let my emotions speak. Letting my emotions speak was wrong, inappropriate and I apologize.

My next mistake was letting my emotions speak my accusation of the offside joke that I was told that mayor had done at the public meeting. I should not have done that in yesterday’s public meeting. I apologize for doing so. The correct approach would have been to raise my concerns with the mayor in private and deal with it. For reasons I can’t explain I let my emotions get the better of me and I falsely accused the mayor of the joke. I subsequently found out the mayor did not ask the joke. My accusation on the joke was based on incorrect information. Had I dealt with it prior to the meeting I would not be here today to own my mistakes. I apologize for this.

So I would like to publicly apologize to the mayor, Reid Hamer Jackson. I apologize your worship for any harms that my public accusation on the offensive public joke may have caused you, your family or those who support you. I acted emotionally, instead of rationally. I am truly sorry for this. I ask for your forgiveness on my mistakes. My sincerest apologies to you. I will reflect on your words from yesterday that, “we all make mistakes. That we aren’t perfect.” I will learn from this.

I would also like to apologize to my colleagues, our city staff, the citizens of Kamloops and my family. I would like to apologize for my behaviour and comments yesterday. I did not conduct myself in a manner that I would expect of an elected official, especially one for our great city of Kamloops. I will learn from this lesson. I promise to bring up my skills, decorum and representation to the level that people should expect of an elected official. I can do better and I promise to be better. I ask for forgiveness as I own my mistakes. Thank you.

THE AFTERMATH

Tom Calne, president of the Canadian Home Builders Association, Kamloops Branch, then went on radio CHNL Wednesday afternoon to explain that at the association’s meeting, there was a discussion of sources of renewable natural gas stemming from methane. “The truth is,” he said, “I told a joke. That joke was not offensive, it was not embarrassing, it was not disgusting.” After guest speakers from Fortis finished their talk, he stood up to thank them, and told CHBA members it was an important message, and they should contact their MLAs and tell them to support the renewable gas tariff that Fortis has in front of the Utilities Commission.

“I then said to the mayor and Coun. Karpuk, ‘By the way, it would be good for you guys to do this too.’

“At that time, the mayor said we could eat more beef….. Anyway, light-hearted room, comedy, I saw an opportunity. I looked at the mayor and I said, ‘You know, Mr. Mayor, I’m not asking you to fart more, I’m asking you to contact your MLA.’ That was it.”