CITY HALL – What sparked the Hot Nite spat between mayor and councillor
Coun. Bill Sarai and Mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson.
Mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson says the confrontation between him and Coun. Bill Sarai at Hot Nite in the City was very brief, and he doesn’t recall using the foul language the councillor claims he did.
Meanwhile, an RCMP spokesman told ArmchairMayor.ca today (Aug. 12, 2025) that no police file has been opened on the situation and that Supt. Jeff Pelley was at the event as part of his community involvement and played no role in the incident.
Hamer-Jackson and Sarai exchanged some words prior to the awards ceremony capping the annual event, with Sarai claiming in an InfoNews article Monday (Aug. 11, 2025) that the mayor “lost it” and used the words “motherfucker” and “piece of shit.”
The mayor had been asked to announce the winners but Sarai told organizers a couple of days before the event that Hamer-Jackson wasn’t allowed to represent the City and that he, Sarai, would do the honours. However, Hamer-Jackson attended and presented the Mayor’s Choice trophy during the ceremony.
Before things got underway, however, he and Sarai ran into each other off stage and exchanged a few words.
“I asked him if he’s running for mayor,” Hamer-Jackson said today, following up on a brief comment about the encounter that he made yesterday.
“He lost it,” he said, using the same words Sarai used in the InfoNews article about Hamer-Jackson.
“He started going off on me about 24 claims against me and I called him a liar.
“He said ‘you’re not allowed to talk’ and then he walked away.”
Asked if he used coarse language during the skirmish, Hamer-Jackson said, “I don’t believe that I did.” Asked if Sarai used coarse language, the mayor said, “I don’t believe so. It was quite quick and then he walked away.”
Hamer-Jackson said he texted Sarai on Monday asking him to name the witnesses who supposedly heard him swearing but hasn’t received a reply.
InfoNews quoted an anonymous witness as backing up Sarai’s account and saying Hamer-Jackson was the aggressor. “We were just shocked at the vulgarity of the language being used,” the woman was quoted as saying.
However, a different resident has a different view. A commenter who identified herself as Diana Jackson has posted on social media: “I was there saw Sarai yelling and pointing his finger at the Mayor first and there were no cops called there was a police presence at the car show and rib fest already he is just trying to make things look worse for Mayor and not except (sic) his own behaviour.”
InfoNews said City protection services director Ken Uzeloc and RCMP Supt. Jeff Pelley came on the scene later when some hecklers started telling Sarai to get off the stage and calling “we want the mayor.” The news site also quoted Sarai as saying there could be both a code of conduct complaint and a police investigation into the incident.
However, RCMP today released this statement to ArmchairMayor.ca: “There is no file regarding the public confrontation between the Mayor and Councillor Bill Sarai. While Superintendent Pelley remains an active participant in community events outside of work hours, he had no role in this matter.”
Castanet followed up today with a story of its own in which Sarai accused the mayor of attempting to incite the crowd, a reference to the hecklers.
Hamer-Jackson told AM.ca he doesn’t know who the hecklers were.
ArmchairMayor.ca 
Not even the NDP would touch a Sarai candidacy. Why would anyone else, particularly the good people of Kamloops? How quickly are we subject to more threats of wasteful, useless code of conduct investigations? Bill lied and broke his oath, was subject to a code investigation, subject to police investigation, yet here he is as the Deputy Mayor.
Council may as well just be cutting monthly cheques to the lawyers at this point because the consequences of an investigation is solely determined by your standing in the clique.
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I started a petition to help council Bill Sarai feel safe.
https://chng.it/NmkVYWyYnb
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Sarai seems impulsive with little self control. See this quote from last year:
“While Sarai had established his own team, NDP insiders have told Radio NL they were not pleased with his decision to go public with his intentions before the party had a chance to vet his candidacy.
“I don’t know if there’s any animosity or pushback,” said Sarai when asked about the issue. “I know that they would have preferred I got vetted before I put my name forward. I understand that.”
Councillor Sarai seems to have difficulty controlling his impulses, and this makes his claims suspect. When combined with his history, this is not a person I can take at face value.
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Do we remember the “apology” where he swore to be and do better? Mr. Sarai the retired post-ee needs to find another hobby to occupy the plenty of idle time he has.
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It’s interesting the RCMP issued a statement regarding their Superintendent was NOT involved with the incident. This is totally opposite to what was written by Levi Landry.
Levi is young and needs to understand the importance of showing respect through accuracy when he makes statements about the RCMP in such matters. Was Levi there in person doing old fashioned reporting or did he simply regurgitate a story that was told to him?
Thanks for making the public aware of the statement issued by the RCMP, Mel.
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I specifically asked them about Supt. Pelley’s presence.
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Levi and his employer have quite a feud ongoing with Reid. It is more than obvious though that the local media is not doing their job.
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Another investigation. Another lawyer bill.
There’s only one way to get to the bottom of this- check Bill Sarai’s recording device.
Ok the topic of AAP for $150 million new RCMP detachment. There’s no requirement to build a detachment BECAUSE THERE ALREADY IS ONE!!!!!! The RCPM need to do some work and clean this city up before they need a new building to sit in and not clean the city up.
DON’T LET THIS COUNCIL FOOL YOU INTO THINKING YOU MUST SPEND $150 MILLION!!
McCorkle and Bass are saying we have to pay for the new building. That is not true!!!
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oh, who is paying for it then?
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This seems to be a “he said-she said” dispute that is better left in the past. It’s too bad when elected officials can’t conduct themselves with decorum. It’s also too bad when an elected official feels they have to tattle to the media and create unnecessary additional drama. Grow up, all of you. Name-calling is juvenile and public swearing is bad manners.
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But Reid is the real mayor. Why is Bill scared of citizens that are asking for the real mayor to present the Mayor’s award?
If Bill is scared, I’m willing to walk him home after the council meeting and I’ll tell his mommy that I’ll make sure he gets home before the street lights come on.
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it took some effort to say something even more childish than the events in the article but you pulled it off like a pro.
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