Exactly how does Squamish municipal Coun. Susan Chapelle, understand the phrase “Conflict of Interest”?
As it turns out, not so much.
The concept is really pretty simple. It starts by winding back the clock a few years, shortly after the controversial and extremely divisive Woodfibre LNG project was proposed for Howe Sound.
Since then, Councilor Chapelle has been front and centre continually extolling the virtues of Woodfibre LNG: in and out of Municipal Council chambers, in The Chief, including a Twitter burst last month. It turns out her latest Twitter burst about LNG had odd timing too, as it came just before an announcement from Woodfibre LNG in December.
The announcement? It appears Coun. Chapelle thought it appropriate for her organization to apply for a Woodfibre LNG “Sponsorship Program Grant” for her “not-for-profit, shared space” endeavour in downtown Squamish: Aligned Collective.
In December, Woodfibre LNG decided to award $5,000 for the endeavour.
Forget for the moment that the Community Sponsorship Program was established “with a specific focus on organizations that are working in areas of education, youth sport, and environmental initiatives.”
Forget for the moment that out of eight awards granted, Councilor Chapelle’s was the only group awarded the maximum amount one can request: $5,000. That is twice the amount given to Squamish Minor Hockey Association ($2,500); Squamish Skating Club ($2,500) – even the Squamish Sound Marine Rescue Society received less: $4,000.
Let’s now remember it all, and note it probably doesn’t matter to the other award winners that “[b]y applying to this program, the applicant provides consent for Woodfibre LNG Limited to use his or her image, name and the name of his or her organization.”
But is it okay for Woodfibre LNG to be able to use Councilor Chapelle’s name, given her position on council and her influence within the community? Or does this constitute a serious conflict of interest?
The optics aren’t right. Any of it. Especially when in an earlier article in The Chief (“A shared space of one’s own,” Sept. 13, 2017), Coun. Chapelle said “she is putting her own capital into launching the collective,” and then Woodfibre LNG describes its award to Aligned Collective, to “help cover start-up costs.”
Coun. Chapelle now has a choice.
Either return the money to Woodfibre LNG and recuse herself from any future dealings and discussion of Woodfibre LNG in Council, or resign as councillor.
Our governments at the federal and provincial level have been pushed to draw up stricter legislation to explicitly enforce regulations when common sense and ethics seemingly aren’t sufficient to guide politicians. It’s time to have it also enforced at the municipal level.
Elijah Dann
Squamish
