It started with a comment from the audience gathered at the civic centre to learn about the new fire hall in Qualicum Beach.
“It’s hard to get enthused about the fire hall with all the friction going on right now,” said the resident.
Cue Mayor Teunis Westbroek.
“I think we have hit rock bottom, we can only go up from here,” said the mayor, who promised council would “address all of the recommendations” of a recent fire services report that revealed deep divides between the fire department’s full-time staff and its volunteers, along with potentially dangerous practices.
Coun. Bill Luchtmeijer had planned to introduce a motion at the meeting Monday night calling for RCMP involvement, but he withdrew the motion because the mayor indicated he called the RCMP after the last council meeting April 8 when Luchtmeijer tipped council that he was going to bring forward a motion about an alleged illegal incident.
On Monday night, Westbroek suggested the withdrawal of Luchtmeijer’s motion was the beginning of a “healing process.”
Luchtmeijer was asked why he withdrew his motion and if he agreed a healing process has begun.
He said he withdrew the motion because the situation has become “way too political — we have to take the politics out of this and understand that there are people involved. What I asked for (RCMP involvement) is happening. How it happened? I don’t agree with the process (the mayor making the call without a motion from council).”
“I think there’s a lot of healing that has to happen,” said Luchtmeijer. “Whether or not that has begun yet, I don’t know.”
Said Coun. Mary Brouilette: “I think the healing process has started already and I can totally understand that the fire department does not have a lot of faith in the council right now, but we have to prove we have their back.”
