The former City of Nanaimo chief administrative officer who was fired and who was arrested for allegedly threatening the mayor and others has found a new job.
Tracy Samra is now serving as the chief administrative officer with the Musqueam Indian Band, according to an Aug. 2 letter accompanying a National Energy Board filing.
The letter, which is signed by Samra and lists her title as chief administrative officer, is attached to documents representing the Musqueam First Nation’s input into Trans Mountain pipeline routing. The filing asserts aboriginal rights and title and raises archaeological and environmental concerns.
The Musqueam First Nation is located in the City of Vancouver, south of Marine Drive, and is led by Chief Wayne Sparrow. The Musqueam were on the hunt for a new chief administrative officer according to a job posting advertising the position, which had a closing date of April 20.
It is unclear when Samra was hired or whether it is a permanent or interim position. In an e-mailed statement to the News Bulletin, Lynn Hutton, chief intergovernmental officer with Musqueam, neither confirmed nor denied Samra’s employment status.
“Musqueam provides no comment on internal administrative matters,” Hutton said.
Samra was arrested this past winter for allegedly making threats. Nanaimo Mayor Bill McKay, city councillors Sheryl Armstrong and Diane Brennan along with Jan Kemp, Sheila Gurrie, Donna Stennes, Kim Fowler, Brad McRae and Dominic Jones have reasonable grounds to fear personal harm or injury due to an incident at city hall on Jan. 31, according to Nanaimo RCMP.
As a result, the B.C. Prosecution Service is seeking to have Samra bound to conditions of a peace bond. A hearing date has been scheduled for Oct. 8 in Nanaimo. Samra went on paid leave following the incident and was fired in late May.
RELATED: Former CAO Samra was fired with cause, says councillor
Samra, a member of the Saddle Lake Cree Nation in Alberta, became the first woman and aboriginal person to hold the top bureaucrat position at city hall when she was named interim chief administrative officer in November 2015. She was hired on a permanent basis in March 2016.
Nanaimo Mayor Bill McKay said he has only heard “rumours” about Samra’s employment with Musqueam and had not seen any concrete evidence.
Coun. Bill Yoachim told the News Bulletin he was not aware of Samra’s position with the Musqueam First Nation.
“I don’t know anything about the staffing,” he said, later adding, “Wherever Tracy Samra is, she is not here, so people should just let her be.”
Yoachim also said he doesn’t know much about the Musqueam First Nation but that their chief is highly regarded in his community and in the region.
“They’ve got a great chief, Wayne Sparrow. He’s very well respected in the City of Vancouver and they’ve got a great relationship with the municipal government,” Yoachim said.
Samra did not respond to an interview request.
nicholas.pescod@nanaimobulletin.com Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter and Instagram
