When the organizer of the We Unify Reclaiming Canada event contacted officials about booking the Victoria Conference Centre, he touted invitees from across the political spectrum, including liberal luminaries such as Amal Clooney, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, B.C.B次元官网网址檚 NDP Premier David Eby, movie stars and more.
Jonathan Bower told the sales director of the city-owned conference centre last December heB次元官网网址檇 be staging the event B次元官网网址渋n the same spiritB次元官网网址� as the Munk Debates in Toronto.
But by the time the two-day conference was held in June, the likes of Clooney and Trudeau were nowhere to be seen.
Instead, speakers included right-wing commentator Lauren Southern, Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, who is now Donald TrumpB次元官网网址檚 nominee to head the National Institutes of Health, Freedom Convoy organizer Tamara Lich and Vaccine Choice Canada president Ted Kuntz.
Documents obtained by The Canadian Press under the Freedom of Information Act show how the centre came to host the event after a city official said it B次元官网网址渃annot restrict expressionB次元官网网址� B次元官网网址� then banned We Unify and Bower from the site in future, citing B次元官网网址渃oncerns about misrepresentation.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淓vent notesB次元官网网址� by conference centre staff and emails also depict chaotic scenes, with delegates running in fear from protesters who had entered the building, and at least two calls made to emergency services.
There were B次元官网网址渆scalating security concernsB次元官网网址� from the conference centre after discussions with Victoria Police, who had to deal with an assault allegation and repeated incursions into the centre by demonstrators, the documents say.
The documents also show the event ran at a loss for the city.
B次元官网网址淪everal team members felt unsafe and refused to work due to the nature of the event,B次元官网网址� Nathan Gauld, the centreB次元官网网址檚 assistant director of sales and events told Bower in an August email.
B次元官网网址淭hose who did work reported a chaotic and disorganized environment, which was exacerbated by frustrating interactions with you and your team leads.
B次元官网网址淚n light of these issues, we regret to inform you that the (Victoria Conference Centre) will not be able to provide venue services for future events,B次元官网网址� Gauld wrote.
Bower said in an email to Kerri Moore, the cityB次元官网网址檚 director of business and community relations that GauldB次元官网网址檚 assertions were B次元官网网址渦nconstitutional.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淭here is no justification for VCC essentially banning our organizers, delegates and speakers from the opportunity to book this government-owned venue,B次元官网网址� Bower wrote.
Bower, who did not respond to requests for comment by phone, email and text message, told officials after the event that the initial invitation list was not intended to deceive anyone B次元官网网址渉owever, we were not able to find speakers willing to debate.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淭his is outside of our control,B次元官网网址� Bower said in an email to a city official.
In spite of BowerB次元官网网址檚 extensive communications and financial negotiations on behalf of the event, We Unify told The Canadian Press that he was not the main organizer.
It said in a series of unsigned emails from its B次元官网网址渃ommunications teamB次元官网网址� that Bower played only a B次元官网网址渓imited roleB次元官网网址� in planning and did it as a B次元官网网址渇avourB次元官网网址� to the group.
We Unify spokeswoman Candice Chapple said in an interview that the group B次元官网网址渋s really about supporting rigorous debate and freedom of speech.B次元官网网址�
On its website, the group calls itself an B次元官网网址渋ndependent and non-partisan volunteer organization that confronts deep-rooted challenges in democracy while defending against new threats.B次元官网网址� It is not registered as a non-profit or charity.
Chapple said the people listed on the original invitation list were all contacted.
B次元官网网址淚f we could get speakers from across the aisle, we would gladly do so,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淏ut in the end, who decides to attend is out of our hands.B次元官网网址�
Email inquiries to the Prime MinisterB次元官网网址檚 Office, and the Creative Artists Agency, which books Clooney as a speaker, were not returned.
A spokesman for Eby said an invitation to the conference couldnB次元官网网址檛 be found, but it could have came through a channel they were unable to check.
B次元官网网址榃E DONB次元官网网址橳 KNOW B次元官网网址� WHAT HEB次元官网网址橲 REALLY UP TOB次元官网网址�
The documents show that city officials were warned months ahead of the conference that it might not live up to its initial billing.
Franz Lehrbass, former executive director of VictoriaB次元官网网址檚 Royal & McPherson Theatres Society, contacted a city official in December 2023 after receiving an inquiry from Bower about holding a speaking event at its playhouse.
At this stage, it had not been identified as the third annual We Unify conference, which was ultimately sponsored by Rebel B次元官网网址 and Vaccine Choice Canada.
B次元官网网址淲e have no previous experience with him. Despite claiming to be quite experienced in organizing events, heB次元官网网址檚 asking rookie questions. HeB次元官网网址檚 being deliberately vague about exactly who he intends to bring as a speaker,B次元官网网址� Lehrbass wrote.
B次元官网网址淗e has provided us with a list of 55 potential speakers including Ben Affleck (yes, the movie star B次元官网网址�) and other notables such as David Eby and Dr. Bonnie Henry. But tucked into the list are social agitators such as Tamara Lich (of Ottawa trucker convoy fame), etc.
B次元官网网址淪o, we donB次元官网网址檛 know: How competent he is. What heB次元官网网址檚 really up to.B次元官网网址�
Bower had also reached out to the conference centre, where staff learned in January that he was associated with the We Unify conference only after requesting credit references. These included from the Victoria Edelweiss Club which hosted the 2023 We Unify conference.
B.C. Conservative leader John Rustad was a speaker at that event. His appearance would later become a 2024 election campaign issue when video emerged of him telling attendees B次元官网网址渨e should not be expecting our kids to eat bugs,B次元官网网址� and warning of climate change policies eroding freedoms and B次元官网网址渕aking us vulnerable to more government control.B次元官网网址�
Records show the March 6, 2024, contract to book the venue billed it as the B次元官网网址淐anada Conference,B次元官网网址� while insurance was taken out in the name of B次元官网网址淛onathan Bower Events.B次元官网网址�
As the conference date neared, We Unify was becoming clearer about its focus. It said on social media in May that it was B次元官网网址渂ringing together a coalition of trailblazers to confront the imminent threats of disinformation, censorshipB次元官网网址� and the erosion of our fundamental rights and liberties.B次元官网网址�
By then the promoted guests swung heavily right-wing, including online personalities Southern and Lauren Chen, although the latter did not end up attending.
Both Chen and Southern have since been linked to a U.S. investigation into a Russian disinformation operation that purportedly used social media personalities to distribute content as part of B次元官网网址渕align influence campaigns in countries opposed to its policies B次元官网网址� in an effort to sow domestic divisions and thereby weaken opposition to government of Russia objectives,B次元官网网址� the U.S. indictment of TenetB次元官网网址檚 alleged Russian funders said.
Chen refused to answer questions from the House of Commons Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security last month because she said she was under criminal investigation.
Southern, who made dozens of videos for ChenB次元官网网址檚 company, Tenet Media, told the committee on Nov. 21 that she was given full creative control over her video content and B次元官网网址渢he founders of Tenet Media deceived the personalities they contracted regarding their alleged source of funding.B次元官网网址�
Chen and Southern did not respond to emailed requests for comment about the We Unify conference.
B次元官网网址楻UNNING INTO THE BUILDING IN FEARB次元官网网址�
The documents show city officials also began receiving complaints from the public about the conference being held on public property, while a public campaign to cancel the event was launched by 1 Million Voices for Inclusion, an advocacy group, in the weeks leading up to the event.
Moore drafted a B次元官网网址渂riefing noteB次元官网网址� in response to the complaints. She said the city was B次元官网网址渟ubject to the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and there is a right to freedom of expression in public places.
B次元官网网址淎ny government decision to restrict or limit the opportunity for such expression is subject to compliance with the Charter,B次元官网网址� the June 4 note said. B次元官网网址淭he city cannot restrict expression based on its content except where justified in instances of hate, promotion of violence, or indecency.B次元官网网址�
It was against this backdrop that the event began around 9 a.m. on June 22.
Unsigned event notes prepared by Victoria Conference Centre staff say the day started with an unidentified person claiming to be with security entering the building B次元官网网址渨hen the florist was let in.B次元官网网址�
Protesters were occupying the entrance and front steps. Then they B次元官网网址渂egan to move onto VCC property and follow attendees around,B次元官网网址� the notes say.
An email from Moore to Bowers says that about 70 protesters had shown up, some wearing balaclavas, and some yelling and screaming B次元官网网址渙ffensive language to delegates and staff.B次元官网网址�
Delegates were B次元官网网址渞unning into the building in fear,B次元官网网址� Moore wrote.
The event notes also say someone from security told centre staff that police had been called about an alleged assault in front of the building. Then, after lunch, the afternoon shift B次元官网网址渟tarted with 911 callB次元官网网址� although the details of this second apparent emergency call are redacted.
There was just one protester on the second day of the conference, the event notes say.
The notes and emails also detail a post-conference billing dispute with Bower, who haggled over the conferenceB次元官网网址檚 final invoice in the weeks after the conference.
Bower told the centreB次元官网网址檚 event manager in an email dated July 17 that he B次元官网网址減rivately funded this eventB次元官网网址� and that it B次元官网网址渂arely broke even.B次元官网网址�
The Victoria Police Department had asked for a $20,000 deposit to cover its costs for the event. But after Bower repeatedly complained, police and the centre agreed to B次元官网网址渙nly charge for the minimum required staffing that day and absorb any remaining costs.B次元官网网址�
This was done B次元官网网址渋n the interest of concluding this file,B次元官网网址� wrote Moore.
In early August, Gauld told Bower they wouldnB次元官网网址檛 be booking any more We Unify events.
B次元官网网址淔rom the beginning of the sales process, there was a lack of clarity regarding the event you were organizing,B次元官网网址� Gault wrote to Bower. B次元官网网址淧ast events under the B次元官网网址榃e UnifyB次元官网网址� banner have been controversial, resulting in protests and police involvement.B次元官网网址�
GauldB次元官网网址檚 email said the content of the event was not an issue, but the lack of accurate information and context meant the event B次元官网网址渞equired extensive risk management,B次元官网网址� and resulted in a B次元官网网址渇inancial net loss for the City of Victoria.B次元官网网址�
The City of Victoria said in an emailed statement that the loss to the city was approximately $8,000, but said B次元官网网址渢he city does not have anyone available for an interview and wonB次元官网网址檛 be commenting further.B次元官网网址�
Alyson Culbert, a former PeopleB次元官网网址檚 Party of Canada candidate in Victoria, was a volunteer at the conference and said she wasnB次元官网网址檛 aware of the behind-the-scenes issues between Bower and the venue operator.
She said she thinks Bower may have B次元官网网址渘aivelyB次元官网网址� believed the conference would B次元官网网址渂ring people together.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淢aybe it could have been billed more like a conservative-leaning conference B次元官网网址� maybe it should have been billed a bit differently,B次元官网网址� she said.
