A Langford councillor who travelled to Arizona in April told council Monday he went for 鈥渓egal and essential鈥� reasons, but declined to provide further information about his trip when pressed by a fellow councillor.
Coun. Matt Sahlstrom鈥檚 limited explanation was prompted by Coun. Lillian Szpak, who tried unsuccessfully to add his travel to Monday鈥檚 council agenda as an item for discussion.
鈥淚鈥檓 not going to answer any personal questions put forward to me from Coun. Lillian Szpak. I will let the mayor and council know, of course, and the public, I travelled to the United States, followed Canadian and United States protocol, checked in with both of them. I left before the new travel restrictions were brought in to British Columbia. I am down here on legal and essential business,鈥� Sahlstrom told council while participating online.
Sahlstrom has not responded to interview requests by phone, email or texts for several weeks.
In an interview before the council meeting, Szpak said she planned to introduce the motion to give council a chance to ask Sahlstrom directly to explain the reason for his international travel during sa国际传媒鈥檚 third wave of the pandemic.
鈥淚鈥檓 just doing what I think is right for the community 鈥� because there are a lot of questions and people wondering why he has travelled there,鈥� she said.
Many remember that other councillors in the region who travelled over the winter holidays had to answer for their trips, Szpak said. In January, Greater Victoria residents called for the resignation of Victoria Coun. Sharmarke Dubow and Metchosin Coun. Kyara Kahakauwila after it was revealed they had travelled internationally. Kahakauwila eventually stepped down as deputy mayor.
Szpak said she worried that if Sahlstrom participated in council meetings while in the U.S. and the situation was not addressed, council would appear complicit in his decision to travel despite strong recommendations against travel during the pandemic.
Coun. Denise Blackwell seconded Szpak鈥檚 motion, but it was defeated after Mayor Stew Young asked Sahlstrom if he would answer questions and he said no.
Young said in an interview before the council meeting, Sahlstrom told him he had to travel to do maintenance on his home in Phoenix or he would face a fine, and that if he didn鈥檛 pay the fine, he would end up in court.
鈥淪o if that constitutes essential travel, it may because I guess court or whatever is essential travel, but, you know, do you preempt the court, or do you wait till you go to court, because he鈥檚 not going to pay the fines,鈥� Young said. 鈥淗e says he鈥檚 got to go down and fix it. He鈥檚 not paying no fines, and he鈥檚 not going to go to court. So he has to go down and fix it.鈥�
Young said it鈥檚 not up to him to judge whether Sahlstrom鈥檚 trip was essential, and he does not have the power to stop a councillor from travelling or participating in council while away.
鈥淗e has to defend himself. I don鈥檛 want to be in there defending him. I do not want to defend him. He has to do it himself. 鈥� he鈥檚 a grown man,鈥� Young said.
Szpak鈥檚 motion to add Sahlstrom鈥檚 travel to the agenda would also have provided a chance for the public to share their comments during public participation, because people are only allowed to comment on items on the agenda.