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.香蕉视频直播檚 NDP Premier David Eby, movie stars and more.
Jonathan Bower told the sales director of the city-owned conference centre last December he香蕉视频直播檇 be staging the event 香蕉视频直播渋n the same spirit香蕉视频直播� 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 Trump香蕉视频直播檚 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 香蕉视频直播渃annot restrict expression香蕉视频直播� 香蕉视频直播� then banned We Unify and Bower from the site in future, citing 香蕉视频直播渃oncerns about misrepresentation.香蕉视频直播�
香蕉视频直播淓vent notes香蕉视频直播� 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 香蕉视频直播渆scalating security concerns香蕉视频直播� 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.
香蕉视频直播淪everal team members felt unsafe and refused to work due to the nature of the event,香蕉视频直播� Nathan Gauld, the centre香蕉视频直播檚 assistant director of sales and events told Bower in an August email.
香蕉视频直播淭hose who did work reported a chaotic and disorganized environment, which was exacerbated by frustrating interactions with you and your team leads.
香蕉视频直播淚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,香蕉视频直播� Gauld wrote.
Bower said in an email to Kerri Moore, the city香蕉视频直播檚 director of business and community relations that Gauld香蕉视频直播檚 assertions were 香蕉视频直播渦nconstitutional.香蕉视频直播�
香蕉视频直播淭here is no justification for VCC essentially banning our organizers, delegates and speakers from the opportunity to book this government-owned venue,香蕉视频直播� 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 香蕉视频直播渉owever, we were not able to find speakers willing to debate.香蕉视频直播�
香蕉视频直播淭his is outside of our control,香蕉视频直播� Bower said in an email to a city official.
In spite of Bower香蕉视频直播檚 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 香蕉视频直播渃ommunications team香蕉视频直播� that Bower played only a 香蕉视频直播渓imited role香蕉视频直播� in planning and did it as a 香蕉视频直播渇avour香蕉视频直播� to the group.
We Unify spokeswoman Candice Chapple said in an interview that the group 香蕉视频直播渋s really about supporting rigorous debate and freedom of speech.香蕉视频直播�
On its website, the group calls itself an 香蕉视频直播渋ndependent and non-partisan volunteer organization that confronts deep-rooted challenges in democracy while defending against new threats.香蕉视频直播� It is not registered as a non-profit or charity.
Chapple said the people listed on the original invitation list were all contacted.
香蕉视频直播淚f we could get speakers from across the aisle, we would gladly do so,香蕉视频直播� she said. 香蕉视频直播淏ut in the end, who decides to attend is out of our hands.香蕉视频直播�
Email inquiries to the Prime Minister香蕉视频直播檚 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 couldn香蕉视频直播檛 be found, but it could have came through a channel they were unable to check.
香蕉视频直播榃E DON香蕉视频直播橳 KNOW 香蕉视频直播� WHAT HE香蕉视频直播橲 REALLY UP TO香蕉视频直播�
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 Victoria香蕉视频直播檚 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 News and Vaccine Choice Canada.
香蕉视频直播淲e have no previous experience with him. Despite claiming to be quite experienced in organizing events, he香蕉视频直播檚 asking rookie questions. He香蕉视频直播檚 being deliberately vague about exactly who he intends to bring as a speaker,香蕉视频直播� Lehrbass wrote.
香蕉视频直播淗e has provided us with a list of 55 potential speakers including Ben Affleck (yes, the movie star 香蕉视频直播�) 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.
香蕉视频直播淪o, we don香蕉视频直播檛 know: How competent he is. What he香蕉视频直播檚 really up to.香蕉视频直播�
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 香蕉视频直播渨e should not be expecting our kids to eat bugs,香蕉视频直播� and warning of climate change policies eroding freedoms and 香蕉视频直播渕aking us vulnerable to more government control.香蕉视频直播�
Records show the March 6, 2024, contract to book the venue billed it as the 香蕉视频直播淐anada Conference,香蕉视频直播� while insurance was taken out in the name of 香蕉视频直播淛onathan Bower Events.香蕉视频直播�
As the conference date neared, We Unify was becoming clearer about its focus. It said on social media in May that it was 香蕉视频直播渂ringing together a coalition of trailblazers to confront the imminent threats of disinformation, censorship香蕉视频直播� and the erosion of our fundamental rights and liberties.香蕉视频直播�
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 香蕉视频直播渕align influence campaigns in countries opposed to its policies 香蕉视频直播� in an effort to sow domestic divisions and thereby weaken opposition to government of Russia objectives,香蕉视频直播� the U.S. indictment of Tenet香蕉视频直播檚 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 Chen香蕉视频直播檚 company, Tenet Media, told the committee on Nov. 21 that she was given full creative control over her video content and 香蕉视频直播渢he founders of Tenet Media deceived the personalities they contracted regarding their alleged source of funding.香蕉视频直播�
Chen and Southern did not respond to emailed requests for comment about the We Unify conference.
香蕉视频直播楻UNNING INTO THE BUILDING IN FEAR香蕉视频直播�
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 香蕉视频直播渂riefing note香蕉视频直播� in response to the complaints. She said the city was 香蕉视频直播渟ubject to the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and there is a right to freedom of expression in public places.
香蕉视频直播淎ny government decision to restrict or limit the opportunity for such expression is subject to compliance with the Charter,香蕉视频直播� the June 4 note said. 香蕉视频直播淭he city cannot restrict expression based on its content except where justified in instances of hate, promotion of violence, or indecency.香蕉视频直播�
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 香蕉视频直播渨hen the florist was let in.香蕉视频直播�
Protesters were occupying the entrance and front steps. Then they 香蕉视频直播渂egan to move onto VCC property and follow attendees around,香蕉视频直播� 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 香蕉视频直播渙ffensive language to delegates and staff.香蕉视频直播�
Delegates were 香蕉视频直播渞unning into the building in fear,香蕉视频直播� 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 香蕉视频直播渟tarted with 911 call香蕉视频直播� 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 conference香蕉视频直播檚 final invoice in the weeks after the conference.
Bower told the centre香蕉视频直播檚 event manager in an email dated July 17 that he 香蕉视频直播減rivately funded this event香蕉视频直播� and that it 香蕉视频直播渂arely broke even.香蕉视频直播�
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 香蕉视频直播渙nly charge for the minimum required staffing that day and absorb any remaining costs.香蕉视频直播�
This was done 香蕉视频直播渋n the interest of concluding this file,香蕉视频直播� wrote Moore.
In early August, Gauld told Bower they wouldn香蕉视频直播檛 be booking any more We Unify events.
香蕉视频直播淔rom the beginning of the sales process, there was a lack of clarity regarding the event you were organizing,香蕉视频直播� Gault wrote to Bower. 香蕉视频直播淧ast events under the 香蕉视频直播榃e Unify香蕉视频直播� banner have been controversial, resulting in protests and police involvement.香蕉视频直播�
Gauld香蕉视频直播檚 email said the content of the event was not an issue, but the lack of accurate information and context meant the event 香蕉视频直播渞equired extensive risk management,香蕉视频直播� and resulted in a 香蕉视频直播渇inancial net loss for the City of Victoria.香蕉视频直播�
The City of Victoria said in an emailed statement that the loss to the city was approximately $8,000, but said 香蕉视频直播渢he city does not have anyone available for an interview and won香蕉视频直播檛 be commenting further.香蕉视频直播�
Alyson Culbert, a former People香蕉视频直播檚 Party of Canada candidate in Victoria, was a volunteer at the conference and said she wasn香蕉视频直播檛 aware of the behind-the-scenes issues between Bower and the venue operator.
She said she thinks Bower may have 香蕉视频直播渘aively香蕉视频直播� believed the conference would 香蕉视频直播渂ring people together.香蕉视频直播�
香蕉视频直播淢aybe it could have been billed more like a conservative-leaning conference 香蕉视频直播� maybe it should have been billed a bit differently,香蕉视频直播� she said.
