Demand for Accountability

The North Shore Wastewater Treatment Plant has been one of the most significant governance and financial challenges facing our region. I spent considerable time examining the project's history, procurement, governance and escalating costs, and asking difficult questions about how we arrived here.

As I looked more closely at the circumstances surrounding the project, I became convinced that a higher level of independent oversight was necessary. I took the lead in advocating for a Section 765 Municipal Inspector inquiry, supporting the approach being pursued by the District of North Vancouver, the City of North Vancouver and New Westminster.

I believed that a project of this magnitude—with extraordinary cost overruns and billions of dollars in public funds at stake—warranted more than an internal review. Independent oversight can help establish what happened, identify where processes and decision-making fell short, and restore public confidence.

I continued to present my perspective, which eventually resulted in advancing a motion that ultimately secured unanimous support from West Vancouver Council for a request for a Section 765 Municipal Inspector inquiry.

For me, this is what responsible public service means: asking difficult questions when they need to be asked, pursuing the appropriate level of scrutiny, and working to build consensus around doing what is right for the community.

When a public project reaches this scale, transparency and accountability aren't optional. They're essential.