A St. Albert resident has filed a formal complaint against Coun. Sheena Hughes for her decision to travel to Mexico for a vacation while Albertans have been told to stay home to help bend the COVID-19 curve.
Hughes, who held the deputy mayor position in November and December, left St. Albert for Mexico in December. It is not yet known when she will be returning. News of the councillor's trip broke over the New Year weekend, with many residents taking to social media to call for her resignation from council.
On Monday, St. Albert resident Bill Horne filed a formal complaint against Hughes. The allegation is that Hughes violated one or two sections in the council code of conduct specific to "ethical conduct" and serving the "welfare and interests of the city as a whole and the community at large." Under the bylaw, the city must report on the investigation to the person who filed the complaint and the councillor in question no later than 90 days after receiving it.
Horne told the Gazette he felt it was up to him as a resident to speak up against Hughes' actions.
"The public sets the moral standard. And she crossed it," he said. "I felt that she needs to resign. She didn't do that, and she wasn't taking responsibility. That's when I submitted the formal complaint."
Horne said his family has followed all the recommendations from public health officials as it was the "responsible choice" during the pandemic. He said he expects people elected to positions of power to lead by example, and called it "sadly, sadly disappointing" to not see Hughes do her part. When elected officials make the decision to flout the rules, it can encourage others to do the same, and there needs to be consequences for that, he said.
"It's just mind-blowing to me that someone would go through the thought process of consciously planning and doing that without any thought whatsoever of what the repercussions may be, or not care about what the repercussions may be. This is something that required thoughtfulness and planning, knowing full well of the the health advisory."
On Sunday and Tuesday, Hughes sent the Gazette statements regarding the trip. She said she is "sorry for all the pain" her decision to travel has caused.
"I recognize the impact of my decision to travel on many in the community. I am truly sorry to those who feel that these actions do not recognize the sacrifices and decisions others have made," Hughes wrote on Tuesday.
"Our family has shared the community's pain and fear. I have been awake nights over the impact of the restrictions and the virus. I join you in the tension of living in limbo, not knowing who has been infected and asking how we will persevere. The impact of the pandemic has affected every person in Canada, without exception. Too many special events have been cancelled and shared moments lost. The toll of the unknown, the restrictions on freedom, the inability to see family and friends and an inability to work or pay the bills have created an unhealthy environment that we continue to endure with only hope it will improve but not knowing for how long it will last."
Upon reflection, Hughes said her decision "was never to minimize the sacrifices people have made to date, which have been significant. I apologize if it has been perceived this way, it was never my intention. I am sorry for the pain it has caused."
Hughes has been vocal in her opposition of St. Albert's face covering bylaw and municipal enforcement of provincial COVID-19 restrictions in previous council decisions.
Mayor Cathy Heron issued a statement Sunday denouncing the councillor's vacation. In the statement, she said she knew about Hughes' decision to go to Mexico and was disappointed by her choice. She said she should have made her concerns known to Hughes earlier.
As the last council meeting of the year wrapped up on Dec. 21, Heron told Hughes she was "jealous" watching the sun set in Hughes' video, commenting on the palm tree-shaped shadow cast in the background over Zoom.
Heron told the Gazette Hughes travels over Christmas break every year, but "did not directly inform the mayor she was leaving the country." She said Hughes has not missed any of her duties as a councillor, though she did hold the deputy mayor position at the time. However, responsibilities that came with the role "were almost none" due to the pandemic, she said.
When asked why Heron did not tell Hughes she disapproved of her travel plans before issuing a statement, Heron said Hughes' trip to Mexico was confirmed to her during the Dec. 21 council meeting. Telling Hughes she disapproved wasn't worth it when she was already there, she said.
"Given our past differences, Coun. Hughes and I, we have made a lot of efforts this last term to establish a very healthy and productive working relationship, and I didn't see this instance ruining that," Heron said.
"We have a lot of work in the next nine months ahead of us, and I need all hands on deck. Weighing that amount of work over this, I didn't want to rock the boat. It's too late. She's already there."
As mayor, Heron said she can't remove Hughes from her position. But the public can vote in who they want at the ballot box in the fall.
"When you vote in a municipal election, you don't vote for a party, you actually vote on a person, what they represent and their personality. As a councillor, I can't fire her and I have no authority over her. I will let the public decide."
Hughes' decision to travel abroad came to light as numerous other jet-setting Alberta politicians and their staff face mounting pressure from their constituents. Of those, six Alberta government members have either resigned from special roles or have been demoted. On Monday, Municipal Affairs Minister Tracy Allard resigned from her cabinet post. Premier Jason Kenney has also asked his chief of staff, Jamie Huckabay, to resign.
Where's everyone else?
When asked about where Heron was over the holidays, she said she stayed at home in St. Albert. A photo posted to Heron's Facebook page showed nine people in her family together at home during Christmas. All of them live in the same household, Heron said.
The Gazette asked the rest of St. Albert council where they were over the winter holidays.
Coun. Wes Brodhead said he stayed at home in St. Albert and wished his loved ones happy holidays over several online platforms. He said the date his family celebrates Christmas is "immaterial," recognizing there will be another chance to celebrate with family and friends in-person once the lockdown ends.
"In the meantime, my wife and I are at home, and our business is being done over Zoom or Microsoft Teams, which hasn't been as good as Zoom quite honestly. And don't talk to me about Google Hangouts."
Coun. Ken MacKay said both of his parents live in long-term care. This year, their usual large family gathering wasn't possible, so he stayed at home in St. Albert and reached out to loved ones over the phone. His son who lives alone came over to visit on Christmas Eve, as permitted under provincial restrictions, he said.
Coun. Natalie Joly said she was in an off-grid cabin about an hour out of town with her immediate household for Christmas, "nowhere near other people." She said she spent the rest of the time at home in St. Albert.
Coun. Ray Watkins said he stayed in St. Albert over the holiday. He said his son cancelled a trip to visit him. He said he did not know of Hughes' plans to travel to Mexico.
Coun. Jacquie Hansen said her family assessed the situation and made the decision to cancel flights and stay home over Christmas. Any presents were dropped off curbside, she said.
Hansen said she felt "angry" and "disappointed" about how some elected officials chose to travel during the pandemic. Hansen said she hasn't seen her 94-year-old mother or her siblings in over a year, but recognizes her duty as a councillor to follow the recommendations of public health officials.
"I think that if you are in a position of leadership that you need to lead by example," she said. "And I think this is why this whole situation is so difficult because it has hit us personally. We, those of us who are following the rules, are going to take two steps backwards because some people are not. I mean, we lost six more people in St. Albert (over New Years). It's just the saddest thing in the world. I don't know what it's going to take to get people to realize that this is a pandemic."
Six more St. Albertans died over the New Years weekend from COVID-19 outbreaks at two St. Albert senior homes. St. Albert currently has 248 active cases, dropping down from the 301 last reported on Dec. 30. In total, 1,675 St. Albertans have tested positive for the virus. Of those, 1,406 people are no longer testing positive. At least 21 people have died.
