Dispute was triggered by a resident complaining about difficulty pronouncing.miyo-wâhkôhtowin Road, formerly John A Macdonald Road.
Saskatoon city councillor David Kirton breached council’s code of conduct — but will face no further sanctions — by not treating a ward resident with due courtesy during an argument over the residential school legacy of John A. Macdonald.
Kruk’s investigation began after she received a complaint from the resident, referred to throughout her report as “the complainant.”
Kirton, who is Métis, helped move the street renaming through council, as a way to address Macdonald’s connection to Canada’s residential school system.
The complainant on that day left Kirton a voicemail using what Kruk described as “agitated and confrontational” language while demanding the road keep its former name.
No audio recording exists of Kirton’s Dec. 8 follow-up call to the resident.
Kruk in her report laid out her view of the facts, noting several instances where Kirton and the complainants’s recollections of the conversation differ.
The complainant took issue with being unable to pronounce “miyo-wâhkôhtowin” — Cree words meaning “good relationship.” Kirton tried to explain the rationale for removing Macdonald’s name from the street and urged the complainant to keep trying to learn to say the new street name, Kruk wrote.
At some point in the conversation, the complainant said “get over it.” Kruk didn’t make a finding as to the context of how the words were used, but notes Kirton took it as the complainant saying Indigenous people should “get over” the suffering caused by residential schools. The complainant claimed during an interview with Kruk that he didn’t say this.
Both men in their accounts agreed that the conversation became heated and “voices were raised,” Kruk wrote.
Kruk opted not to make many findings on areas where the two men’s accounts of the incident didn’t line up. She said Kirton during talks with her admitted both parties “could have done better” in the exchange, while acknowledging being held to a higher standard of conduct as a city councillor.
Kirton also drafted a written apology and arranged to have Kruk deliver it to the complainant. Kruk noted this was Kirton’s own initiative and not something he was compelled to do by any sanctions.
Kruk concluded that Kirton violated provisions of the Saskatoon city council code of conduct that require members to be courteous, respect people’s right to express opinions about council decisions, and “recognize the importance members of the public play in local decision-making.”
She recommended that council impose no further sanctions, finding Kirton was “genuinely remorseful” and aware of his responsibility as a member of city council. Council did not impose any further penalties upon receiving the report.
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