B.C. councillor resigns after referring to mayor as 'Mr. Hitler'

A councillor from North Saanich, B.C., has resigned after referring to the mayor as "Mr. Hitler'' during a council meeting.

Coun. Brett Smyth says in his letter of resignation that the decision to leave immediately was not an easy one but was made necessary — but not specifically — after an "offhanded comment'' he made at a recent council meeting.

At a March 20 meeting, Smyth took issue with a decision not to livestream advisory committee meetings about an official community plan or release committee members' CVs.

Smyth said the move was done in a "very political way,'' something that was denied by Mayor Peter Jones, who said it was a "practical approach'' before ending questions.

That's when Smyth replied, "Thank you, Mr. Hitler.''

In his letter released Monday, Smyth says he would have preferred a more positive environment, but when all voices are not respected, "it is difficult to practice the patience required of an elected official.''

When asked for further comment, he told CBC News in an email that "I am not ready to discuss my resignation at this point."

"I need to be careful that our staff are not further affected by more negativity and turmoil. When I am ready, I will reach out and release something more sophisticated than my 'Thank you, Mr. Hitler' comment," he wrote. 

Tense council

Smyth and Jones had clashed at the council table several times following his election as mayor last year, with Smyth on the losing end of a number of 3-4 votes changing the direction of the community's Official Development Plan. 

Jones acknowledged the nature of their interactions but said he would have preferred Smyth not resigning.

"It's an awful statement, but we all make mistakes, and I would have hoped he thought about what he did and continued on as a council member," he said.

"I'm fully for open discussions. Sometimes they will get heated, but that's the way it is. You do it in front of the cameras ... and then you should have a beer afterwards. It's simple as that." 

Smyth was first elected in 2018 and won a second term in the 2022 election. The district says details of a byelection to fill his seat will be made available soon.

With files from Justin McElroy and CHEK News