Complaint of Winnipeg councillor's 'bicycle Nazi' remark under review

A Winnipeg councillor's comment about cycling advocates that was widely criticized and prompted an apology earlier this week has also led to a formal complaint to the city's integrity commissioner.

Transcona Coun. Russ Wyatt described cycling advocates as "the bicycle Nazi" during a Tuesday meeting of the city's public works committee, seemingly targeting Bike Winnipeg's executive director, Mark Cohoe.

Cohoe was at that meeting to advocate for improved walkability and safety for pedestrians and cyclists at Osborne Street and River Avenue.

Coun. Janice Lukes (Waverley West) says she believes Wyatt's comment violated a provision in the city council's code of conduct that prohibits harassment and she has officially submitted a formal complaint to the integrity commissioner.

"There's a lot of ways to express frustration at city hall if you don't agree with something, but name-calling and using terrible, terrible references is not the way to do it," she told CBC on Friday.

Wyatt apologized for his comment on Wednesday, which he said "came out of frustration" but was not directed at any specific person, after drawing fire from Bike Winnipeg, Mayor Scott Gillingham and others.

Lukes says she believes Wyatt was sincere in his apology, and that he was trying to express frustrations held by him, his constituents and others throughout the city about cyclists, but did so in "an unacceptable manner."

"There's [been] a lot of spectacles at city hall," she said. "But nothing quite like this."

Complaint process 'about education': commissioner

Sherri Walsh, the city's integrity commissioner, cannot speak to specific complaints but discussed the general complaint process with CBC on Friday.

Walsh says some of the considerations she has to make before opening an investigation includes whether a complaint is "frivolous or vexatious" and if there's sufficient evidence.

For investigations that conclude a council member has breached city council's code of conduct, Walsh says she would prepare a report which council uses to determine possible punishments, such as a public apology or reprimanding.

However, Walsh said an investigation may not be needed if a council member has already apologized publicly for conduct involved in a complaint.

"I view the complaint process as remedial rather than punitive. It's there to ensure that members understand their obligations under the code," she said.

"It's about education, and so if I think a member has satisfied me that they understand their obligations and they've taken, you know, appropriate steps to demonstrate that, then I would see no purpose in … continuing with an investigation."

Wyatt says he's already co-operating with the commissioner.

"I'll work with the integrity commissioner on what her recommendations are, and I'll leave it up to her to issue her own summary or report when that time comes," he told CBC on Friday.

Wyatt says he "didn't mean any offence" in his reference to Nazis and is a strong supporter of Israel, but Bike Winnipeg was right to call him out for the comment.

"You got to watch out for the thing called ego, I call it 'Edging God Out,'' Wyatt said. "It creeps up on you, and so you [have] to be cognizant of that all the time — no matter who you are in life — and so I'm glad they called me out on it."

Wyatt said other complaints have also been made to the commissioner regarding his comment.

But he feels Lukes's complaint shows "a bit of politics at play," as he's expressed interest in a federal NDP nomination for Winnipeg's Transcona riding and she's considering a federal Conservative run in Winnipeg South Centre, he said.

Lukes called the accusation "hilarious" and an attempt to deflect from the issue at hand.

LISTEN | Bike Winnipeg ED responds to apology:

Up To Speed10:51Discussion around bike infrastructure in Winnipeg continues.

Faith Fundal spoke with Mark Cohoe, executive director of Bike Winnipeg about the ongoing discussion around bike infrastructure in Winnipeg

Cohoe says he accepts Wyatt's retraction of the term "Nazi," but he doesn't feel the councillor's apology was sincere.

"It reads more as a defence than as an apology," he told host Faith Fundal during a Thursday interview with CBC Manitoba's Up to Speed.

"He still hasn't really gotten to the point of the argument that we were having, that we want a safe city for cycling."

Cohoe says civility was missing from the conversation at city hall, which is supposed to be a place for an "open exchange of ideas."

"I think we need to talk about the issues, not the people that are pushing for those issues."