A report regarding an RCMP investigation into some missing gravel triggered a heated debate at Prince George city council Monday night.
Council made the decision to release information from an Dec. 4 closed council meeting and directed administration to provide background and a summary from the city’s legal counsel regarding the RCMP investigation into the missing gravel.
In September 2023, city staff discovered that a significant quantity of city-owned gravel being stored near the corner of London Street and Third Avenue for city operational use was missing and had possibly been spread over nearby property.
As no one with authorization at the city gave permission for the removal of the gravel, the matter was reported to the RCMP as a potential theft.
However, the city was advised by the RCMP, following the conclusion of their investigation, that evidence sufficient to support a criminal charge was not found.
At the closed Dec. 4 meeting, Coun. Kyle Sampson, seconded by Coun. Cori Ramsay, made a motion to request the RCMP reopen the investigation. This motion was defeated by Mayor Yu and Councillors Garth Frizzell, Trudy Klassen, Ron Polillo, and Brian Skakun.
During the discussion, Blake McIntosh, director of civic operations, explained that there were 13 tandem truckloads of gravel stockpiled at the end of Fourth Avenue to be used for a Third Avenue watermain project and approximately 10 yards per truck was taken.
“I believe that key details regarding this investigation seem to be missing,” said Ramsay. “Unfortunately, asking for more information to try and understand what happened and ensure this doesn't happen again wasn't supported.”
Coun. Brian Skakun said he was the one who made the motion in the closed meeting to make this matter public.
“I have never in all my years seen a resolution in a closed meeting of council directing the administration to formally request the RCMP reopen an investigation to pursue this stuff,” said Skakun, who then asked staff to confirm that the gravel had been stolen.
McIntosh said they received a report from the RCMP following the conclusion of the investigation that showed evidence was insufficient to support a criminal charge “as it was determined the gravel had been repurposed to a nearby city property to assist with the settlement of homeless persons displaced from Millennium Park."
“So we're going to haul the superintendent to a closed meeting of council and supposedly ask him questions about this alleged gravel theft that never occurred. I think it's an absolute embarrassment,” said Skakun.
“I tore a strip off council in a close meeting about this earlier in the fall and said I thought it was absolutely inappropriate. It wasn't fair to staff and it wasn't fair to the RCMP to have them come in here and explain why they didn't charge someone.”
Skakun said he thought it was a waste of RCMP time and resources, when they couldn’t even be sure it was a theft.
“I will say if someone took it, it was unauthorized and they used it in Moccasin Flats, I do not agree with that. That's city property. But that's no reason to get a hold of the RCMP and suggest they come to a closed meeting and explain why they never charged anybody.”
Coun. Sampson answered by stating “we are allowed to ask questions of the RCMP just like anybody else” adding he was glad the RCMP performed an investigation, but had more questions.
“The gravel went from one city property to another. Okay, but nobody with the authority to authorize that did it, as far as we know. So that's a concern. So how did the gravel get there? It's still a cost to the city and I believe it's not just imperative of council, but it's our job. It's our duty to be good stewards of the city's assets,” he said, then asking staff for more information about the investigation.
“Investigators interviewed several individuals, city workers, local politicians and potential witnesses were identified as having been present around the time frame when the ground was removed,” said McIntosh.
“Witnesses residing in the encampment provide information that a volunteer with a skid steer had moved it for them, but they did not know the identity of that volunteer. Through closing the investigation it did not yield evidence that definitively determined who moved the gravel, if they did so independently, or if it was under the direction of another person.”
Sampson said he understood why there was no criminal charges as a city asset was moved from one city property to another, but said it was still wrong that taxpayers’ assets had been used for something else.
“I want to get to the bottom of what happened with this. I think it's egregious that we would just turn a blind eye and ignore the fact that thousands of dollars of city property has gone missing,” said Sampson.
“No one is turning a blind eye. The RCMP did their job and didn’t find there was a theft and moved on. They are doing what they are supposed to be doing and are out solving actual crime in the community,” responded Skakun.
Sampson then responded that it might not be a police matter but council should determine who allowed for the gravel to be moved.
“I'm comfortable with the motion that was made in that meeting and I remain comfortable with the motion that was made in that meeting,” said Sampson.
“Even in this meeting tonight, more information has come forward that I wasn't aware of so I think it's important for us to be able to ask questions to really understand the full picture,” said Ramsay.
“I think that it's disappointing that we didn't have this information that we have today. We might not ever know what happened, and how it moved from one site to another.”
She said people had been sending images, memes, and gifs to her and her family making fun of her for asking this question in public.
“I think that that's disgusting and it's really disappointing because I'm here to do a job. I'm here to ask questions. I'm here to get more information and make a decision that is the best for the taxpayer.”
