Kamloops council chambers overflowed with supporters for ASK Wellness as chief executive officer Bob Hughes spoke to council on Nov. 15, 2022.

(LEVI LANDRY / iNFOnews.ca)

A prominent social service agency is asking the new mayor of Kamloops to work together rather than "point fingers."

A lawyer for ASK Wellness wrote to mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson, claiming he had defamed its chief executive officer Bob Hughes in media interviews, according to a letter dated Nov. 3.

"Your comments in your interviews, your identification of the chief executive officer by name and the out of context quotes of conversations with the chief executive officer, whether intended or not, have the effect of diminishing or lowering the reputation of ASK and the chief executive officer in the estimation of the public in Kamloops," the letter reads. "That is, by definition, defamation."

The letter, written by Scott Huyghebaert, was published in full by RadioNL, along with a Nov. 7 response from Hamer-Jackson's lawyer.

It goes on to say neither ASK nor Hughes are suggesting legal action "at this time," but they want to see an end to those comments.

Much of the letter focuses on Hamer-Jackson's shared interest in finding solutions to drug use and homelessness in Kamloops, but a response from Hamer-Jackson's lawyer David MacMillan focuses mostly on the claim of defamation.

READ MORE: Kamloops mayor rebuked for trying to find shelter for disabled homeless man

"My client does not propose to debate any of the philosophical statements and platitudes expressed in your letter. Rather, I am instructed to respond directly to your allegation..." the letter from MacMillan reads.

Hamer-Jackson's campaign ahead of his election win last month largely focused on public safety and homelessness in Kamloops.

He asserts his concern for the safety of people that are homeless or living in B.C. Housing sites, while also questioning the effectiveness of non-profits like ASK Wellness.

Huyghebaert's letter says ASK Wellness and Hamer-Jackson have a joint interest in addressing the city's social issues, and the organization is in a strong position to be an ally to solve some of the local street issues in Kamloops.

However, MacMillan's response says little about working together. He instead requests any evidence of Hamer-Jackson's false or defamatory statements.

READ MORE: Decades of downloading on cities led to homelessness in Kamloops, Okanagan today: report

"The purpose of your letter, to intimidate Mr. Hamer-Jackson, appears to be quite explicit in its seventh paragraph. The thinly-veiled threat of defamation action at some point in the future, if he continues to speak out on issues of public concern that involve your clients, is duly noted," it reads.

ASK Wellness delivered a presentation to Kamloops city council yesterday, Nov. 15, which was largely civil.

Hughes gave an explanation of ASK's efforts to serve the most vulnerable in Kamloops.

"Our strategic plan commits ASK to bridge the divide between harm reduction and treatment and recovery," Hughes told council.

A crowd of people in council chambers came to support ASK Wellness.

Councillors asked for more details about ASK Wellness and what the City could do to support its mission, but when Hamer-Jackson piped up, he simply asked about oversight.

"Would you support a third party review of all your facilities, paid by B.C. Housing, for the clients and residents in the building, for the staff in the building and for the surrounding community?" the mayor asked.

Hughes welcomed the suggestion.

"We were part of a review in Penticton, and interestingly enough, initially we as the leadership team weren't asked to necessarily participate," he said. "We made sure we were."

ASK Wellness would participate if it's in the interest of learning what can be done to improve, he added.

"If it is simply to condemn what we don't know about and we don't like what we see, I think that would be very difficult for us to participate," Hughes said.

Hamer-Jackson is also under pressure from B.C. Housing this week for his "pattern" of unannounced visits to local shelters and supportive housing sites, first published by Castanet Kamloops after an email was mistakenly sent to a reporter.

The Crown agency wants to work with the City to arrange a formal way he can visit their sites in the future.

To contact a reporter for this story, email Levi Landry or call 250-819-3723 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.

We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above. 

News from © iNFOnews, 2022