Auditor General releases 2025 Whistleblower Report
Today, Vancouver’s Auditor General Mike Macdonell released his 2025 Annual Whistleblower report.
The City’s Whistleblower Policy requires employees and encourages the public to report alleged serious wrongdoing involving City resources, assets, and programs to the OAG.
“Serious wrongdoing” involves misuse or mismanagement of the city’s funds or assets, including fraud or waste, and conflicts of interest likely to result in benefit to a City employee.
This is the second annual report under the City’s Whistleblower Policy since Council reassigned responsibility for whistleblowing to the Auditor General effective January 1, 2024.
The Auditor General received 177 whistleblower reports in 2025, containing 204 distinct allegations, a similar number to 2024.
Completed investigations in 2025 resulted in 21 recommendations to the City to address shortcomings or improve policies and processes. An interim report to Council released in June 2025 regarding allegations of serious wrongdoing involving a City of Vancouver employee in an inspection function, made an additional 19 recommendations.
The report contains summaries of six investigations, including all investigations resulting in recommendations, as well as the City’s report on progress in implementing both the 17 recommendations endorsed by Council in last year’s Whistleblower Report and the 19 recommendations in the June 2025 Interim Whistleblower report.
City employees and members of the public can report serious wrongdoing confidentially, and anonymously if desired, through a secure online form on the Auditor General’s Whistleblowing web page (https://vancouver.ca/your-government/whistleblowing.aspx), by emailing [email protected] or by leaving a secure voicemail at 604-844-1797.
Quotes
Mike Macdonell, Auditor General
“An effective whistleblower program encourages integrity and accountability. I’m glad Council tasked me with this vital role to support trust in the City and its employees,” Macdonell said.
Macdonell concluded “Being a whistleblower takes courage. I want City staff and the public to know that all reporters will be treated with respect and that all reports we receive will be reviewed thoroughly and confidentially.”
Anonymous Whistleblowers in 2025:
“While the outcome is not entirely what I had hoped for, I do value the fact that the allegations related to potential conflict of interest were independently and thoroughly reviewed.”
“I appreciate the professionalism of your correspondence and the role your office plays in supporting transparency and accountability at the City. Please extend my thanks to your team for their work.”
To view the report, please visit our website.