Integrity Commissioner

Complaint process

• |

• 

  Filing a complaint

  File a Code of Conduct By-Law complaint about a City Councillor or an Advisory Board member by sending an email to [email protected]. Include, at a minimum, the following information:

  • Your name
  • Your telephone number and email address
  • The name of the person you are complaining about (otherwise known as the respondent), along with their title and which body they are appointed to (example: Council, Parks Board)
  • Your relationship to the respondent (example: you are a member of the public or you work at City Hall)
  • Details of your complaint:
    • How do you know about this incident? (example: it happened to you, you were there as a witness, you were told about it by a friend)
    • Where did the incident take place?
    • When (date and time if you have it) did the incident take place?
    • What happened? (Describe in detail what took place, specifying the role of the respondent in the incident.)
    • Were there any witnesses? If yes, please include their names and contact details if you have them.
    • What conduct do you think is inconsistent with the respondent’s role and/or the Code of Conduct By-Law? (Review parts 3 and 4 of the Code of Conduct By-Law for details.)
      • Breach of communications
      • Disclosure of confidential information
      • Conflict of interest
      • Improper use of municipal assets and services
      • Improper use of influence
      • Improper election activities
      • Improper acceptance of gifts or personal benefits
      • Other
  • How would you like the matter settled? Are you willing to participate in an informal resolution (such as mediation)?

  Attach any supporting documents (example: photos, copies of emails, or text messages) to your email.

  You can also use the Word template Word file (96 KB) to fill in the questions and attach the Word template to your email.

  The Integrity Commissioner will consider your email confidential during the preliminary assessment of your complaint.

  If you have any questions about the complaint process, email [email protected].

• 

  Preliminary assessment

  After receiving a complaint, the Integrity Commissioner conducts a preliminary assessment to see if the complaint should proceed to the next steps, or if it should not proceed and thus be dismissed or closed (due to any of the reasons set out in section 6.15 of the Code of Conduct By-Law). 

  If the Integrity Commissioner decides the complaint should be dismissed or closed, they will notify the complainant and the respondent with written reasons for the decision. 

  For full details on the Preliminary Assessment, see sections 6.15 and 6.16 of the Code of Conduct By-Law PDF file (214 KB). 

• 

  Proceeding with a complaint

  When the Integrity Commissioner decides to proceed with a complaint, they then determine whether the complaint requires a formal investigation or whether the complaint may be resolved informally. 

  Informal resolution

  Informal resolutions can be resolved in two ways. The Integrity Commissioner can:

  1. Decide to resolve the complaint directly, or
  2. Refer the complaint to the Mayor, Deputy Mayor, or City Manager for resolution

  For full details on the Informal Resolution process, see sections 6.17 to 6.23 of the Code of Conduct By-Law PDF file (214 KB).

  Formal resolution – an investigation

  If a complaint is not dismissed, closed, or resolved informally, the Integrity Commissioner must proceed with a formal investigation, which follows a timeline and a set process that “complies with the rules of procedural fairness and natural justice.”

  For full details on the Formal Resolution process, see sections 6.24 to 6.28 of the Code of Conduct By-Law PDF file (214 KB).

  Results of the investigation (adjudicating and reporting)

  The Integrity Commissioner determines if the respondent has breached the Code of Conduct By-Law and prepares a written investigation report providing reasons for their determination.

  If the respondent has breached the By-Law, the Integrity Commissioner includes recommendations as to the appropriate sanction for the violation. The report is distributed according to the process described in sections 6.31 and 6.32.

  For full details on adjudication and reporting, see sections 6.29 to 6.33 of the Code of Conduct By-Law PDF file (214 KB).

• |

• 

  Key terms and definitions

  • Code of Conduct By-Law Complaint (No. 12886): The Integrity Commissioner has jurisdiction over a Code of Conduct By-Law complaint. This code is applicable to the Mayor, Councillors, and Advisory Board members, and includes complaints made by the public about those individuals.
  • Complainant: A person submitting a complaint; it can be a member of the public, an employee of the City, a City Councillor, or an Advisory Board member.
  • Respondent: A City Councillor or an Advisory Board member whose conduct is the subject of a complaint.
  • Other complaints: The Integrity Commissioner does not have jurisdiction over a complaint that, upon initial review, is not a Code of Conduct By-Law complaint. Examples of ‘other complaints’ that would be referred elsewhere include if the complaint is: 
    • Of a criminal nature consistent with the Criminal Code
    • With respect to non-compliance with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act External website, opens in new tab
    • With respect to conduct that may subject a member to disqualification pursuant to sections 140(4), 143(4), and 145.3 to 145.911 of the Vancouver Charter External website, opens in new tab
    • With respect to non-compliance with a more specific Council policy or a by-law with a separate complaint procedure
    • With respect to a matter that is subject to another outstanding process, such as a court proceeding or a Human Rights complaint
    • With respect to a City employee who must comply with the City’s Code of Conduct (AE-028-01) PDF file (248 KB)

Documents

• |

• 

  Investigation reports

  Date	Subject
  August 22, 2025	Complaint against Mayor Sim and Councillors Sarah Kirby-Yung, Lisa Dominato, Lenny Zhou, Brian Montague, Mike Klassen, Peter Meiszner, and Rebecca Bligh PDF file (1.2 MB)
  August 2, 2024	Complaint against Mayor Sim PDF file (320 KB)
  February 21, 2024	Complaint against Mayor Sim PDF file (276 KB)
  December 15, 2023	Complaint against Mayor Sim, Councillor Kirby-Yung, Councillor Klassen, and Councillor Meiszner PDF file (193 KB)
  October 17, 2023	Complaint against Councillor Brian Montague PDF file (266 KB)
  October 3, 2023	Complaint against Councillor Christine Boyle PDF file (367 KB)
  September 29, 2023	Complaint against Councillor Christine Boyle PDF file (363 KB)
  February 17, 2023	Complaint against Councillor Sarah Kirby-Yung PDF file (277 KB)
  October 19, 2022	Complaint against Kit Sauder PDF file (190 KB)
  July 5, 2022	Complaint against Mayor Stewart PDF file (772 KB)
  June 7, 2021	Complaint against Mayor Stewart PDF file (441 KB)

• 

  Bulletins

  Bulletin	Subject
  2025-01	Are staff briefings considered meetings? PDF file (576 KB)
  2023-03	Open meeting principle PDF file (658 KB)
  2023-02	Government vs. personal use of Twitter PDF file (522 KB)
  2023-01	Personal interests and conflict of interest  PDF file (560 KB)
  2022-04	Freedom of speech and jurisdiction regarding multiple complaints PDF file (541 KB)
  2022-03	Election activities and conflict of interest PDF file (532 KB)
  2022-02	Freedom of speech and defamation PDF file (525 KB)
  2022-01	Hate crimes and hate speech complaint PDF file (477 KB)

• 

  Annual reports

  • 2024 annual report PDF file (904 KB)
  • 2023 annual report PDF file (826 KB)
  • 2022 annual report PDF file (420 KB)

Meet Tracey Lorenson, Integrity Commissioner

Appointed November 1, 2025

Tracey Lorenson is a governance and leadership consultant with extensive experience supporting Councils and senior administrative teams across Canada.

Trained as a lawyer, she has spent more than 2 decades working with local governments on ethical governance, leadership development, and Council–CAO relations. 

• |

• 

  Background

  Tracey previously served as Executive Vice-President at E-Comm 911, the emergency communications centre for southern British Columbia, where she gained direct experience in governance, oversight, and intergovernmental collaboration.

  As Principal of CivicExcellence, she works with Councils to strengthen governance systems, improve decision-making, and build public trust. Her approach to the Integrity Commissioner role emphasizes prevention, education, and early resolution, ensuring advice remains impartial while supporting a respectful and transparent Council environment.