Sister city agreements between local municipalities and towns or cities in foreign countries are nothing new in B.C., but a recent request to the City of Port Moody is raising some questions about the practises of a former MLA.
A company headed by former Burnaby-Lougheed MLA and cabinet minister Harry Bloy, called Global Business Canada, recently sent a letter to the City of Port Moody, looking to see if there’s interest in forming a sister city relationship with Tianning District in China.
But it’s what appears on the top of the letter, dated Feb. 11, 2014, that has raised concerns.
The front page of the six-page letter includes what appears to be the province’s coat of arms and the photograph Bloy used as an MLA.
Under his picture it reads “Harry Bloy, M.L.A.” in larger print, while in smaller writing it notes he was the member for Burnaby-Lougheed from 2001-2013.
The Tri-Cities NOW attempted to contact Bloy about the letterhead through a number on the Global Business Canada website, but he didn’t appear interested in talking.
A person who identified himself as “Harry” hung up the phone on a Tri-Cities NOW reporter before a question could be asked.
But one local NDP MLA had plenty to say about Bloy’s letter.
“I think it’s terribly misleading and totally inappropriate,” said Coquitlam-Maillardville MLA Selina Robinson.
She questions whether Bloy was given permission by the government to use the coat of arms and intends to bring up the issue in the legislature.
Robinson also called on the government to send a cease and desist order to Bloy to stop him from using the crest and his MLA picture.
“He’s not an MLA. He cannot call himself an MLA anymore,” she said.
“I expect our government, my government, to act on this when we see someone misusing something and misrepresenting themselves. We all expect to behave properly.”
According to the Provincial Symbols and Honours Act: “A person, other than the Lieutenant Governor, a member of the Executive Council, a member of the Legislative Assembly or a judge of the Supreme Court, a County Court or the Provincial Court, must not, without the permission of the minister, assume, display or use the Coat of Arms of British Columbia or a design so closely resembling it as to be likely to deceive.”
Port Moody Mayor Mike Clay said he forgot Bloy was no longer in government and it didn’t occur to him until he looked at the letter a second time.
“I don’t know that you can use the seal of the legislature on your letterhead unless you’re an MLA,” he said. “That’s not really any of my business. I don’t know if they [the provincial government] have a formal arrangement with Mr. Bloy or an informal arrangement or no arrangement. If he’s not supposed to be using their logo, he probably shouldn’t be.”
Clay said he won’t hold the misuse of the coat of arms by Bloy against the interested group from China.
The friendship request will be on the upcoming Port Moody council agenda on Tuesday, March 25.
Clay said he personally isn’t eager for Port Moody to pursue a sister-city relationship with another city, adding the municipality has other issues on which to focus and spend money.
“Friendship agreements — you don’t do them just because. I think you should take them seriously,” he said.
Port Moody already has friendship agreements with two Chinese cities.
This would not be the first time controversy has followed Bloy.
Earlier this month, it was revealed the RCMP’s Federal Serious and Organized Crime Unit is asking questions about Bloy and the B.C. Liberal leadership race.
Officers questioned a Coquitlam resident about an event he attended, during which he renewed his Liberal party membership with Bloy, who was then MLA for Burnaby-Lougheed.
It’s not clear what the investigation is focused on, because RCMP wouldn’t comment.
Bloy resigned from cabinet in 2012 after admitting he had leaked an e-mail from the Province newspaper to a third party.
According to the Global Business Canada website, the firm is a “consulting company that helps business owners around the world, especially in China and other Asian countries, discover potential opportunities and find desirable partnerships in Canada.”
The business bio section notes Bloy has “written over 400 welcome letters yearly and met with delegations from different parts of the world and from a wide range of industries.”
