Hero mourned
NEWS: Priority bus lane work begins /A3 SPORTS: Remembering McKinnon Gym /A18 ARTS: Pop goes a British invasion /A22
Community remembers Tour de Rock champion Page A8
SAANICHNEWS Friday, January 16, 2015
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Saanich sip Saanich distiller Peter Hunt shows off a glass and bottle of Victoria Spirits’ whisky, six years in the making and the first whisky they have made in their distillery. Victoria Spirits is participating in Whisky Fest this weekend at the Hotel Grand Pacific. See story page A9. Don Denton photo
Councillors had ‘no idea’ of mayor’s spy concerns Travis Paterson News staff
Saanich Council is trying to break free and move forward from the myriad allegations and complaints launched Monday by Mayor Richard Atwell. Among the multiple statements unleashed by Atwell are implications of police harassment, of police leaking information and of a spying program within municipal
hall that monitored the mayor. But those allegations of unfair conduct came crashing down within an hour on Tuesday evening as the Saanich Police found nothing criminal about how Saanich Information Technology department uses monitoring software in municipal hall. “I’m stunned by this statement,” said Atwell, adding he believes it to be a conflict of interest for Saanich Police and will forward it to
the B.C. Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner. Saanich councillors dismissed the suggestion of spyware in a unified statement released to the press. They said the monitoring software in question, which Atwell described as Spector 360, was installed on several municipal computers following a third-party audit of the District of Saanich computer system in May 2014. “On behalf of council we would
have hoped (Atwell) would have said something to us before he said (he was being spied on) to reporters,” Coun. Judy Brownoff told reporters. “We had no idea.” The third-party data review recommended the installation of security software to protect the the municipal database from external threats and to monitor internal activity that may result from external threats. “I want to assure the public
that our security measures protect Saanich’s database and everything on the system. Our staff are in charge to ensure it’s secure,” Brownoff said. Brownoff said she’s never had so many in-camera meetings to start an election term and council just wants to move on. PlEASE SEE: Mayor’s spyware concerns, Page A3
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