Calgary weighs legal options amid fear candidate threatening health workers will soon have voter addresses

The City of Calgary says it's working with its legal teamregardinglegislation that requires a list of voters be provided to mayoral candidates, after CBC News reportedonecandidate is attemptingto track down addresses of Alberta Health Services employees andthreatening to show up at their homesarmed.

Kevin J. Johnston, who faces assault and hate crimes charges in B.C. and Ontario,will receivenames and addresses of all Calgary voters once nominations close in September.

• Racist mayoral candidate Kevin J. Johnston is about to have all Calgary voters' names, addresses

Calgary police officers have also been publicly namedby Johnston's followerswho are angry with the enforcement of public health restrictions.

On Monday evening, an Elections Calgary returning officer told city council that they will be seeking council's direction on preparing the list of votersonce amendments to the city's election bylaw are brought forward in July.

If council directs that a list be prepared, the returning officer said the city is required under the provincial Local Authorities Election Act to provide the list which includes names and addresses of all registered voters to any mayoral candidate who requests it.

Elections Calgary said once the list is prepared it can't be withheld from candidates, in accordance with that provincial legislation.

Council discussed the issue behind closed doors Monday evening, and voted for city administration to bring an update on what was discussed to a council committee meeting on May 18.

Coun. Evan Woolley was the sole vote against keeping that discussion confidential and waiting more than a week for the update. He said "stringent" rules are needed.

"It's the job of our administration to protect those people willing to participate in the democratic process I don't know if I've been given confidence todaythat's being done," the councillor said.

Mayor Naheed Nenshi saidhe's speaking with city officials,looking at legislation to figure out what can be done to keep Calgarians safe.

"It'll be a good question to see whether we should be providingthat to any candidate given the heightened tension in politicaldiscourse right now," Nenshi said at city hall on Monday.

"When you have a candidate who is currently facing charges for, frankly, violent assault and you have a candidate who has been openly threatening people, then you've got to make sure you're looking out for the safety of citizens and for the safety of other candidates as well."

Johnston recently posted a video suggesting he take a photo of himself in front of an image of Nenshi hanging from a noose.

'A dangerous prospect'

Mayoral candidate Jyoti Gondek said sacrifices should be made by those campaigningto keep the public safe.

"We are faced with a dangerous prospect in this municipal election," said Gondek. "We must band together and ask Elections Calgary not to release voter lists to anyone.It will make our elections harder, but it will protect Calgarians. That should be our first job as candidates and elected officials."

Johnston has already asked his thousands of followers to track down as many addresses for AHS employeesas they can, in hopes of doxing them.

On Saturday, he said if police won't take action against health inspectorshe would take matters into his own hands.

"I'm coming for you all," he said to health workersin a livestreamed video."If SWAT won't come, it's simple, I'll arm myself and I'll come right to your doors."

While the city is working with its legal team to determine what action can be taken on a municipal level, provincial Municipal Affairs Minister Ric McIver does have the authority to intervene.

CBC News has requested information and an interview from McIver but he hasn't responded.

WATCH | Kevin J. Johnston threatens to go after Alberta Health Services employees:

Calgary mayoral candidate vows to go after AHS workers in online video

3 years ago

Duration 0:35

Kevin J. Johnston says he has their home addresses and is determined to make the lives of some Alberta Health Services staff "uncomfortable."

The Calgary Police Service saidit's "deeply concerned"the personal information of its members and others in the community isset to be distributedand is working with the city "in an attempt to limit the disclosure."

Johnston is known for organizing and speaking at far-right protests against public healthrestrictions.

In March, Johnston was caught on video punching a B.C. grocery store worker after he got kicked out of the store for refusing to wear a mask. Hewas charged with assault. He's also facing hate crimescharges in Ontario after an investigation into "multiple incidents" targeting the Muslim community. Neither of those charges have yet been proven in court.

In 2019, an Ontario judge awarded a restaurantowner $2.5 million in a defamation lawsuit against Johnston. The judge called Johnston's behaviour a"loathsome example of hate speech at its worst, targeting people solely because of their religion."

Recently, Johnstonsoldcoffee in Calgary using blatantly racist branding, calling it "Wasted Native" with the slogan, "Forget gas, huff this" accompanied by an equally disturbing logo.

Elections Calgary said there's not yet a process in place for voters to remove their name from the list of electors. Voterscan contact 311 with any concerns.

Candidates who use the list for reasons other than campaigning can be fined up to $100,000, and/or imprisoned up to one year.

In a Monday video, Johnston said he will not break that rule, adding that once he is mayor he will instead ask police to access health workers' addresses in order to arrest them.