A petition calling for the resignation of newly elected Victoria councillor Wendy Bowkett has garnered nearly 2,000 signatures.
Bowkett was elected with 43% of voters casting their ballot for her to become councillor. She received 13,545 votes in total, placing her seventh among the eight councillors elected.
The reason why this petition was launched via change.org is due to what the organizer called “unprofessional online behaviour.”
“In the last year, Bowkett has been proudly anti-immigrant and transphobic on her public X account,” wrote Eddi Wilson, who launched the petition.
“She aligns herself with public figures such as Billboard Chris and is in favour of repealing the Human Rights Code.”
Billboard Chris, whose legal name is Chris Elston, is a Canadian with conservative, anti-transgender views who is known for his public opposition to medical and social gender transition procedures.
The petition highlights several posts and comments that Bowkett has made in recent years which Wilson and many others have deemed problematic.
On October 17th, 2025, the BC NDP posted about a successful vote to protect gender identity in BC’s Human Rights Code.
To this, Bowkett responded with remarks the petition organizers say is inherently transphobic.
The petition page includes several other screenshots of posts made by Bowkett on her X account which are being called hateful by those who have signed the petition.
“Victoria has the highest proportion of transgender and nonbinary residents of any metropolitan area in Canada,” wrote Wilson in the petition.
“It is unacceptable to have a member of council making decisions for the population when she holds openly hostile views to such a significant portion of its residents.”
As of this publication, the petition has garnered 1,946 signatures and 21 comments from those who have signed it.
“What makes me proudest to be a Victorian is that it is one of the most welcoming places for my neighbours who happen to be trans,” said Dana, one of the petition’s signers.
“I love living in a place that has a gorgeous tapestry of people living their truth authentically. To think that Wendy Bowkett will bring her prejudice to city council decisions feels morally reprehensible in a city known to be a trans haven, as imperfect as it is, our trans neighbours, business owners, and citizens deserve to have a city council that respects their right to exist.”
Dana concluded their comment by calling for Bowkett to formally address her “bigoted public comments,” apologize to her constituents and resign from council.
Victoria Buzz has reached out to Bowkett for comment on the petition, but as of this publication, has not received a response.
Can Bowkett be ousted?
According to the City of Victoria, there is no recall process at the municipal level.
This means there is no legal process for Bowkett to be removed from the position she was elected to, unless she resigns herself.
This differs from provincial processes where there is a way to recall an elected representative, although it has never been successfully done in BC.
Because there is no way for Bowkett to be recalled now that she has been elected, the petition for Bowkett’s resignation has been launched in hopes that she will vacate her council position of her own free will.
Marianne Alto, Victoria’s mayor-elect, said in an interview with CTV News that although there is no recall bylaw for local government officials, the City has firm inclusion policies and a code of conduct.
“I will demand that all members of council behave in that manner to treat one another and their publics with the respect they deserve,” Alto said in the CTV interview.
“Should any type of behaviour appear at the council table or in the council chambers that countermands or undermines those policies, I will indeed intervene as the chair.”
However, if an elected official breaches the City of Victoria Code of Conduct Bylaw, the only consequences they could face include imposed sanctions, reprimands, formal apologies, mandatory training, suspensions of privileges, censure, access restrictions or potential fines ranging from $100 to $50,000 for specific offenses.
Removing an elected councillor from office is not a tool available to the City or council should they breach the code of conduct.
Bowkett, along with the mayor-elect and other councillors-elect, will be officially sworn in at the inauguration ceremony on Thursday, November 5th.
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13 people are talking about this
What frustrates me is how quickly people with this opinion are labelled homophobic or transphobic, without anyone listening to their concerns. I’m a caring person, and I have close friends who are gay and trans, some of whom share my views.
For me, this comes from concern for children. I respect LGBTQ people and their right to live freely. I also believe children should have the time and space to grow up without pressure to make medical decisions with lasting consequences. We should be able to discuss that openly and respectfully, without assuming the worst of each other.
Keep up the great work
The canadian charter section 2 gaurantees and enshrines this right of speech and thought.
Unless you want to become the thought police, I would caution such oppression
