Brampton councillor to offer ‘clarification’ for comments deemed racist

A Brampton city councillor is preparing to offer an apology of sorts for comments many have deemed racist.

“I hope that newcomers will learn the values of the white people so that Brampton and Canada will continue to be a favourite destination for people who want a better and peaceful lifestyle,” Coun. John Sprovieri wrote in a widely distributed email to a constituent.

The constituent in question had repeatedly sent emails to council criticizing the lack of diversity in recent hires.

When CityNews first reported this story last month, Sprovieri said he was standing by what he wrote. Now, a month later, he says he stands by the spirit of the message “but chose the wrong words.”

CityNews has learned he has been crafting his response with a lawyer for several weeks and plans to present it at next Wednesday’s council meeting. When contacted by phone on Friday, Sprovieri said his lawyer “is tweaking it as we speak.” He refused to call it an apology, preferring to use the term “clarification.”

“I don’t want to undermine the accomplishments of all the people who have helped to make Canada so great,” Sprovieri said, adding his statement will be “quite lengthy.”

“He has to say I’m sorry,” the executive director of the South Asian Canadians Health & Social Services, Dr. Maher Hussan, told CityNews. “He has to say that we can all learn from each other.”

“I hope that Coun. Sprovieri’s apology includes an acknowledgement of how divisive and insensitive his comments were,” said Harkirat Singh, a Peel District School Board trustee said.

“I believe his actions seriously hurt the reputation of council and the City of Brampton.”

Last month, Sprovieri said several complaints have been filed with the city’s integrity commissioner Guy Giorno.

“There’s been a couple of complaints with the integrity commissioner. It’s not going away,” he said.

Giorno has refused to say whether he is investigating the emails and it’s not clear if an apology will have an impact on any discipline Sprovieri could face under the city’s code of conduct.

The controversy began when a constituent sent a highly inflammatory email to council, questioning the city’s hiring process. The subject was, “Why are white people still deciding Brampton’s future?” and included phrases like, “It seems like inmates are still running the asylum at city hall.” Instead of ignoring the email, as his colleagues had, Sprovieri responded.

“To be fair, people of all races, colour and creeds are eager to come to Brampton and Canada because the white people of this nation have developed a great system where everyone is welcome and can live peacefully together,” Sprovieri wrote.

Mayor Linda Jeffrey then responded.

“Unfortunately, my office was recently included on an email exchange between Coun. Sprovieri and a resident on corporate email,” she wrote. “I find it disheartening to hear such insensitive language being used by a member of my council. Unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident. I urge my colleague to seek some diversity training in order to better understand the role of multiculturalism in building our national fabric.”

Sprovieri later responded, saying, “The native people want their land back. Any suggestions on how that may happen?”