Fingers were pointed in both directions a week ago when Kamloops Mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson at which he sicked his angry supporters on one of his most vocal critics, a local journalist. But only one person is to blame. Hamer-Jackson was wagging his finger in the face of Brett Mineer, the host of an afternoon opinion show on Radio NL.
He has not been shy about criticizing the mayor's performance on air. The mayor wanted Mineer gone from the event and he said so. It’s important to note that Hamer-Jackson , sending a series of late-night text messages to local journalists days earlier.
I got a text from the mayor at about 11:45 p.m. on July 11.
He said he wanted reporters at the scenic lookout on Columbia Street West at 10 a.m. on Monday, July 15, for an announcement regarding “resignation consideration.
” This is inherently newsy, especially coming a few months after city councillors took the unprecedented step of . Then, after a roller-coaster speech with his wife by his side, Hamer-Jackson stood there at the scenic lookout and said he’d “never really considered” stepping down at all. This was no press conference, where journalists are invited to ask questions so that information can be disseminated to the community.
It was nothing more than a political rally, replete with chanting supporters holding signs and a pledge from Hamer-Jackson that he would seek re-election in 2026 — potentially alongside a slate of likeminded city council candidates. The mayor wanted rep.