Image Credit: City of Williams Lake

By James Peters

Walt Cobb

Tsilhqot’in Nation renews call for Williams Lake mayor’s resignation, shares another social media post

Nov 3, 2021 | 3:09 PM

WILLIAMS LAKE, B.C. — The Tsilhqot’in Nation has renewed its call for Williams Lake Mayor Walt Cobb’s resignation, even after Cobb’s apology for an offensive social media post.

Cobb recently shared a post to Facebook lauding “the other side” of Canada’s residential school system. He deleted the post after he was criticized publicly.

Williams Lake First Nation Chief Willie Sellars called on the City to clarify its stance on the residential school system in light of Cobb’s post. The Tsilhqot’in Nation called on Cobb to resign.

Tuesday evening (Nov. 2), Cobb apologized for the post at Williams Lake council’s regular meeting. Other councillors discussed and denounced the post at the meeting as well, and council heard a presentation from residential school survivor Charlene Belleau.

Wednesday, the Tsilhqot’in Nation issued a news release once again pressing Cobb to resign, citing another social media comment made by Cobb using racist language.

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The comment said “…my mother in law used to say if it was sh***y weather let the Indians have it.”

Image Credit: Contributed / Tsilhqot’in Nation

National Government Chairman Chief Joe Alphonse says even in issuing his apology Tuesday, Cobb criticized First Nations concerns as a “personal attack.”

“It is past the point of apologies and saying sorry to cause offence,” said Alphonse. “This is not an isolated incident. This is a pattern, this is a state of mind, and it is unacceptable in a leader in this day and age. By his words and actions, Walt Cobb has lost all authority to govern and can no longer be Mayor. This City Council will lose all legitimacy if it wrings its hands but does nothing to remove him from leadership. He has made it very clear that he has no care or regard for Indigenous peoples in Williams Lake and the surrounding communities. Is this something the City Council and the people of Williams Lake are prepared to stand behind? Walt Cobb is an embarrassment to Williams Lake, he brings shame to this region, and it is time to turn the page and do better.”