Bowkett resignation petition passes 2,500 ahead of new council term

A petition asking Victoria councillor-elect Wendy Bowkett to resign displayed 2,595 signatures when its public Change.org page was checked for this report on October 23.

The campaign was started by Eddi Wilson on October 19. It objects to Bowkett’s online conduct and asks her to give up her council seat. That request is a call for a voluntary resignation; the signature count does not remove an elected official from office.

Signatures and an election are different measures

The total is a dated platform snapshot and can change. Change.org labels the signatures as verified, but this report has not established where all signers live, whether they voted in Victoria or how representative they are of the electorate.

The petition demonstrates participation in that campaign. It is not an official city ballot, a representative survey or a finding that its allegations have been proven.

There is no municipal recall process

Elections BC’s published recall FAQ explicitly excludes mayors, councillors and other local elected officials. The statutory recall process applies to provincial MLAs.

That distinction matters when discussing what a petition can achieve. Gathering more signatures on a public website does not turn it into a legally binding municipal recall vote.

It also does not mean local officials are outside the law. Provincial guidance describes separate disqualification provisions and court processes. Those require their own legal grounds and procedures; an online petition is not a substitute.

Conduct complaints follow a separate process

Victoria has a Code of Conduct for Council Members Bylaw that sets standards and an investigation process. Whether a particular complaint falls within that bylaw must be assessed under its terms. No conclusion about a complaint against Bowkett is established by the petition’s existence.

Bowkett’s public campaign website emphasizes public safety, affordability and transparent decision-making. That published platform is not a response to this petition.

This report covers the petition’s stated request, its dated count and the available official process information. It has not independently authenticated every screenshot circulated by campaign supporters or contacted Bowkett for a response. Allegations on the petition page remain the organizer’s claims, rather than findings adopted by this publication.