1.2 2024 Vancouver Public Hearings

General Principles of the 2024 Vancouver Public Hearings

The public hearings were conducted under the following Rules and Procedural Principles:

1. Proportionality: The Inquiry allocated investigative and hearing time in proportion to the importance and relevance of the issue to the Inquiry‘s mandate and the time available to fulfill that mandate so that relevant issues were addressed and reported on;

2. Transparency: The Inquiry proceedings and processes were carried out in a manner that was as open and available to the public as was reasonably possible, consistent with the requirements of applicable confidentialities and privileges;

3. Fairness: The Inquiry balanced the interests of the the public‘s right to be informed with the rights of witnesses testifying to be treated fairly;

4. Timeliness: The Inquiry proceeded in a timely fashion to engender public confidence and ensure that its work remained relevant; and

5. Expediency: The Inquiry operated under a strict deadline and conducted its work accordingly.

Detailed Rules of Practice and Procedure are available on the NCI Website:

https://nationalcitizensinquiry.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/NCI-Commission-Rules-FINAL.pdf

Schedule of the 2024 Vancouver Public Hearings

Public hearings were held in Vancouver, British Columbia, on October 17, 18, and 19, 2024. Members of the public wishing to testify at the NCI Vancouver Hearings were invited to apply through an online form available on the NCI website: https://nationalcitizensinquiry.ca/hearings24/. Testimony could be provided either in-person or via live video broadcast.

In total, 33 members of the public testified at the NCI Vancouver Hearings.

The Commission extended invitations to representatives from provincial, territorial, and federal governments across Canada. Over 100 non-judicial subpoenas were issued, allowing government witnesses the flexibility to testify in-person or via video conference on any of the hearing dates or at a time that suited their schedules. Additionally, the NCI sent an open letter to over 700 elected officials from various levels of government, inviting them to attend and participate in the hearings.

Despite these efforts, no government representatives or public agency officials responded to the invitations or appeared at the hearings. As a result, the Commissioners were unable to hear direct government defences of their policies. In the absence of government testimony, the inquiry reviewed non-oral evidence, including sworn affidavits from government officials gathered from various court proceedings (if available). This evidence, along with press releases, policy statements, and press conferences, was considered to represent government positions and forms part of the official record, as long as they were submitted to the commission as evidence by witnesses.

As a citizen-led initiative, the Commission did not have the authority to compel government witnesses to testify through judicial subpoenas.

Conclusion

The findings from the two previous inquiries conducted by the National Citizens Inquiry (NCI) revealed serious issues across various levels of government and institutions in Canada. These concerns were rooted in governance practices, transparency, and accountability during the COVID-19 event. While these matters were central to the NCI’s original mandate, an additional and deeply troubling issue emerged during the hearings concerns regarding the safety of Canadian children.

Throughout the initial hearings, participants and witnesses raised profound concerns about the well-being of children in Canada. These safety concerns were not limited to the impact of government actions during the COVID-19 event, such as lockdowns and mandates, but also extended to a broader range of institutional and governmental activities affecting children's health, education, and overall safety.

Given the gravity of these concerns, the NCI felt a moral and civic obligation to expand its scope. Although outside its original mandate, the NCI was compelled to initiate additional hearings and a new investigation specifically focused on the safety of Canadian children. This expanded inquiry aims to address the pressing issues affecting children’s well-being and to provide recommendations for improving the policies and institutions responsible for their protection.