Grande Prairie city council is moving toward developing an internal code of conduct pledge after hearing concerns that social media posts by one of its members have undermined public trust and the city’s credibility.
At its June 8 meeting, council voted to have administration bring back a document to a future committee of the whole meeting outlining an internal code of conduct pledge.
The discussion followed a presentation from longtime owner and CEO of nine10 Inc., Ryan Blais, accompanied by Serge Martin, who together urged council to establish some form of accountability for elected officials despite changes to provincial legislation that removed municipal codes of conduct.
The call comes after multiple posts were shared on Councillor Chris Thiessen’s Facebook page regarding fluoride in the city’s water supply.
“Councillor Chris Thiessen has broadcast highly consequential claims targeting the safety of our municipal water supply and stoking public fears over regional AI data center development, has routinely amplified thoroughly discredited fringe media, debunked medical claims, and generally vilified public institutions as fundamentally corrupt,” said Blais.
He and Martin said they were not appearing before council to revisit a formal complaint submitted to the city on May 28. Instead, they wanted council to consider ways to maintain accountability among elected officials.
Their concerns stem in part from changes introduced through Bill 50, the Municipal Affairs Statutes Amendment Act, which received Royal Assent on May 15, 2025. The legislation removed municipal codes of conduct and non-judicial complaint processes and prevents municipalities from creating new conduct bylaws.
Martin previously served on the city’s now-defunct Complaint and Adjudication Committee, which reviewed complaints involving council members.
Despite the legislative changes, Blais argued municipalities should still take steps to uphold standards of conduct.
“However, we believe a municipal government does not need to wait for a provincial instruction manual to assert its own commitment to integrity,” said Blais.
“What kind of example does it set when a veteran council member’s words and actions suggest that a legislative gap is a license to operate entirely without accountability?”
Blais said the posts in question go beyond political skepticism and contribute to the erosion of public trust in government institutions.
As a potential solution, he pointed to the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, which used its strategic plan to create a charter outlining leadership expectations and professional communication practices separate from any bylaw.
Blais also noted council retains authority over committee appointments and can suspend or remove members from internal and external committee assignments if a majority determines representation is inadequate.
