When the organizer of the We Unify Reclaiming Canada event contacted officials about booking the Victoria Conference Centre, he touted invitees from across the political spectrum, including liberal luminaries such as Amal Clooney, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, B.C.91裸聊视频檚 NDP Premier David Eby, movie stars and more.

Jonathan Bower told the sales director of the city-owned conference centre last December he91裸聊视频檇 be staging the event 91裸聊视频渋n the same spirit91裸聊视频� as the Munk Debates in Toronto.

But by the time the two-day conference was held in June, the likes of Clooney and Trudeau were nowhere to be seen.

Instead, speakers included right-wing commentator Lauren Southern, Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, who is now Donald Trump91裸聊视频檚 nominee to head the National Institutes of Health, Freedom Convoy organizer Tamara Lich and Vaccine Choice Canada president Ted Kuntz.

Documents obtained by The Canadian Press under the Freedom of Information Act show how the centre came to host the event after a city official said it 91裸聊视频渃annot restrict expression91裸聊视频� 91裸聊视频� then banned We Unify and Bower from the site in future, citing 91裸聊视频渃oncerns about misrepresentation.91裸聊视频�

91裸聊视频淓vent notes91裸聊视频� by conference centre staff and emails also depict chaotic scenes, with delegates running in fear from protesters who had entered the building, and at least two calls made to emergency services.

There were 91裸聊视频渆scalating security concerns91裸聊视频� from the conference centre after discussions with Victoria Police, who had to deal with an assault allegation and repeated incursions into the centre by demonstrators, the documents say.

The documents also show the event ran at a loss for the city.

91裸聊视频淪everal team members felt unsafe and refused to work due to the nature of the event,91裸聊视频� Nathan Gauld, the centre91裸聊视频檚 assistant director of sales and events told Bower in an August email.

91裸聊视频淭hose who did work reported a chaotic and disorganized environment, which was exacerbated by frustrating interactions with you and your team leads.

91裸聊视频淚n light of these issues, we regret to inform you that the (Victoria Conference Centre) will not be able to provide venue services for future events,91裸聊视频� Gauld wrote.

Bower said in an email to Kerri Moore, the city91裸聊视频檚 director of business and community relations that Gauld91裸聊视频檚 assertions were 91裸聊视频渦nconstitutional.91裸聊视频�

91裸聊视频淭here is no justification for VCC essentially banning our organizers, delegates and speakers from the opportunity to book this government-owned venue,91裸聊视频� Bower wrote.

Bower, who did not respond to requests for comment by phone, email and text message, told officials after the event that the initial invitation list was not intended to deceive anyone 91裸聊视频渉owever, we were not able to find speakers willing to debate.91裸聊视频�

91裸聊视频淭his is outside of our control,91裸聊视频� Bower said in an email to a city official.

In spite of Bower91裸聊视频檚 extensive communications and financial negotiations on behalf of the event, We Unify told The Canadian Press that he was not the main organizer.

It said in a series of unsigned emails from its 91裸聊视频渃ommunications team91裸聊视频� that Bower played only a 91裸聊视频渓imited role91裸聊视频� in planning and did it as a 91裸聊视频渇avour91裸聊视频� to the group.

We Unify spokeswoman Candice Chapple said in an interview that the group 91裸聊视频渋s really about supporting rigorous debate and freedom of speech.91裸聊视频�

On its website, the group calls itself an 91裸聊视频渋ndependent and non-partisan volunteer organization that confronts deep-rooted challenges in democracy while defending against new threats.91裸聊视频� It is not registered as a non-profit or charity.

Chapple said the people listed on the original invitation list were all contacted.

91裸聊视频淚f we could get speakers from across the aisle, we would gladly do so,91裸聊视频� she said. 91裸聊视频淏ut in the end, who decides to attend is out of our hands.91裸聊视频�

Email inquiries to the Prime Minister91裸聊视频檚 Office, and the Creative Artists Agency, which books Clooney as a speaker, were not returned.

A spokesman for Eby said an invitation to the conference couldn91裸聊视频檛 be found, but it could have came through a channel they were unable to check.

91裸聊视频榃E DON91裸聊视频橳 KNOW 91裸聊视频� WHAT HE91裸聊视频橲 REALLY UP TO91裸聊视频�

The documents show that city officials were warned months ahead of the conference that it might not live up to its initial billing.

Franz Lehrbass, former executive director of Victoria91裸聊视频檚 Royal & McPherson Theatres Society, contacted a city official in December 2023 after receiving an inquiry from Bower about holding a speaking event at its playhouse.

At this stage, it had not been identified as the third annual We Unify conference, which was ultimately sponsored by Rebel News and Vaccine Choice Canada.

91裸聊视频淲e have no previous experience with him. Despite claiming to be quite experienced in organizing events, he91裸聊视频檚 asking rookie questions. He91裸聊视频檚 being deliberately vague about exactly who he intends to bring as a speaker,91裸聊视频� Lehrbass wrote.

91裸聊视频淗e has provided us with a list of 55 potential speakers including Ben Affleck (yes, the movie star 91裸聊视频�) and other notables such as David Eby and Dr. Bonnie Henry. But tucked into the list are social agitators such as Tamara Lich (of Ottawa trucker convoy fame), etc.

91裸聊视频淪o, we don91裸聊视频檛 know: How competent he is. What he91裸聊视频檚 really up to.91裸聊视频�

Bower had also reached out to the conference centre, where staff learned in January that he was associated with the We Unify conference only after requesting credit references. These included from the Victoria Edelweiss Club which hosted the 2023 We Unify conference.

B.C. Conservative leader John Rustad was a speaker at that event. His appearance would later become a 2024 election campaign issue when video emerged of him telling attendees 91裸聊视频渨e should not be expecting our kids to eat bugs,91裸聊视频� and warning of climate change policies eroding freedoms and 91裸聊视频渕aking us vulnerable to more government control.91裸聊视频�

Records show the March 6, 2024, contract to book the venue billed it as the 91裸聊视频淐anada Conference,91裸聊视频� while insurance was taken out in the name of 91裸聊视频淛onathan Bower Events.91裸聊视频�

As the conference date neared, We Unify was becoming clearer about its focus. It said on social media in May that it was 91裸聊视频渂ringing together a coalition of trailblazers to confront the imminent threats of disinformation, censorship91裸聊视频� and the erosion of our fundamental rights and liberties.91裸聊视频�

By then the promoted guests swung heavily right-wing, including online personalities Southern and Lauren Chen, although the latter did not end up attending.

Both Chen and Southern have since been linked to a U.S. investigation into a Russian disinformation operation that purportedly used social media personalities to distribute content as part of 91裸聊视频渕align influence campaigns in countries opposed to its policies 91裸聊视频� in an effort to sow domestic divisions and thereby weaken opposition to government of Russia objectives,91裸聊视频� the U.S. indictment of Tenet91裸聊视频檚 alleged Russian funders said.

Chen refused to answer questions from the House of Commons Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security last month because she said she was under criminal investigation.

Southern, who made dozens of videos for Chen91裸聊视频檚 company, Tenet Media, told the committee on Nov. 21 that she was given full creative control over her video content and 91裸聊视频渢he founders of Tenet Media deceived the personalities they contracted regarding their alleged source of funding.91裸聊视频�

Chen and Southern did not respond to emailed requests for comment about the We Unify conference.

91裸聊视频楻UNNING INTO THE BUILDING IN FEAR91裸聊视频�

The documents show city officials also began receiving complaints from the public about the conference being held on public property, while a public campaign to cancel the event was launched by 1 Million Voices for Inclusion, an advocacy group, in the weeks leading up to the event.

Moore drafted a 91裸聊视频渂riefing note91裸聊视频� in response to the complaints. She said the city was 91裸聊视频渟ubject to the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and there is a right to freedom of expression in public places.

91裸聊视频淎ny government decision to restrict or limit the opportunity for such expression is subject to compliance with the Charter,91裸聊视频� the June 4 note said. 91裸聊视频淭he city cannot restrict expression based on its content except where justified in instances of hate, promotion of violence, or indecency.91裸聊视频�

It was against this backdrop that the event began around 9 a.m. on June 22.

Unsigned event notes prepared by Victoria Conference Centre staff say the day started with an unidentified person claiming to be with security entering the building 91裸聊视频渨hen the florist was let in.91裸聊视频�

Protesters were occupying the entrance and front steps. Then they 91裸聊视频渂egan to move onto VCC property and follow attendees around,91裸聊视频� the notes say.

An email from Moore to Bowers says that about 70 protesters had shown up, some wearing balaclavas, and some yelling and screaming 91裸聊视频渙ffensive language to delegates and staff.91裸聊视频�

Delegates were 91裸聊视频渞unning into the building in fear,91裸聊视频� Moore wrote.

The event notes also say someone from security told centre staff that police had been called about an alleged assault in front of the building. Then, after lunch, the afternoon shift 91裸聊视频渟tarted with 911 call91裸聊视频� although the details of this second apparent emergency call are redacted.

There was just one protester on the second day of the conference, the event notes say.

The notes and emails also detail a post-conference billing dispute with Bower, who haggled over the conference91裸聊视频檚 final invoice in the weeks after the conference.

Bower told the centre91裸聊视频檚 event manager in an email dated July 17 that he 91裸聊视频減rivately funded this event91裸聊视频� and that it 91裸聊视频渂arely broke even.91裸聊视频�

The Victoria Police Department had asked for a $20,000 deposit to cover its costs for the event. But after Bower repeatedly complained, police and the centre agreed to 91裸聊视频渙nly charge for the minimum required staffing that day and absorb any remaining costs.91裸聊视频�

This was done 91裸聊视频渋n the interest of concluding this file,91裸聊视频� wrote Moore.

In early August, Gauld told Bower they wouldn91裸聊视频檛 be booking any more We Unify events.

91裸聊视频淔rom the beginning of the sales process, there was a lack of clarity regarding the event you were organizing,91裸聊视频� Gault wrote to Bower. 91裸聊视频淧ast events under the 91裸聊视频榃e Unify91裸聊视频� banner have been controversial, resulting in protests and police involvement.91裸聊视频�

Gauld91裸聊视频檚 email said the content of the event was not an issue, but the lack of accurate information and context meant the event 91裸聊视频渞equired extensive risk management,91裸聊视频� and resulted in a 91裸聊视频渇inancial net loss for the City of Victoria.91裸聊视频�

The City of Victoria said in an emailed statement that the loss to the city was approximately $8,000, but said 91裸聊视频渢he city does not have anyone available for an interview and won91裸聊视频檛 be commenting further.91裸聊视频�

Alyson Culbert, a former People91裸聊视频檚 Party of Canada candidate in Victoria, was a volunteer at the conference and said she wasn91裸聊视频檛 aware of the behind-the-scenes issues between Bower and the venue operator.

She said she thinks Bower may have 91裸聊视频渘aively91裸聊视频� believed the conference would 91裸聊视频渂ring people together.91裸聊视频�

91裸聊视频淢aybe it could have been billed more like a conservative-leaning conference 91裸聊视频� maybe it should have been billed a bit differently,91裸聊视频� she said.