Surrey Mayor Doug McCallum to appear in court on mischief charge

After being charged with public mischief late last year, Surrey Mayor Doug McCallum’s case goes to court Tuesday.

It’s unconfirmed at this time whether he will appear in-person or over the phone.

McCallum was charged after he claimed a woman ran over his foot in a South Surrey parking lot in September. He claimed the incident happened after a confrontation unfolded near the Save-On-Foods with RCMP supporters who had been gathering signatures against the city’s police transition.

At the time, the mayor also said he was “verbally assaulted.” All of his claims were denied by the “Keep the RCMP in Surrey” group, which described McCallum’s allegations as false, saying he was the antagonist in the situation.

Ivan Scott and Surrey Mayor Doug McCallum speak outside a Save On Foods on Saturday, Sept. 4, 2021. (Courtesy Twitter/@captainramona)

In October, the RCMP announced it was investigating McCallum for a potential public mischief charge, as questions were raised about a report he gave police officers about that interaction.

It wasn’t until December of 2021 that McCallum was charged with public mischief. On Sept. 20, a special prosecutor — outside of the Surrey RCMP — was appointed to look into what had unfolded in September of that year. On Dec. 10, the BC Prosecution Service announced the charge against the mayor.

The confrontation at the grocery store parking lot was one of many between the mayor and opponents of his plan to move Surrey to a municipal force. Surrey’s police transition has been a divisive plan from the start in the city, leading to many flare ups over the past few years.

Surrey Police officers have already begun deployments around the city, working alongside the RCMP until the department takes over at a later date.

Related articles: 

• Surrey Mayor Doug McCallum charged with public mischief

• City of Surrey to pay mayor’s legal bills for public mischief charge

• Questions remain about Surrey mayor’s legal costs ahead of first court appearance

Meanwhile, a spokesperson has previously confirmed the City of Surrey will be footing McCallum’s legal bills, citing a bylaw that protects municipal officials from legal action. The spokesperson said the bylaw provides for “payment of amounts required or incurred to defend any action, prosecution, or claim.”

However, just how much his bills will cost remains unclear. McCallum has hired high-profile B.C. lawyer Richard Peck, who was recently part of Meng Wanzhou’s legal team, to represent him.

The Surrey Police Vote Campaign has called for the mayor to be more transparent about his legal bill, saying taxpayers deserve to know how much they cost.

McCallum is set to appear in Surrey Provincial Court Tuesday afternoon.