B.C.’s provincial health officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry, required RCMP protection at a B.C. Women’s Health Foundation luncheon earlier this year, an exchange of emails shows.
The emails, made public on a B.C. government website after a freedom of information request, reveal that two “unobtrusive seats” near Henry were required for officers to attend her 15-minute keynote speech on April 7.
An email, the source of which is redacted, says being at a table and facing the audience would be fine because “our job is to look/watch for threats … not to look at the VIP.”
Another email from the B.C. Women’s Health Foundation said they would ensure the seats had good “sight lines.”
Last year, Henry ran the Royal Victoria Marathon 8K flanked by two security officers.
At the time, she told the Times Colonist that pushback over COVID masking and immunizations had escalated to a “concerning” degree following the introduction of the B.C. vaccine card. She said the threats had “really been discouraging.”
Henry added there is a sexist element to the vitriol levelled at her and her female counterparts.
In 2020, the year the pandemic hit B.C., Henry said she had received abuse over the province’s COVID-19 response. She received nasty notes and unpleasant phone calls, her office staff were harassed and she had death threats. Henry had to add security to her home as a result.
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