Former staffer alleges Ministry of Transportation deleted emails concerning Highway of Tears

A former staffer in B.C.’s Ministry of Transportation alleges that the ministry deleted more than a dozen emails concerning meetings regarding the Highway of Tears, located between Prince Rupert and Prince George, a place where as many as 30 women have gone missing or have been murdered. Former executive assistant Tim Duncan said he was told to delete emails requested under the Freedom of Information Act. And when he hesitated, another staffer took control of his keyboard and deleted them, saying ‘It’s done. Now you don’t have to worry about it anymore.’ Duncan said he was also told that ‘It’s like The West Wing. You do whatever it takes to win.’ (The West Wings was a long-running television show dealing with the fictional inner workings of the people surrounding a U.S. President).

“I want to stress that this is not an isolated incident. It is my belief that the abuse of the freedom of information process is widespread and most likely systemic within the [Premier Christy] Clark government. I would ask that you please look into this further,” he wrote in a letter to the province’s privacy commissioner.