Lake Country Mayor Blair Ireland has publicly apologized for comments he made at a Jan. 14 council meeting.
His comments, which included profanity, were made following a council decision to allow short-term rentals at the Zara at Lakestone condo project. The mayor apparently did not realize that his mic was still live when he made his comments.
鈥淲hile my hard-working colleagues around the council table may not have heard the comments I made venting my feelings under my breath, it鈥檚 certainly seen media coverage and had a lot of pressure on social media,鈥� Ireland said.
The mayor added he made an inappropriate statement late in the evening during Tuesday's (Jan. 14) council meeting.
鈥淭here is no excuse for my comments and I take full responsibility for saying what I did. I鈥檓 truly sorry for my lapse in personal judgment and allow those words to come out of my mouth.鈥�
Ireland said his comments were not directed at anyone in particular, adding he was saddened that he caused anyone to feel disrespected in any way.
鈥淚鈥檝e taken some time to review the council code of conduct and ethics policy that I signed as a guiding document for this council and I will be renewing my focus on those issues,鈥� he added.
The mayor noted that he would better manage his personal frustrations to prevent a similar incident from happening again.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not about being caught on a hot mic,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 about doing all I can to demonstrate reasonable and respectful words and actions in listening to the diverse perspectives of community members and council colleagues as we endeavour to make decisions in the best interests of the community.鈥�
The video of the Jan. 14 regular council meeting has been edited to remove Ireland鈥檚 comments.
The short-term rental issue at Zara at Lakestone has been controversial. More than 100 people attended a public hearing in November 2024 with many speaking against allowing short-term rentals.
