P.E.I. government quietly dropped its inquiry into conduct of Murray Harbour councillor

'It just shows that … as a councillor you have the right to do whatever you wish'

Resources for anyone affected by the lingering effects of residential schools can be found at the bottom of this story.

The provincial government has called off an inquiry it ordered into the conduct of an eastern P.E.I. municipality's councillor who put a sign on his property that some saw as an attack on Canada's National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

Murray Harbour's council found John Robertson violated multiple sections of its code of conduct when he put a sign in his front yard on Sept. 29, 2023 — the day before Truth and Reconciliation Day — that read, in part: "Truth: mass grave hoax."

Premier Rob Lantz was the housing and communities minister at the time. He hired Charlottetown lawyer Michael Drake to conduct an inquiry into Robertson's conduct in January 2024.

CBC News asked the province about the results of that inquiry and was told in a statement that the department had decided in the fall of 2025 not to pursue the matter, and no report was produced.

WATCH | Indigenous leaders, mayor disappointed province dropped inquiry into P.E.I. councillor's conduct:Murray Harbour Mayor Terry White said he is disappointed in the government's decision.

"It all boils back to the province because they're in charge of the whole thing," he said. "We take our direction from them."

Murray Harbour council followed P.E.I.'s Municipal Government Act when the incident happened. Robertson was suspended for six months, ordered to pay a $500 fine and to issue a formal apology.

He refused to follow the sanctions__,__ however, arguing that the sign was on private property and that its message was his personal opinion and had nothing to do with his duties as councillor. 

White said this outcome sends the wrong message to municipalities.

"It just shows that … as a councillor you have the right to do whatever you wish," he said.

"It’s not what I signed up for.… When I signed up, it was to help the community, not hurt the community."

Robertson went to P.E.I. Supreme Court seeking to overturn the council's decision, but the case was dismissed in August 2025.

Robertson had 30 days to file an application for judicial review under the province's Judicial Review Act. However, he did not do so until Feb. 16, 2024 — 90 days after his fellow councillors made their decision.

His lawyers told CBC News that Robertson wasn't available for an interview, but said in a statement they were pleased to learn the province had dropped the inquiry.

"No councillor should be removed from his or her position simply because they expressed a controversial view," Josh Dehaas of the Canadian Constitutional Foundation wrote in the statement.

"We believe that the decision is a signal that it is time for everyone involved to consider this a lesson in freedom of expression, and move on without wasting more taxpayer dollars."

P.E.I. Sen. Brian Francis and other Indigenous leaders in the province called for Robertson’s resignation back in 2023.

In a statement to CBC News in response to the province calling off its inquiry, Francis said he is "disappointed by the lack of meaningful action" taken in response to Robertson's conduct.

"The conduct of Mr. Robertson was not harmless. He caused significant harm to Indigenous individuals and communities in Prince Edward Island and beyond, including by dismissing the lived experiences and traumas of Survivors and their descendants," Francis wrote in the statement.

"He actively engaged in the spread of misinformation/disinformation and the normalization of prejudice, which contributes to an environment where discrimination, harassment, and violence are more likely to occur. He also undermined national efforts to advance reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people."

Robertson is now back as a member of Murray Harbour's council, and is eligible to run again in this fall's municipal elections.

Francis said the P.E.I. government has a duty to be fully transparent about why it decided to abandon its inquiry.

CBC News requested an interview with Kent Dollar, the current housing and communities minister. The department instead sent a statement that said Robertson’s ultimately dismissed application for a judicial review delayed the province’s inquiry.

“While the comments are unacceptable and not condoned by the provincial government, continued legal challenges risked amplifying the message rather than resolving the issue and therefore the decision was made at that time not to resume an inquiry,” the statement reads.

“Given the democratic authority of elected local governments, the powers given to the minister under the Municipal Government Act are considered on a case-by-case basis.”

If you are or someone you know is affected by the lingering effects of residential schools, or triggered by this or any other story, support is available:

• The National Indian Residential School Crisis Line- : 1-866-925-4419.
• Hope for Wellness Helpline- : 1-855-242-3310.
• Indian Residential School Survivors Society- : 1-800-721-0066.
• Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Crisis Line- : 1-844-413-6649.
• Supports for Federal Indian Day School- : 1-866-414-8111.
• You can find additional- resources available in Atlantic Canada here- .
• You can also- call 211- to be directed to the help you need.