Comedian chomps chili pepper at Edmonton public hearing while arguing climate change is 'not a huge issue'
A local comedian stirred up laughter, confusion and condemnation Monday morning when he ate a spicy prop at a public hearing in Edmonton City Hall as he ranted about how climate change is "not the end of the world."
He identified himself as "Arun Tysily" (aren't I silly) before city councillors gave him the standard five minutes to speak his mind.
CTV News Edmonton has since identified him as Brendan Washbern, a standup comedian who also played the prank on councillors in November when he joined a virtual meeting to rant about a historic house.
"We have these goofballs on the internet gluing their hands to artwork trying to protest the oilfield," Washbern said Monday.
"And I don't think anybody is really standing up for the oilfield as they should because every time you hear an ambulance or siren that's the oilfield right there doing their job."
Washbern explained that he brought a chili pepper to make his point about climate change, while councillors watched on quietly.
Brendan Washbern, AKA Arun Tysily, speaks at a public hearing at Edmonton City Hall on February 6, 2023. (Source: City of Edmonton)
The meeting was primarily about zoning bylaws so Washbern admitted he "could not find the appropriate meeting to come down to."
"I kinda wanted to demonstrate that climate change is not a huge issue because I brought a chili pepper and I was gonna eat it and show that even if something does heat up a little bit, it's not the end of the world," he said.
Washbern could then be heard chomping loudly on the video feed, which is posted to YouTube in its entirety.
"The pepper is heating up a little bit but it's not a big issue," he said.
"I wanted to demonstrate that because a lot of people say that if Canada was to heat up, it'd be the end of the world. But South America is way warmer than Canada and people vacation there all the time."
'NOT EVERYONE IS AGAINST THE OILFIELD'
Washbern later called himself an "activist" in an interview with CTV News Edmonton, and with a straight face denied that he was joking, despite the fact his Facebook is full of comedy posters and pictures of him performing on stage.
YouTube has many public-hearing-prank videos, including by a duo called Chad and JT. In one case they lobbied a local council to rename public infrastructure "The Britney Spears Toxic Water Center." They also call themselves "activists" who are "raising stoke."
One of Washbern's prank videos was recently shown on Jimmy Kimmel Live, which he also posted on his Facebook.
"I figured, I got the day off so I could do some good and show everyone that not everyone is against the oilfield," Washbern said of Monday's effort.
The pepper was real and hot and "pretty spicy on the way out, but completely manageable," he explained. He's originally from Duncan, B.C., but lives in Edmonton now.
"We have a saying where I'm from that there's no such thing as a joke," he said.
"It's hard to say, I'm a very busy guy," he added when asked if he'll appear at city hall again.
'IT WASN'T THAT FUNNY'
Councillors had no questions for him so the meeting moved on without comment.
Coun. Michael Janz later outed Washbern as a prankster on Twitter and Coun. Sarah Hamilton tweeted about "aspiring comedians" who need help with their punchlines.
"It's nice to have a little bit of levity. But it was a bit tedious because it wasn't that funny. If you're gonna come, like, be funny. And also remember that there's lots of different avenues to do satire," Janz said with a shrug after the meeting.
"It's democratic. Everybody gets their five minutes, whatever their concern."
Janz said he started following Washbern on social media after he appeared at the November meeting so he recognized him and the silly alias.
He said he hopes the comedian gets a Netflix special so he can stop coming to public hearings.
"I think everyone kinda knew what was going on. We previously had this gentleman, under other names and disguises, who likes to participate in public hearings as a comedic act," Ward Karhiio Coun. Keren Tang said with a smile.
"Glad to give him the time, but certainly we also need to carry on to the business of the day."
With files from CTV News Edmonton's Alison MacKinnon
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Han Dong resigns from Liberal caucus amid foreign interference allegations
Han Dong has announced he will be sitting as an independent MP after being the subject of foreign interference allegations.
Former prime minister Stephen Harper says Canada needs a 'Conservative renaissance'
Canada needs a 'Conservative renaissance,' former prime minister Stephen Harper said Wednesday, but he cautioned that Pierre Poilievre should wait until an election before telling Canadians how he might run the country.
Biden is coming to Canada: Here's what we know about his visit
U.S. President Joe Biden is coming to Canada Thursday evening, kicking off his short but long-awaited overnight official visit to Canada. Here's what CTV News has confirmed about what will be on the agenda, and what key players are saying about the upcoming visit.
Canada's relationship with the U.S. needed rebuilding post-Trump says Ambassador Hillman
Canada's Ambassador to the U.S. Kirsten Hillman says the country’s relationship with its American counterparts required rebuilding after the Trump administration.
WeightWatchers appears set to close dozens of Canadian locations Sunday
WW International appears set to close dozens of its roughly 118 WeightWatchers locations across Canada on March 26 in what may be part of a restructuring strategy.
Police find 2 more bodies at site of Old Montreal fire; first victim identified
The death toll from last week's massive fire in Old Montreal has risen to four, Montreal police confirmed. Julien Levesque, a police spokesperson, said Wednesday evening that two more bodies were retrieved from the historic building that went up in flames last Thursday.
Top 4 quirky consumer complaints received in 2022: BBB
The Better Business Bureau (BBB) says it receives tens of thousands of complaints from consumers across Canada each year, but once in a while a "quirky" one will take them by surprise.
What are the predictions for Canada's real estate market this spring?
The Canadian real estate market has been sluggish since last year, when prospective buyers started putting off plans to purchase homes as the Bank of Canada aggressively hiked interest rates eight consecutive times. But realtors see many edging toward a purchase once more.
More than half of Canadians OK with telling lies to spare others’ feelings: Poll
According to a new poll conducted by Research Co., more than half of Canadians surveyed said it is permissible to lie to spare someone’s feelings.
Calgary
-
Battle between UCP, NDP too close to call as provincial election inches closer: ThinkHQ
A new political poll surveying Albertans ahead of May's provincial election shows a deep divide within the province, with the governing United Conservative Party and Alberta's New Democrats fighting neck and neck for support.
-
Ashley Ryan, wife of fallen EPS officer, drops puck at charity game for mental health
Wearing her husband's police jacket, Ashley Ryan walked to centre ice at a charity hockey game in Spruce Grove, Alta., Wednesday night. She, a paramedic, then dropped the puck on the matchup that Brett was planning to referee.
-
Only 27 per cent of Alberta knee replacement surgeries were done on time in 2022: CIHI
If you were an Albertan waiting for a knee replacement in 2022 and you're still waiting, you're not alone.
Saskatoon
-
Sask. projects $1B surplus, will use cash to pay debt instead of further funding boosts
Saskatchewan is projecting a $1 billion surplus in the coming year and plans to spend just as much in paying down the province's debt.
-
Accused in Ally Moosehunter homicide cross-examined by the crown
The man charged with first-degree murder in the death of Ally Moosehunter took the stand Wednesday for cross-examination by the crown.
-
Funding for distance learning, capital projects included in record $3.1B education budget
The Government of Saskatchewan is committing over $20 million for online learning as part of its record $3.1 billion education budget for the 2023-2024 fiscal year.
Regina
-
Sask. projects $1B surplus, will use cash to pay debt instead of further funding boosts
Saskatchewan is projecting a $1 billion surplus in the coming year and plans to spend just as much in paying down the province's debt.
-
Sask. finance minister cautions against using surplus to fund overburdened health system
Saskatchewan’s healthcare spending will rise to record levels in the 2023-24 provincial budget but, after adjusting for inflation, critics say the boost is weaker than advertised.
-
Funding for distance learning, capital projects included in record $3.1B education budget
The Government of Saskatchewan is committing over $20 million for online learning as part of its record $3.1 billion education budget for the 2023-2024 fiscal year.
Atlantic
-
Transportation Safety Board report on sinking cites lax federal rules on stability
A Transportation Safety Board of Canada report has linked the fatal sinking of a Nova Scotia scallop dragger in 2020 to years of federal inaction on the imposition of stricter stability standards for fishing vessels.
-
Nova Scotia Teachers' Union calls for government action on school violence
Students at a Halifax-area school where two staff members were stabbed Monday returned to class Wednesday afternoon.
-
Weather statements issued in the Maritimes ahead of snow Thursday
Environment Canada has issued special weather statements in the Maritimes ahead of a spring mix of snow and rain arriving Thursday.
Toronto
-
Ontario 4-year-old diagnosed with brain tumour after doctors believed it was a virus
An Ontario mother and father say their four-year-old was recently diagnosed with a brain tumour after doctors believed his symptoms were a flu-like virus for months.
-
'I feared for my life': Toronto man shot by police wants bodycam footage of incident released
A Toronto man who was shot multiple times by a police officer while he was walking his dog last month says more could have been done to de-escalate the situation that almost left him dead.
-
Toronto woman receives free gift, but signs contract for $7,000 vacuum cleaner
A Toronto woman said she received a free air purifier as an online promotion, but also signed up for a $7,000 vacuum cleaner in the process.
Montreal
-
Police find 2 more bodies at site of Old Montreal fire; first victim identified
The death toll from last week's massive fire in Old Montreal has risen to four, Montreal police confirmed. Julien Levesque, a police spokesperson, said Wednesday evening that two more bodies were retrieved from the historic building that went up in flames last Thursday.
-
School board welcomes Quebec probe into sexual abuse
At least one school board is welcoming news of an investigation into allegations of sexual violence at schools.
-
Plante says Quebec budget ignores Montreal's housing needs
The mayor of Montreal says she only had two requests of the Quebec government and one of them was ignored. Despite new buildings going up in Montreal, Mayor Valerie Plante says it's harder than ever for some people to find a place to live.
Ottawa
-
Sutcliffe not ruling out public funding for new Senators arena
As the sale of the Ottawa Senators heats up, the city's mayor isn't ruling out public funding for a new downtown arena for the team.
-
Pedestrian struck and killed by a vehicle in Chelsea, Que.
Emergency crews responded to the collision involving a pedestrian on Highway 105 near the Chem. Ditchfield intersection in Chelsea at approximately 5:15 p.m. Wednesday.
-
FREEZING RAIN WARNING
FREEZING RAIN WARNING | Several hours of freezing rain expected Thursday morning in Ottawa
Environment Canada has issued a freezing rain warning for Ottawa, calling for up to 2 to 4 millimetres of ice build up on untreated surfaces. The freezing rain is expected to last several hours before ending Thursday morning.
Kitchener
-
Ont.’s police watchdog investigating after Centre Wellington man seriously injured
Ontario’s police watchdog is investigating a crash near Belwood Lake that saw a 43-year-old Centre Wellington man transported to hospital.
-
'I'm going to die': Officer recalls night Beau Baker died
Remembering the night he fatally shot Beau Baker outside a Kitchener apartment on Brybeck Crescent in April 2015, Waterloo Regional Police Service (WRPS) Staff Sgt. Eric Boynton - who was a patrol officer at the time - testified he was worried about Baker killing himself or others.
-
Northern Ontario
-
Family sues OPP, others, for more than $2M after woman dies in Sudbury, Ont., jail
The family of a woman who died by suicide in November 2020 while incarcerated at the Sudbury Jail is suing police and other officials for more than $2 million.
-
An abundance of job options at Northern College career fair
Northern College said it hopes the Ontario government will consider funding its trade programs -- this after being left out of a $224 million funding announcement for skilled trade centres.
-
Northern Ont. police find driver unconscious at the wheel, motor running
Ontario Provincial Police responding to a different call March 17 discovered a driver slumped over the wheel in a running parked car on Main Street in the Town of Thessalon.
Winnipeg
-
More nurses resign from sexual assault program at HSC
A day after four nurses resigned from a department at the Health Sciences Centre, more have followed suit.
-
Major risk of flooding on Red River this spring, predicts Manitoba government
There is a major risk of flooding on the Red River this spring, according to Manitoba’s Hydrologic Forecast Centre
-
Police release picture of suspect in assault case
Winnipeg police are looking for the public's help in trying to identify a suspect in an assault case.
Vancouver
-
Sellers targeted B.C. minors via Snapchat to sell nicotine and THC vaping products, police say
Police on Vancouver Island have busted a vaping operation where nicotine- and THC-filled e-cigarettes were sold to youth at middle and high schools.
-
Poisoning suspected in deaths of 2 dogs in B.C. community, RCMP say
Dog owners in Trail, B.C., are being urged to keep their pets inside as Mounties investigate the deaths of two family dogs believed to have been poisoned with strychnine.
-
Vanier Park tent encampment residents refuse to leave
Residents of a tent encampment on Vancouver’s west side are defying orders to leave, despite being given 24 hours' notice to vacate the area.
Vancouver Island
-
Shortage of cold and flu medicine still plaguing Island pharmacies
A lack of cold and flu medicine – especially for kids – persists at pharmacies across Vancouver Island and across the province.
-
Historic Point Ellice House closing in Victoria
A well-known historic site and museum in Victoria is closing its doors due to what it calls a lack of funding. On Wednesday morning, Point Ellice House Museum and Gardens announced it was closing down effective immediately.
-
Saanich police bust ring allegedly selling vape products at Greater Victoria schools
More than $100,000 worth of vaping products have been seized by Saanich police detectives who say the items were being marketed and sold at schools throughout B.C.'s capital region.