“Everybody’s looking at the luger’s track record, says the woman involved in the criminal complaint, ‘I think they should look at Ballem’s track record’.”

Ballem has since been accused of lying to City Council, telling them that the City’s award-winning Chief Electrical Engineer, Ark Tsisserev, had resigned when in fact she had fired him. (Under the Vancouver Charter, only Council can end his appointment.) Tsisserev had apparently been raising safety concerns about Olympic venues.

Frank Kurz of the Fire Technicians Network wrote the following on his website on March 8. 2010:

“Ark Tsisserev’s dismissal wasn’t about budgetary restructuring but had everything to do with removing an individual who had demonstrated he was not going to be dazzled or pressured by political imperatives related to Olympic venues where there was a risk to public (or athlete) safety. He didn’t receive the benefit of sixty days’ notice because that would have left him in a position that may have continued to threaten VANOC’s (and the Mayor’s) objectives.”

“headed west for family fun and big sleeps. stunning ferry trip. surf beckons.”