Halifax Mayor Andy Fillmore engaged in discussions with a representative from Uber a day prior to persuading the council to postpone a vote on a measure aimed at enhancing supervision of ride-hailing drivers, according to newly disclosed records. The documents, acquired by The Canadian Press, unveiled that lobbyist Jonathan Hamel presented his case to Fillmore on Jan. 12, urging him to resist proposed bylaw alterations that sought to streamline the handling of background checks for ride-hailing drivers and traditional taxi and limo drivers.
Within the 40 pages of materials, a presentation showcased Uber’s safety protocols and community contributions while strongly criticizing the suggested amendment. Notably, the absence of a lobbyist registry in the municipality meant that the details of the meeting and associated communications would not have been divulged to the public without a formal freedom-of-information request.
The documents further revealed significant email exchanges between Hamel, the public affairs manager for Uber Canada in Quebec, and senior officials in Fillmore’s office between October and November 2025 as the council geared up to discuss recommended changes from a staff report. The report highlighted the disparity in the existing regulations where taxi and limo drivers must submit all background check results to the Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM) for review, while ride-hailing drivers were exempt from this requirement, as their checks were internally reviewed by the companies.
As part of an overarching effort to modernize the region’s ride-for-hire sector, the staff report proposed that ride-hailing drivers adhere to the same screening standards as their taxi counterparts. In response to this, Hamel corresponded with the mayor’s office on Nov. 19, 2025, asserting that Halifax’s current screening processes were already the most rigorous in Canada.
While there were no implications of any rule violations in Uber’s advocacy efforts, the documents shed light on the company’s concerted push to maintain the status quo on background checks. Uber contended that municipal authorities had the ability, under a data-sharing agreement, to request any background checks. However, the region’s licensing manager confirmed in January that staff had never made such a request, a point of concern during the deliberations.
During a council meeting on Jan. 13, Fillmore successfully secured approval to defer the discussion on the matter to a subsequent council session. Subsequently, on Jan. 26, Uber’s spokesperson endorsed the mayor’s proposal to establish a committee to assess HRM’s public policy objectives in comparison with national best practices, particularly focusing on training, auditing, and compliance models.
At the subsequent council meeting on Jan. 27, Fillmore proposed tabling the changes and setting up the committee, a move that the council ratified. The motion put forth by Fillmore indicated the influence of Uber, with a portion of it closely resembling a segment of a statement issued by Uber’s spokesperson the day before.
In response to queries, Fillmore’s office emphasized the mayor’s consistent commitment to safety requirements for ride-hailing drivers within the existing framework. Notably, Coun. Sam Austin, one of the dissenting councillors, highlighted the need for uniformity in background check rules to level the playing field between the taxi industry and ride-hailing companies, emphasizing the need for enhanced scrutiny.
The discourse surrounding background checks coincides with heightened scrutiny of Uber in the United States, where the company faces legal actions related to sexual assault and harassment allegations against drivers. Despite these challenges, Uber maintains its commitment to safety through various measures, including GPS tracking and encrypted audio recording, to enhance the safety of its services.