Canada/Ontario municipalities to combat intimidation of elected officials
Harassment in the municipal environment is a real scourge in Ontario, according to elected officials in small municipalities. The Association of Municipalities of Ontario is currently developing a strategy to combat incivility and harassment against elected officials and municipal employees.
The issue was discussed at the Association's annual meeting at the Rogers Centre in Ottawa.
The initiative is in its initial stages," says AMO President and Mayor of the Municipality of Westport, Robin Jones. The strategy under development will be unveiled by 2026.
The goal of the strategy is to promote a civilized, respectful and harassment-free environment in Ontario's 444 municipalities," she says.
It was time for AMO to address the issue, according to the Hawkesbury councillor and board member of the Association des municipalités francophones de l'Ontario.
It's easy to hide behind a screen.
A quote from Julie Séguin, Hawkesbury town councillor
Ms. Séguin believes that social networks offer citizens an easy way to attack elected officials.
They're going to have a lot of passion, and that's where we're going to get some inappropriate words sometimes," she says, adding: "When we start talking to them on the phone or in person, [...] we can diffuse the tension that comes from both sides.
In 2024, Russell's former mayor, Pierre Leroux, resigned, citing citizen harassment as the reason. Julie Séguin, in her first term as a councillor, says she understands what he went through.
The Eastern Ontario councillor believes that "we need to make information more [accessible], we need to open a dialogue with our residents, answer their questions and then be there for them.
Our residents want to be heard and listened to. They want to know that their money is being spent in the right way.
A quote from Julie Séguin, Hawkesbury town councillor
Mayors deplore lack of recourse
Roger Sigouin has been mayor of the Town of Hearst since 2002. He believes that there should be respect between employees and elected officials.
He explains that verbal abuse can be just as hard to take as physical abuse for elected officials.
Mr. Sigouin recounts how he had to bar citizens from his municipality's town hall. They come and make people cry at city hall," he explains.
The long-time elected official deplores a lack of resources available to Ontario municipalities to combat citizen incivility.
He reports that, in some cases, complaints have had to be filed with the police.
Over the next few days, more than 800 delegations and some 2,500 delegates will converge on the federal capital until August 20 for the annual AMO convention.
On Monday, Ontario Premier Doug Ford will meet with municipal officials in Ottawa.
Source: ici.radio-canada.ca/
