Women demanding measures to hold municipal councillors accountable for sexual harassment will soon be making their plea to Newmarket and York Region.
The movement titled The Women of Ontario Say No are seeking passage of provincial Bill 5, which could amend legislation to require council members to comply with workplace violence and harassment policies. Former Premier Kathleen Wynne will seek support from Richmond Hill council on it Feb. 8, and organizers say there are plans to bring this forward to East Gwillimbury and eventually, Newmarket.
Simcoe County’s Emily McIntosh is a lead advocate. After getting 22 other municipalities outside the region to support the measure, McIntosh said she feels excited.
“It’s been a process of trial and error and lots of surprises,” she said. “We absolutely have to have safe workplaces.”
The bill will amend the municipal act so that an integrity commissioner can apply to have a member’s seat vacated for failing to comply with municipal workplace violence and harassment policies. McIntosh said this is meant to address a gap, with councillors currently able to keep their job and seek re-election even if found to have harassed others.
McIntosh said she was inspired to help because of former Barrie Councillor Mike McCann running for mayor while being sued for alleged sexual assault and harassment. McCann has denied the allegations and they have not yet been tested in court.
The City of Barrie has indicated support for the bill.
“I just thought, is this is not a reality I want to live in,” McIntosh said. “It's imperative to have this legislation so municipally elected officials are held to the same standard."
The movement has not yet had York Region municipalities sign on, but it is on the Richmond Hill council agenda. Wynne will speak to the bill as a deputation. The agenda includes a member motion by Richmond Hill Mayor David West indicating his support for it, and the resolution would forward it to other York Region municipalities.
"When councillors are able to perpetrate harassment without being held to account, a toxic message is sent to the community," Wynne said in a letter to Richmond Hill asking for support.
East Gwillimbury will likely be a location coming up for a council address, McIntosh added. There are also plans for Newmarket that McIntosh said she is working on.
Getting municipalities on board has not been strategized, she said, but added they have had some councils pick this up without deputations.
“In particular, female councillors pick that up and bring it forth without a deputation and that’s very powerful. It’s also extremely efficient,” she said. “It speaks to how much this legislation is needed. It’s so overdue.”
This started as a private member's bill brought forward by Ottawa-area MPP Stephen Blais in March 2022. This is now the third time it’s been reintroduced, with the bill stalling and failing to pass as elections suspended Queen’s Park business twice.
“I equate it to a Hail Mary in football,” McIntosh said of a private member's bill passing. “So we need a full-court press on this issue.”
It is also on the City of Toronto agenda, McIntosh said, adding she hopes that approval there could get some movement on it at the province.
With about 30 to 50 volunteers behind her, McIntosh said she is hopeful that action can happen.
“It’s going to get passed because it has to,” she said. “This is a risk we can address, and the more municipalities that we get to support Bill 5, the more likely it is that this bill is going to pass.”
More information on the campaign is available on its website.
