Collingwood is hoping the collective clout of 2,000 Canadian municipalities will be enough to convince the federal government to clarify and strengthen hate speech laws to include ‘hateful symbols.’
The town, with the unanimous support of council, is asking the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) to get involved in a fight that began with residents who petitioned the town to order the removal of a Confederate flag being from the front of a local home.
On Monday night, council passed a motion asking FCM to build on the government’s “Taking Action to End Online Hate” report (2019) and lobby the Canadian government to include “explicit recognition of the psychological harm that can be caused by hateful symbols,” as part of it’s official definition of hate speech.
Deputy Mayor Keith Hull noted there are two Confederate flags flying in Collingwood, and there’s no legislation enabling the town to have them removed.
“What is it our federal government doesn’t seem to get or want to do about this issue?” he asked during the council meeting. “They are the only ones … that can create legislation that will withstand charter challenges that are going to come down the pipe … Then and only then can we as a local municipality be able to take action and remove these symbols.”
The town’s director of parks, recreation and culture and acting executive director of corporate and community service, Dean Collver, brought the report to council on Monday night.
He confirmed having the flag removed from private property is outside of municipal jurisdiction.
“Because of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and because of the broad legal definition of what is free speech in Canada, we don’t have the power to remove the flag,” said Collver. “We need to have some methodology or tools from the federal government, provided through legislation, that would allow the municipality to take action.”
Councillor Kathy Jeffery is an elected member of the national board of directors for FCM, and will take the town’s motion to the next board meeting.
She explained that once the board supports a motion, the FCM policy advisors move forward with the file and pursue the federal government on the issue.
“I see no reason with FCM’s current policies in place that this would not fit,” said Jeffery.
She said she’s working with Collver to create speaking notes on the matter for the FCM board meeting, and noted it bodes well the matter piggy-backs on the existing federal initiative to look at online hate.
Coun. Tina Comi said she didn’t want the original issue – the Confederate flag – to be overlooked.
“For sure that will not be lost,” said Jeffery. “I would like to think … especially during an election period … of an organization representing over 90 per cent of the population and 2,000 municipalities would have the clout to make [the federal government] listen. I’m looking forward to seeing what they can do.”
The next FCM board of directors meeting is March 18, when Collingwood’s motion will be on the table.
The full motion adopted by council on Feb. 22 is as follows:
WHEREAS Canadians generally recognize of the strength of community that is derived from embracing and appreciating all community members regardless of ethnic origin, gender and sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, or faith – and in accordance with statements made by the Federal Government, individual Provinces, and The United Nations, that hate speech has no place in an inclusive society that seeks to empower its constituents,
WHEREAS It is widely recognized that symbols can have a powerful and profound effect on the psychology and well-being of community members;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that FCM petition the Canadian Government to build on Parliament’s 2019 Report Taking Action to End Online Hate and engage in the development of legislation that would clarify and strengthen the definition of hate speech, including explicit recognition of the psychological harm that can be caused by hateful symbols, and work with all levels of government in addressing the root causes of hate speech.
