Niagara Falls councillor facing assault charge speaks at meeting, advocates silenced

Things got a little heated at a Niagara City council meeting Tuesday after advocacy groups concerned with Bill 9 say they were denied a chance to speak about the legislation once again.

This follows a meeting in June when three women were briefly detained for holding signs in the gallery that read “the women of Ontario say no.”

Under the proposed Bill 9, also known as the Municipal Accountability Act, councillors are not required to give up their seat if they are charged or convicted of a criminal offence.

St. Catharine’s councillor Haley Bateman and other advocates are pushing for legislative reform to change this.

On Tuesday they tried to speak during the council meeting, and that’s when things escalated.

Councillor Mike Strange, who’s currently facing assault charges, directed staff to come back with a report on Bill 9 to give advocates and community members a chance in the future to speak at city council.

But things escalated when Strange mentioned the legal proceedings.

WATCH MORE: MPP’s Schreiner, Brady take to Hamilton city hall with their bill to protect Ontario’s farmland

Councillor Lori Lococo spoke up to counter Strange and ask Mayor Jim Diodati why the councillor could speak on the legal proceedings when others had not been given the chance to do the same.

Then the Mayor and staff attempted to address the concerns and Diodati asked Strange not to discuss the proceedings anymore.

Advocate and founder of “Women of Ontario Say No” Emily McIntosh says they put in two requests to speak but it was denied because it may relate to ongoing legal proceedings.

“What’s very interesting is a councillor was granted the opportunity to speak to the very issue that we were not able to speak to citing ongoing legal proceedings even though it was very clear in our written request that this was about legislative change,” says McIntosh.

WATCH MORE: Haldimand trustee could be removed from position for refusing to repay $12K after Italy trip

As for the staff report, advocates say it’s too late.

“It’s very disingenuous to say we’re going to have this staff report. They’ve had years to do that. They’ve chosen not to do that,” says Haley Bateman, a St. Catharines city councillor.

On the other hand, city staff are expected to put together a report on policy around signs in council chambers.

This comes as the Canadian Constitution Foundation says they are preparing to take legal action against the city for its policy on signs.

“We think this policy is a unjustified violation of freedom of expression,” says Christine Van Geyn the Litigation Director for the Canadian Constitution Foundation.

“We think the reaction to women at the June meeting who brought signs into council and were arrested as a result is disproportionate, heavy-handed and unconstitutional.”

The Canadian Constitution Foundation says they don’t know what will come from this report but they previously sent a letter to the city to voluntarily repeal the policy and if the city doesn’t they’ll take legal action in the coming weeks.

WATCH MORE: Three women arrested in Niagara Falls for protesting city councillor charged with abuse