The council chambers were heated from both members of the gallery and some members of council at tonight’s special meeting where Coun. Keenan Aylwin was reprimanded for a March 21 Facebook post that violated the city's code of conduct.
Tonight, the verdict was upholding the reprimand recommended by integrity commissioner Suzanne Craig, with the addition from Coun. Gary Harvey and seconded by Coun. Mike McCann that Aylwin remove the post by June 14.
Aylwin told BarrieToday that he would comply with removing the post.
“I'm disappointed that council decided to reject the integrity commissioner’s recommendation on adopting a social-media policy, but that’s the rule of the council and I have to accept that,” said Aylwin.
Aylwin added he's still willing to sit down with local MPs John Brassard, who filed the complaint with the integrity commissioner, and Alex Nuttall to discuss the issues surrounding the post.
Before deputations got underway regarding Craig's report into Aylwin's controversial social-media post, members of the public shouted "shame!" and expletives after councillors disallowed six emergency deputations on the matter.
Mayor Jeff Lehman spoke up and said that he would be voting to allow the deputations, but the will of council prevailed and the additional speakers did not get their chance at the microphone.
“I’m sorry to see this, I am voting in favour,” Lehman said. “I would be in favour of hearing these emergency deputations, I am a little bit surprised, but it is the will of council.”
The rare Wednesday council meeting was called due to city council running out of time to deal with Aylwin’s issue on Monday when a packed agenda, including several deputations on a proposed supervised consumption site and changes to the city's development charges, ran right up until the stroke of midnight.
On Wednesday, several people spoke to the integrity commissioner's report before council made its decision.
The first deputant was Victoria Butler, who told council that she grew up in Barrie and at the age of 23 was concerned with how her council was handling the issue, pointing out that within the last couple years, hate groups have targeted Barrie for recruitment.
“These people exist here and they see you, they see us and they see your response to Coun. Aylwin’s demand for our MPs to speak up against them.,” said Butler.
“They see the way our MPs have failed to do this and instead resorted to a lawsuit," she added. "Your initial discussion on this issue focused so intensely on the supposed lack of respect of Coun. Aylwin’s post, but not at all behind the reasoning about the post in the first place.”
Others who spoke included Mohammad Hashim, Adam Ballah, Dr. Anita Arvast, Donna Douglas, Sheetal Rawal, Michael Speers, and Louise Gravelle.
Douglas told council that she when she moved to Barrie in 1971 as a 24-year-old editor, she had mentors for guidance.
“I was fortunate to connect with two longtime residents who became my mentors and who helped me with two things: perspective and background,” she said. “With kindness and encouragement, they made it possible to grow, to grasp and excel at what I did.”
Douglas added she was concerned about the lack mentorship shown by the two MPs and members of council.
“My concern with this current situation concerning Coun. Aylwin, Mr. Brassard and Mr. Nuttall and with the city’s subsequent move and this motion to condemn is this lack of willingness to embrace youth and enhance it’s enthusiasm," she said.
Lehman told BarrieToday he was “emotionally drained” and “very frustrated that council ended up here.”
“I’ll tell you that I’m very concerned that this has impacted our community and its reputation and I plan to do something about that in the coming weeks," the mayor said. "And if I can involve Coun. Aylwin and MP Brassard I certainly will."
On March 21, Aylwin made a post on his public Facebook page concerning the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. The first-term councillor referenced the white supremacist attack in New Zealand, and said there are people in positions of power in Canada using racist and white-supremacist rhetoric for political gain in Canada. Aylwin urged readers to make connections between that rhetoric and violence.
“We have two Conservative MPs in Barrie that have been silent on their leader’s appearance on the same stage as a neo-Nazi sympathizer, Faith Goldy, at United We Roll Rally. This is unacceptable and it is dangerous. They are playing footsies with white supremacists who have inspired violence through Yellow Vest Canada social media channels and elsewhere,” wrote Aylwin, who tagged Brassard and Nuttall in the post and continued to urge the MPs to denounce white supremacy and offer an apology.
Nuttall, who represents Barrie-Springwater-Oro-Medonte, and Barrie-Innisfil's Brassard have both sued Aylwin for defamation, in almost identical lawsuits and retaining the same lawyer, and are each seeking $100,000 in damages. They've also asked for the Facebook post to be removed.
