It was disheartening to hear that Antigonish RCMP has an open file on complaints from Antigonish town and county surrounding the vitriol directed at elected officials by some members of the public.
More than a week after the Town of Antigonish and the Municipality of the County of Antigonish voted in favour of consolidation, the CAOs from both municipal units spoke about the disrespect, taunting, intimidation, and experienced by several town and county councillors, towards Warden Owen McCarron, and especially directed at Mayor Laurie Boucher.
In a press release issued on Oct. 28, CAOs Jeff Lawrence and Glenn Horne said they understand and respect varying views, differences of opinions, and strong emotions, but they said Boucher, in particular, has been the subject of personal attacks, anonymous voicemails, and defamatory social media comments, some of which have been reported to the RCMP.
“This is bullying plain and simple and does not reflect who we are as a community,” the CAOs said in a joint statement.
While people have the right to vigorously disagree, it’s not acceptable to name call, demean, or threaten, the CAOs said, calling this deeply troubling.
The CAOs asked that “this small group of residents” stop harassing elected representatives and that this not be condoned by the rest of the community.
The decision to move forward with special legislation for consolidation was not made lightly, the CAOs said, noting that it was a decision made by both councils, not one individual person.
While they are by no means discouraging public discourse, the CAO said it is their duty to create a safe space for discussion and debate.
The CAOs concluded by asking that before residents post a comment, send an email, or pick up the phone, to remember these are real people they disagree with.
After news of the harassment towards the mayor started to circulate, another local politician weighed in on the situation, highlighting her own experience.
Port Hawkesbury Mayor Brenda Chisholm-Beatonsaid in a Facebook post that she knows what it’s like to be targeted as an elected official and as a female leader, and said that those who choose to dehumanize, degrade, character assassinate, slander, or disrespect “will never get my respect.”
While they couldn’t confirm the amount of threats made towards Boucher, Cpl. Chris Marshall, a public information officer with the RCMP, was able to confirm with The Reporter that the personal attacks, anonymous voicemails, and defamatory social media comments have been reported to the RCMP and a file has been opened.
When councils with the Town of Antigonish and Municipality of the County of Antigonish voted for consolidation during two separate special council meetings on Oct. 20, RCMP and Bylaw Enforcement Officers were present at the Antigonish Town Hall because in advance of the meeting, some members of council received threatening remarks from residents.
Let Antigonish Decide, the community group that’s opposed to the consolidation process and is demanding a plebiscite, protested at both council meetings.
According to the group, 60 people were inside the town’s council chambers, with 15 in the hallway, and another 45 outside; at the municipal office 60 were inside the chambers with an additional 100 in the lobby.
Chants of “Let Us Vote,” and “Plebiscite,” echoed throughout the town’s council chambers from the protestors outside during the hour-long meeting.
As temperatures started rising inside council chambers at town hall when it became clear the motion was going to pass, gallery members started to lash out against the councillors who were in support of the motion.
Jack Sullivan, who chaired the Antigonish amalgamation committee in the early 2000s, was escorted out by the RCMP, but before that, he stopped at the council table and told councillors “if you’re not up for the job, resign,” which received thunderous applause from the gallery.
Another gallery member, Jack MacPherson, who was a town councillor for 16 years, kicked himself out of the meeting after he had enough of council’s mistreatment of the issue.
In a post on the Let Antigonish Decide Facebook group on Nov. 1, Sarah Armstrong, one of the founding members, announced the group thoroughly denounces the threats and intimidation reported by the town and county CAOs.
Armstrong said the group seeks democratic accountability through direct resident engagement with elected representatives on the issue of the process of consolidations which includes resident-led town halls, respectful phone calls and emails to elected representatives, debate, peaceful protest, petitions, and other legal avenues.
It’s reasonable to assume that the majority of the members of Let Antigonish Decide did not engage in, and do not support, this behaviour, and it’s obvious that a vast majority of town and county residents stand in opposition as well.
It’s also likely that only a small group of people are guilty of crossing the line during the consolidation debate, but line was crossed; CAOs from both municipalities had to plead to the public, and now the RCMP is watching.
These people have engaged in conduct that is potentially illegal, certainly unconscionable, and which poisons civil public discourse on such an important topic.
The dissolution of the town and the consolidation of the two municipalities into one unit are significant, and will impact the community for many years to come, that’s why it’s important that the level of debate be raised accordingly.
It is a hot topic and there will be strong feelings, but the major issues involved in consolidation can only be properly discussed, debated, and addressed through civil discourse, not engaging in behaviour unacceptable in any school yard.