As alt-right and anti-globalist influences make waves in municipal councils — spurring the City of Pickering to move from in-person to virtual-only meetings — Mayor Don McIsaac said the City of Orillia has so far been spared from the divisive rhetoric seen elsewhere.
On Dec. 30, the City of Pickering posted a YouTube video to its website and social media channels detailing "violent" threats it has received, as well as the actions of one of its own councillors, Lisa Robinson, who has appeared numerous times on a podcast that has described Pickering’s council members as “pedophiles” and “Nazis” who “deserve a baseball bat to the face.”
Though Robinson said she did not agree with those remarks, she continued to appear on the podcast, and she has also faced numerous pay suspensions during her tenure for cyberbullying and anti-LGBTQ+ statements.
Beyond Robinson, Pickering has also seen a tide of threatening messages sent its way from the public, ranging from emails saying the “next shot is ready for you,” and “since your town is so crime ridden and (you) don’t do anything I hope you’re the next victim,” to other emails calling officials “pedophiles” and “dictators.”
As a result, Pickering Mayor Kevin Ashe said the city will move all official meetings to a virtual format this month to ensure the safety of staff, council, and the public.
McIsaac said he has been following the Robinson saga since the beginning, but assured the situation is far more optimistic here in Orillia.
“We just haven’t really seen it,” the mayor said.
“We haven't had any meltdown. We've had situations where people want to voice their opinions and they're fairly emotional about how they feel, but I think they've been handled well, and people respected the decorum of the council chambers, and we're going to continue along that vein.”
McIsaac said he encourages the public’s input on city issues, adding he is thankful “people have been fairly orderly and respect the rules of order.”
However, some of the actors associated with Robinson have made appearances around Simcoe County.
Maggie Hope Braun, who was listed as a speaker alongside Robinson at what Pickering called an “alt-right, freedom event,” has also appeared in Tiny Township in September at a gathering of the Ontario Landowners Association attended by Tiny Coun. Dave Brunelle.
Also shown in the Pickering video was former Ontario Party candidate Gerald Auger, seen at Tay Township and Tiny Township deputations for anti-globalist group KICLEI, and who had shared a stage in Orillia with Brunelle last June at an anti-globalist gathering.
Tiny Township itself has cyberbullying issues, with Mayor Dave Evans recently stating “it is getting worse and more frequent,” though the township is “not looking at moving to virtual meetings at this time,” he said.
Tiny politicians have previously expressed concerns about cyberbullying when opposition to the new administration centre heated up this past spring, with at least one person suggesting running over council with trucks.
Among other measures, the township plans to bring forward a Citizen Code of Conduct for consideration at a future council meeting, and plans to install security measures in its new administration centre, which is expected to be complete in 2027.
“The safety of staff, council, and our residents is always a concern that I as mayor share with our CAO,” stated Evans. “We will continue to prioritize safety both now and, in the future, and we will make adjustments if needed.”
– With files from Derek Howard
