CONTENT WARNING: This story contains graphic language that may not be suitable for all readers.
Part-time politician Lisa-Marie Wilson is questioning whether her public service is even worth it following the latest abuse, an explicit voicemail that begins:
“What an entitled c*nt you have turned out to be.”
The voicemail was sent to Wilson, a Simcoe County District School Board (SCDSB) trustee, on Dec. 20, following her choosing to go public with allegations of collusion at the board in a previous CollingwoodToday story.
“Well, I thought it was pretty vile. It was definitely hard to listen to,” said Wilson in an interview.
“It just made me question whether it's worth it just for my own well-being because of all the things that have happened recently,” she said. “I really just wanted to bring light to the things that happen behind closed doors.”
On Dec. 18 Wilson, who is one of three Barrie trustees, spoke out at a SCDSB meeting alleging collusion at the board. The comments were sparked by a discussion about changes to the board’s electronic participation policy. It was brought to light in October that Wilson – who mostly participates in meetings electronically – is currently living in Nova Scotia as part of a one-year temporary work placement.
“Here’s a f****ing thought, b*tch: why don’t you get your f***ing useless ass to these meetings rather than f***ing hiding at home like a little f****ing crackhead? Because that’s what the public thinks you are right now – a useless, mouthy f***ing crackhead,” continues the voicemail, which was left by a blocked number on her trustee-assigned cell phone.
Wilson said the term ‘crackhead,’ while, on its surface, refers to someone who uses crack cocaine, has racial roots with it being used in the 1980s and 1990s in the height of the American war on drugs. According to findings from the American Civil Liberties Association, at that time, Black people were targeted and arrested for drug possession at a far higher rate than white people, resulting in skewed statistics.
“I feel like there were definitely racial motivations and undertones,” she said. “I definitely felt it was hateful.”
The man's voice in the message continued for two minutes with the same message, ordering Wilson to get back to work and attend meetings in person, cussing along the way.
He concluded with: “I hope you have a wonderful f***ing Friday. Maybe you’ll answer your phone the next time, you dumb f***.”
Wilson is paid $14,200 per year for her role as trustee, plus minor expenses. As she works a full-time job, she said it’s not reasonable for anyone to expect she’d be available at all times.
“Being a trustee doesn't mean I'm available 24/7 to whoever wants to call,” she said. “This is my second term. I've never had anyone that irate that they couldn’t get a hold of me.”
And while listening to the voicemail may have been upsetting, it isn’t the first time she’s seen abuse as part of an elected position.
In 2021, Wilson ran under the Liberal banner for Barrie-Innisfil in the federal election. She remembers an instance of a person physically assaulting her son while he was trying to put up one of her lawn signs on a property that had requested one. Video of the incident was reported in local media at that time. The attacker was charged by police.
Wilson said she has made SCDSB officials aware of the voicemail, and she says they have promised to look into it. Sarah Kekewich, manager of communications with the board, confirmed the board had been made aware of the voicemail and that an internal investigation is underway.
“Although trustees, as locally elected representatives of public education, are not school board employees, we would hope that as members of the SCDSB community they are treated with the same level of respect and professionalism we expect that our employees receive,” said Kekewich.
Awful, but lawful
While she spoke with police about her issue, Wilson said she was told the voicemail alone doesn’t rise to a level of criminality.
While he couldn’t speak directly to Wilson’s experience, Barrie Police communications co-ordinator Peter Leon said the force doesn’t see a lot of calls about abuse and harassment of local elected officials.
“Unfortunately, when people block phone numbers it can make it challenging for police to follow up,” said Leon. “If there was a threat of anything particular to her well-being, (police) would discuss with her a safety plan she could follow and provide advice.”
Leon said that whenever this kind of abuse occurs, unless a direct threat is included, it may not raise to a level of criminality. He said police should still be made aware to document it in the event that it becomes repeated, and there may be a case to be made for harassment.
“Regrettably, when people hold political office, these types of things do happen,” he said.
Indeed Wilson isn’t alone in dealing with a rise in abusive communication experienced by elected figures of all political stripes across Canada, with one expert concerned that the rise will correlate to fewer people choosing to run in future elections.
Barry Woods, a retired political science professor at Georgian College’s Barrie campus, said abuse of elected officials across Canada is on the rise.
“This has become a substantial problem. So much so that you’re seeing people no longer want to run for office,” said Woods. “The selection gets thinner. Less people want to participate, and that’s really sad for society in general.”
Woods points to the discourse around the U.S. election over the past three election cycles. He said that Canadians watch a lot of American behaviour and, in North America, everyone has access to social media platforms to express their grievances.
“When I taught, political science was at least civil. Now, you can’t even have a discussion because right away the temperature jumps so high,” he said. “These types of things come from the top down.”
He cited the example of the City of Pickering, where council recently made the decision to move all their meetings online after clashes with far-right supporters of Coun. Lisa Robinson. Leading up to the decision, the city had doubled the police presence at the council chamber and paid for private security at in-person meetings. Council members were escorted to their cars following meetings.
“This is like the slide of civil society,” he said.
