Toronto councillors vow to back Brampton mayor's opposition to 'discriminatory' Quebec law
A pair of Toronto city councillors say they will introduce a motion to help push forward a local effort to fight a Quebec law that critics have called discriminatory.
The comments come as Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown sent a letter to Canada’s mayors urging them to stand up against Bill 21, a piece of legislation that bans civil servants from wearing religious symbols.
The bill, which was passed in 2019, received national attention last week when a Grade 3 teacher in Chelsea, Que., was removed from her job for wearing a hijab.
On Wednesday, Brampton’s city council approved $100,000 in financial support to a legal challenge against the province of Quebec, spearheaded by three organizations—The National Council of Canadian Muslims, the World Sikh Organization of Canada and the Canadian Civil Liberties Association.
“Bill 21 is discriminatory,” Brown said in a statement Wednesday. “As elected leaders, we must never trade foundational principles for electoral purposes that undermine the country at large. Religious freedom is a foundational principle that we must stand up for, and I thank City Council for standing up for what is right.”
On NEWSTALK 1010's Moore in the Morning, Toronto’s Deputy Mayor Michael Thompson commended Brown for issuing a call to action for municipalities across the country, asking them to donate funds to help fight Bill 21 in court.
"(Prime Minister Justin) Trudeau is not doing anything about it, Erin (O'Toole) is not doing anything about it, Jagmeet (Singh) is not doing anything about it, so Patrick has taken this on, because obviously, he has a constituency there that feels that they're being discriminated against, and rightfully so, and it's unfair, it's unjust," Thompson said, adding that he is prepared to put forward a motion asking the City of Toronto to join Brown and other mayors in supporting Bill 21’s challenge.
Councillor Shelley Carroll told NEWSTALK1010 that said she would second the motion.
"This is a reminder that many times in history, it's been at the municipal level where you have more local reach, and you have a sense of what concerns people and what they're worried about that, that sometimes these leadership moves come," Carroll said.
Thompson added that it's critical for a city as diverse as Toronto to speak out when they believe wrongdoing is occurring.
"We are the most multicultural city in the world, if we don't take a position on this, quite frankly, I think that it really defeats that idea in terms of sort of bringing people together and respecting people's individual rights," Thompson said. "I think that we really need to take a position. It's not healthy just to leave it the way it is."
Just moments after the exchange on Moore in the Morning, Brown joined the show to commend the Toronto councillors for tossing their support behind him.
He said that he spoke with Toronto Mayor John Tory Wedneaday night and he said the city “would look at ways to step up and support the legal fight.”
“This can really level the playing field when you have groups like the National Council of Canadian Muslims, the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, the World Sikh Organization, essentially fundraising… in a fight against the Quebec government with unlimited legal resources. It's not a fair fight, it's not going to be a fair fight in the Supreme Court,” Brown said.
Brown says legal resources make a huge difference in court challenges, so if municipalities can help shoulder the burden of fighting this law, they should.
“I think if Canada's big cities step up and fill the void, where the government of Canada has been absent, we can make this a fair fight, and do our best to defend the Charter.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Lanny McDonald and a few old Flames take the Stanley Cup on a surprise visit to the man who saved his life
The Stanley Cup was passing through town Friday, and Lanny Legend took it upon himself to take it for a surprise visit.
Bathroom break nearly derails $22 million project at city council meeting
A brief break during Wednesday's city council meeting in Saskatoon nearly cost the city dearly.
Chad Daybell sentenced to death for killing wife and girlfriend’s two children in jury decision
Jurors resumed deliberations Saturday on whether a man should be sentenced to death after being convicted days earlier of the murders of his wife and his girlfriend’s two youngest children in Idaho.
Robert Pickton stabbed with toothbrush and broken broom handle: victim's family
The family of one of Robert Pickton's victims says the convicted serial killer suffered an incredibly violent death at the hands of another inmate.
Father who killed one-year-old son with axe may be allowed to travel in southwestern Ontario
A Mennonite father who killed his one-year-old son with an axe may be allowed to travel to parts of southern Ontario in the coming months
'It feels like freedom': Why some Albertans like going nude in nature
Few people can say they accidentally purchased a nude beach — but Shelley can. When she saw a piece of land she could fondly remember camping on was up for sale, she inquired about it and ended up purchasing it. She soon found that there were already inhabitants on it.
This Calgary home has a giant tree in the middle, and it's for sale
There's a luxury 'tree home' for sale in Calgary.
China lands spacecraft on the moon amid growing space rivalry with U.S.
A Chinese spacecraft landed on the far side of the moon Sunday to collect soil and rock samples that could provide insights into differences between the less-explored region and the better-known near side.
Pedestrian dies after being hit by train in Brockville, Ont.
Brockville Police says a pedestrian has died following a collision with a train that was heading to Toronto.