Go Ad Free

When it comes to municipal censorship, a certain Queen song comes to mind: Another One Bites the Dust.

Which is to say, a municipality that once had a draconian no-recording policy in place (both video and audio) has done a one-eighty and is now permitting such recordings.

Welcome to the Town of Whitby, Ont.

Until very recently, one could be forgiven for thinking that Whitby was situated in the heart of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea as opposed to east of Toronto.

After all, how can a council meeting taking place in a democracy be deemed a no-go zone when it comes to recording? Why was there ever a need for such secrecy in the first place?

As to why Whitby flip-flopped on this issue, it was likely due to a letter it received from the Justice Centre of Constitutional Freedoms. The JCCF noted that such a recording ban was a blatant violation of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

As JCCF lawyer Darren Leung noted in writing: “The prohibition on recording is unconstitutional and must be rescinded immediately.”

So good for the JCCF. And a tip of the hat to the Town of Whitby for not needlessly squandering taxpayer dollars on what would likely be a no-hope case.

Coincidentally, around the same time Whitby bailed on its censorship policy, so too did the Township of North Huron. The common denominator: the JCCF, which also warned North Huron that its actions were unconstitutional as well.

In fact, the councilors at this township would call the Ontario Provincial Police to arrest those constituents who had the temerity to record proceedings on their cellphones. It was outrageous overreach.

But, like Whitby, recording in North Huron is now also allowed.

Alas, the battle continues. Next door to Whitby is Pickering, where the no-recording rule remains firmly in place. Not to mention that journalists need two-thirds’ approval of councilors to cover meetings!

Rebel News found this out the hard way a few times when we failed to get “approved.” This resulted in us getting frog-marched out of the building by constables with the Durham Regional Police Service.

Make no mistake: there is still indeed a historic crime wave gripping the Greater Toronto Area. But come on: let’s get our priorities straight, shall we?

So, when it comes to municipalities eclipsing our Charter rights only to flip-flop and do the right thing, let’s conclude with the title of a Meatloaf song: Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad.

As for Pickering, it’s only a matter of time before this stubborn, censorious city goes down to defeat in court…