Northern Ont. politician rejects flying Pride flag, says it represents a 'splinter group'
A recent decision by the northern Ontario community of East Ferris, near North Bay, not to fly the Pride flag isn’t sitting well with some.
The small council voted 3-2 against in three separate votes recently.
While she supported flying the Pride flag, Mayor Pauline Rochefort stands by council’s decision.
“Although there was different points of view on this matter, we walk away unified,” she told CTV News.
“We believe in inclusiveness and tolerance and it is at the heart of our community … These are different points of views with respect to a flag, but I would say East Ferris is a very welcoming community for all citizens.”
Coun. Terry Kelly said he voted ‘no’ because the flag doesn’t represent a large enough section of the community’s population.
A recent decision by the northern Ontario community of East Ferris, near North Bay, not to fly the pride flag isn’t sitting well with some. (Photo from video)
“When we put a flag on municipal property and it’s only three per cent of the population of Canada, that’s a splinter group,” Kelly said.
“I don’t see any reason for that flag flying on municipal property.”
Deputy Mayor Lauren Rooyakkers took offence to that term.
“I am part of that splinter group,” she told council Tuesday, when she tried to have the initial vote reconsidered.
“I support people with LGBTQ and I know other mothers, fathers, families, communities and institutions support (them). So it is not just a splinter group. It is a bigger group that wants to have the flag raised. That wants to have acceptance, safety and connection.”
Bad precedent
Lynne Gouliquer is an associate professor at Laurentian University who does research on 2SLGBTQI-plus issues.
Gouliquer said the decision in East Ferris is a shame for the community and sets a dangerous precedent.
“Who aren’t they going to accept in the future? We could go down the long list of groups of small groups in Canada,” she said.
“If you want to call them splinter or whatever, we don’t have to go very far, even to Indigenous people, Black people, people of colour. Are they splinter groups too? Are we going to start saying we don’t want to accept them, we don’t want to show that we accept them?”
Gouliquer said this is a time for parents and allies of 2SLGBTQI+ – both in and outside East Ferris – to step up and voice their opinion.
“It’s an opportunity to stand up and say ‘no we’re for diversity, we’re for acceptance,’” she said.
Even a suggestion of a compromise to have the Pride flag up for just one day, instead of a whole month, fell on deaf ears.
Rochefort said she is hopeful the issue will return to East Ferris council in the future.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Woman with liver failure rejected for a transplant after medical review highlights alcohol use
For nearly three months, Amanda Huska has been in an Ontario hospital, part of it on life support, because of severe liver failure. Her history of alcohol use is getting in the way of her only potential treatment: a liver transplant.
B.C. man 'attacked suddenly' by adult grizzly near Alberta boundary: RCMP
A B.C. man is recovering from multiple injuries after he was "attacked suddenly" by an adult grizzly bear near Elkford Thursday afternoon.
His SUV was stolen on Montreal's South Shore. Then he got a $156 parking ticket
A couple is frustrated after their SUV was stolen from Montreal's South Shore in March and they received a parking ticket for the same vehicle last week.
Box tree moths have infested Ontario and experts say more are coming. Here's what to do to protect your garden
An invasive moth species is on the rise in Canada and, if you've planted a certain shrub, it could stand to ruin your garden.
Banking mogul suing government after intelligence leaks leave him shut out of Canadian economy
Chinese Canadian banking mogul Shenglin Xian has launched a $300 million lawsuit against the federal government. It’s a means to find the source of intelligence leaks which Xian says has cost him his livelihood.
Impaired driver sentenced to 7 years after double-fatal Cambridge crash
A man who killed two people in a drunk driving crash was sentenced Friday to seven years behind bars.
Online obituary business from Quebec City catching flak for posting unauthorized death notices
Some within the funeral home and mortuary services industries in Quebec say they are frustrated with an online obituary site that publishes death notices from public information posted on the internet. They claim the site is doing so without consent from the families.
Serial sexual offender linked to unsolved 1970s homicides of four Calgary girls, women
An investigation into unsolved historical homicides from the 1970s has linked the deaths of two girls and two young women in and around Calgary to a now-deceased serial offender.
The latest advice for expecting parents? Sign up for child care as soon as you're pregnant
Canada's new $10-a-day child care program is expanding, but there's growing evidence that demand for the program is rising even faster, leaving many parents on the outside looking in.