‘Negatively impacted’: Councillors hear from people on both sides of public spaces bylaw

A proposed new rule book for public behaviour in Edmonton was scrutinized and praised at city hall on Monday as city councillors heard conflicting viewpoints from Edmontonians on safety in public spaces.

More than 50 people signed up to share their opinions with city councillors during a community and public services committee meeting that was set to run late into the evening. The bylaw would ban spitting, visible drug use, panhandling near roads, biking or riding skateboards on sidewalks except for youth under 14, and feeding wildlife including birds and cats in public, among other issues.

Article content

Opposition ranged from fears of harm to homeless Edmontonians and limits to freedom of expression with protests, to support from business groups who say their staff and customers don’t feel safe in areas including Downtown. Councillors did not decide whether to proceed with the current version of the public spaces bylaw by print deadline.

Renée Vaugeois, director at the John Humphrey Centre for Peace and Human Rights and a member of the Edmonton Police Commission, said relying on enforcement by peace officers will disproportionately harm people who are unhoused, live with disabilities or face mental health challenges.

“While the bylaw aims to create safe, vibrant and equitable public spaces, I think it’s current form risks reinforcing some systemic harm and creating administrative inefficiencies as well as overburdening our bylaw enforcement,” she told councillors.

“I think the $500 fine for public urination and defecation are punitive, especially when access to public restrooms is limited. This will not only disproportionately affect unhoused individuals but also people like seniors, new mothers and people with disabilities, especially with gastrointestinal issues.”

Article content

Article content

The requirement that special events, including protests, with 100 or more people need to get a permit was also an issue for speakers.

Vaugeois said the rules  “risks creating a chilling effect” for communities that may not gather out of fear of fines while also adding adminstrative burden to the city to manage permits, fines and collections.

Hannah Gelderman with Climate Justice Edmonton said the limits are “deeply disturbing” and it’s unreasonable to require grassroots groups to apply for permits six weeks in advance.

“Restricting Edmontonians abilities to collectively express our beliefs is an unjust limitation on participation in our democracy,” Gelderman said. “Gathering for rallies, marches and protests are a necessary part of social change movements.”

Tristan Dell, a student at the University of Alberta speaking on behalf of Edmonton Youth for Climate, said people who don’t have homes have limited options: “If you don’t have housing, your entire life is lived in public spaces. People shelter in transit because they are desperate and have nowhere to go.”

Article content

Judith Gale with Bear Claw Patrol called on councillors to reflect on the impact on the most vulnerable.

“We are talking about real human beings here,” she said. “We have to start taking care of our most vulnerable and stop treating them like untouchables.”

Another speaker opposed the restrictions on feeding feral cats in public places. Shelby Falconer with Edmonton Cold Weather Animal Rescue called the ban “completely incomprehensible.”

“The idea we need permission to help dying animals is absurd,” she said. “By reclassifying these animals as wildlife, this bylaw is effectively sentencing them to death.”

Speakers opposed

But Ian O’Donnell who lives and works Downtown called for the city to proceed.

O’Donnell said his family members are afraid to visit Downtown or use transit, and he is often exposed to drug use when accessing LRT stations.

“It feels like we should simply accept this infringement on our health and wellbeing and experience simply by wanting to use public transit, walk on Jasper Avenue or visit the Winspear because of our reasonable expectations of safety for us, our coworkers, our families, and those visiting Edmonton.”

Article content

But most speakers in the morning and early afternoon in favour largely represented business groups.

Heather Thomson, a vice-president for the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce, said the bylaw will make city spaces safer for everyone. Businesses are spending thousands of dollars on security and their staff do not feel safe, she said.

“We need to balance the needs of all residents, and we just don’t feel like that’s happening right now,” she told council. “(The bylaw) acknowledges the need for public spaces to be inclusive but also aims to create environments where everyone, and all individuals, marginalized or not, feel safe and respected.”

Cheryl Watson, speaking for the Downtown Revitalization Coalition, said there have been investments in making the core safer but there is still “an urgent need for stronger expectations on behaviour and subsequent enforcement.”

“The reality is, my employees, and many others working Downtown, have been negatively impacted by unchecked behaviours that compromise both their safety and their ability to navigate our city streets.”

Article content

lboothby@postmedia.com

@laurby

Bookmark our website and support our journalism: Don’t miss the news you need to know — add EdmontonJournal.com and EdmontonSun.com to your bookmarks and sign up for our newsletters.

You can also support our journalism by becoming a digital subscriber. Subscribers gain unlimited access to The Edmonton Journal, Edmonton Sun, National Post and 13 other Canadian news sites. The Edmonton Journal | The Edmonton Sun

Article content