Dr. Jaquie Newman - How Some Rural Municipalities Use Power to Exclude

Dr. Jacquie Newman - How Some Rural Municipalities Use Power to Exclude

Through a chain of events, I found myself watching a previous recording of a municipal council meeting, a municipality in rural Alberta. It’s called Olds, Alberta. The CAO was briefing council (and a delegation that was there about another matter) on why the administration was recommending the municipality get out of the ‘proclamation business’. He facetiously said he advised council against proclamations because they might deny a proclamation to a cause dear to someone like 'Save the Rainbows Day' or 'Save the Pandas Day'.

This prompted me to inquire around my own area in rural Ontario. Was this something municipalities were using to avoid supporting specifically Pride events? (Baring some closeness to Save the Rainbows Day, referenced in the clip)

In rural Ontario, in the small town of Norwich, “Coun. John Scholten is proposing a policy that only federal, provincial and municipal flags be flown on any Norwich Township property and that only banners related to the "promotion of downtown businesses or for downtown beautification" be installed on township streetlight poles.” (Source: CBC London)

Let's be honest, this is simply exclusion. An attempt to side step an uncomfortable and perhaps contentious issue.

I decided to ask Dr. Jacquie Newman from Western University in London, Ontario her thoughts about what this means.

Dr. Newman is a Professor in the Department of Politics and International Relations at King’s University College at the Western University in London Ontario. She writes and researches on topics of gender and politics. Currently, she is undertaking a research program, “This is Where I Do My Work” which examines the motivations and commitments of women municipal councillors.

We also talk about how women councillors approach equity deserving topics and that adding women of colour to councils brings a positive outcome for all equity deserving groups.

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