Pickering city council moving meetings online due to threats, mayor says
Pickering Mayor Kevin Ashe has made the decision to move all city council meetings online this year due to ongoing security threats posed by supporters of one councillor. The announcement was made in a nearly 13-minute video on the city’s YouTube page on Dec. 30, 2024. The video showcased various incidents involving Coun. Lisa Robinson, along with screenshots and audio of graphic threats that Ashe claims councillors have received.
With a population of about 100,000 residents, Pickering, located just east of Toronto, will now conduct council meetings through online livestreams. While the city will still accept virtual delegations, some residents are concerned that this shift may lead to reduced democratic engagement in the city.
In an interview with CBC Radio’s Here & Now, Mayor Ashe clarified that the decision to move meetings online was not an attempt to silence Robinson but rather to protect councillors and city staff from potential harm caused by her supporters. He emphasized that the council chamber should be a space for respectful dialogue and exchange of ideas, which is currently compromised by safety concerns.
Last September, Pickering’s integrity commissioner imposed a 90-day pay suspension on Robinson for her “unacceptable behavior” that posed a risk to marginalized members of society. Prior to this, Robinson had appeared on a controversial podcast where the host made derogatory remarks about her colleagues, inciting violence and threats towards the mayor and councillors.
In response to the city’s decision, Robinson posted a video on YouTube criticizing the move to online meetings as “cowardly” and dismissing claims of safety concerns. Despite pushback from Robinson, Mayor Ashe stands by the decision to prioritize the safety of council members and staff.
Abdullah Mir, a Pickering resident and activist, expressed frustration over the situation dominating city hall discussions, diverting attention from pressing issues like the approved urban boundary expansion in northeast Pickering. While Mir acknowledges the need for heightened security measures, he worries that virtual meetings may hinder civic engagement and human interaction.
In a separate development, Municipal Affairs Minister Paul Calandra introduced a bill at Queen’s Park aimed at removing councillors from office and disqualifying them from running again. The legislation, if passed, would address workplace harassment and enforce stricter penalties for code of conduct violations, including removal from office.
Mayor Ashe did not confirm whether he would leverage this legislation to remove Robinson from council but expressed gratitude for the government’s responsiveness to municipalities’ calls for action. He believes that Robinson’s repeated infractions of the code of conduct underscore the necessity for such legislation to uphold accountability in local governance.
