TORONTO: The Canadian Constitution Foundation (CCF) is launching a new nationwide search for Canada’s worst censorship bylaw and they’re asking for Canadians help. The CCF is going to be awarding one city, town, hamlet, village or region the unfortunate honour of having the nation’s worst censorship bylaw this year and has created an online entry form so that Canadians can submit their own municipal bylaws for contenders for the award.
Canadians are encouraged to visit theccf.ca/BadBylaws/ and send in their municipality’s name, their province and the bylaw they are submitting for the award.
CCF Litigation Director, Christine Van Geyn said that the goal is to get Canadians engaged in noticing censorship at the local level.
“Canada is a big place, and it’s easy for bad bylaws to fly under the radar of a lot of people,” Van Geyn said.“People often forget about the municipal governments, but from our experience, it is the small, petty busybodies of local governments who most often act as little tyrants.”
The CCF has long been involved in constitutional litigation challenging local governments for illegal, unconstitutional and censorious bylaws. Next month, the CCF will be appearing in court in Calgary and in Prince Edward Island standing up for the right to freedom of expression and speech fighting back against censorship by local councils.
“The CCF has repeatedly gone to court challenging by bylaws that silence and chill the speech of Canadians,” Van Geyn said “We will be closely monitoring all the entries to this national censorship award, and in addition to being served with an ignominious award, these towns and cities may be served with lawsuits.”
The “Canada’s Worst Censorship Bylaw” award is taking entries from January 21 until March 1, 2025, with the winner to be announced in the spring of 2025.
Submit your city to the award here: https://theccf.ca/badbylaws/
Christine Van Geyn
Litigation Director
Canadian Constitution Foundation
1-888-695-9105 x. 103
[email protected]
Josh Dehaas
Counsel
Canadian Constitution Foundation
1-888-695-9105 x. 104
[email protected]