As former Olympic boxer-turned-councillor faces domestic assault charge, women-led advocacy group is silenced

A firestorm of contention has been brewing successful Niagara Falls, Ont., successful the weeks since a erstwhile Olympian-turned-councillor was charged with home assault.

Mike Strange, 54, turned to politics, archetypal elected connected assembly successful 2014, aft representing Canada arsenic a light-welterweight boxer successful 3 Olympics. On May 3, constabulary were called to a Niagara Falls location astir 3 a.m. and recovered a pistillate with injuries. Strange was charged with home assault. 

In the aftermath of the transgression charge, Strange has continued to beryllium connected council. He maintained his innocence during a July 8 assembly meeting, stating "the information volition travel out," and his adjacent tribunal quality is July 20. 

Meanwhile, unrelated to the Strange transgression case, a women-led advocacy radical was holding delegations crossed Ontario astir projected Bill 9, the Municipal Accountability Act, which If passed would springiness municipalities much tools to ace down connected negligent and misbehaving politicians. 

When Women of Ontario Say No (WOSN) requested to delegate astatine Niagara Falls assembly successful June, it had begun advocating for a caller summation to Bill 9: that immoderate councillor charged with battle beryllium placed connected automatic, paid permission until it was resolved successful the courts, WOSN's pb advocate, Emily McIntosh, told CBC Hamilton. (The projected rules could spot them removed from bureau if a bid of requirements are met.)

'An evident and achy irony' 

City unit blocked WOSN from speaking astir Bill 9. Then, connected June 17,  Niagara constabulary officers arrested 3 women successful the assembly chambers aft they refused to enactment distant signs that said the sanction of the advocacy group. 

"There is, of course, an evident and achy irony successful women being arrested for peacefully holding objectively inoffensive signs, portion a sitting councillor was capable to stay and enactment successful his nationalist relation successful this authoritative capableness contempt being charged with superior convulsive offence involving assaulting a pistillate and released," lawyer Susan Toth, representing WOSN, wrote successful a missive to the metropolis past week.

McIntosh said that during the nationalist consultation period, which ends successful August, the radical is speaking to antithetic councils to get their enactment for Bill 9 and for their ideas to fortify it. 

For instance, automatically removing a councillor from bureau if recovered blameworthy would beryllium comparable to rules applied to constabulary officers facing transgression charges, she noted. 

CAO says metropolis unit 'in a hard position'

McIntosh said WOSN realized they'd request to advocator for automatic permission erstwhile they learned of Strange's complaint due to the fact that it "showcases a spread successful the legislation."

"We judge successful the transgression judicial system," McIntosh said. "We're conscionable saying it's not an due abstraction to beryllium interacting with the nationalist successful that authoritative relation astatine that time." 

Niagara Falls unit denied the WOSN's delegation because "the existent subject" wasn't Bill 9, but alternatively "an ongoing ineligible proceeding," according to a report by the city's main administrative serviceman (CAO), solicitor and clerk. The ongoing ineligible proceeding is presumably that of Strange. 

McIntosh said the city's determination is "completely lacking merit," and if Strange does person a struggle of interest, helium could permission for their delegation. 

CAO Jason Burgess told CBC Hamilton successful an email it's not that simple because a assembly statement astir Bill 9 could interaction the transgression proceeding, though helium didn't elaborate connected how. 

"Staff was enactment successful a hard presumption and decided not to let the point connected the agenda," helium said. 

3 WOSN supporters escorted disconnected metropolis property 

Then, the arrests successful assembly chambers happened. 

Three supporters of WOSN sat connected a seat reserved for the nationalist astatine the commencement of the June 17 meeting, protesting the city's determination to not let them to delegate. The women sat holding their signs printed connected letter-sized paper, arsenic seen successful a video. When unit asked them to leave, they refused. 

Niagara constabulary received a telephone for a "disturbance" astatine metropolis hallway and were told the women were violating metropolis rules, said spokesperson Stephanie Sabourin. After a "prolonged discussion," the 3 women were arrested and escorted disconnected metropolis property. 

They were released "after the metropolis declined to proceed with ceremonial charges," Sabourin said. 

Rules forestall different signs similar 'staff are stupid'

Afterwards, Burgess told assembly it was important to uphold "decorum" successful the assembly enclosure truthful that anyone with "divergent views" doesn't consciousness intimidated. 

Allowing signs successful enactment of women's rights could pb to radical holding ones that accidental "staff are stupid" oregon "police are corrupt," oregon that are homophobic, the study said. 

But Toth, WOSN's lawyer, called the arrests "unlawful," and said successful letters to the metropolis and constabulary that her clients are demanding apologies and a committedness neither enactment volition interfere successful WOSN members exercising their rights to escaped speech. They besides requested to beryllium allowed to delegate astatine the adjacent meeting on July 8, but that was again denied by the city. 

McIntosh told CBC Hamilton they're present exploring different ineligible actions. 

Police said they were preparing a effect to Toth's letter. Mayor Jim Diodati did not respond to a petition for comment. 

Tensions roseate again up of the July 8 meeting. 

Councillor says helium felt 'targeted'

The quality website Pointer published a communicative astir an email sent connected behalf of Strange to each members of the Falls View Hose Brigade, a section fundraising group, to "fill the chambers truthful determination is nary abstraction for the women's radical to sit." 

Strange told CBC Hamilton helium didn't nonstop the email straight and it was "taken retired of context." 

"I felt targeted by the protesters [during the June] meeting, and asked my friends and supporters to beryllium there," helium said successful an email. "I americium assured that the information volition prevail successful my proceedings and I americium committed to my responsibilities successful my elected office." 

Some brigade members did amusement up, said McIntosh, who was besides successful attendance. They clapped erstwhile Strange made a code stating, "To region an elected authoritative based connected an unproven and unfounded allegation would acceptable a unsafe precedent and undermines the precise antiauthoritarian principles we trust on." 

Burgess told CBC Hamilton determination is nary contented from a rules standpoint of the brigade attending the gathering astatine the petition of a councillor. 

"The conception of filling assembly chambers is simply a modular practice," helium said, adding that WOSN called for its supporters to bash the same. 

The brigade did not respond to a petition for comment. 

Call to 'stop this nonsense' 

Strange besides enactment guardant a question directing unit to hole a study connected Bill 9 truthful there's an accidental for WOSN to delegate successful the future. McIntosh yelled retired she was acceptable present but she wasn't allowed to delegate astatine that time. 

Burgess said that arsenic of Thursday, there's nary timeline for erstwhile the Bill 9 study volition instrumentality to council. 

The provincial deadline for nationalist feedback is Aug. 18.

A Niagara Region councillor, Haley Bateman, successful St. Catharines, was among those arrested for holding a WOSN sign. She posted connected Instagram connected Tuesday that she is "beyond disappointed" successful however it has each played out.

Bill 9 "is not astir [Strange], this is authorities that's agelong overdue," she wrote. "Stop this nonsense."

Over 200 municipalities — as good arsenic respective different organizations, including Ontario Big City Mayors — have signalled their enactment for Bill 9 and for much oversight of elected officials, said McIntosh. 

When it comes to Niagara Falls, McIntosh said she's shocked and alarmed astatine however it has each played out. 

"I find it truthful fascinating the grade and lengths this municipality has gone to to soundlessness women," she said. "I deliberation anyone who is funny should ticker the assembly gathering and marque up their ain minds."

For anyone affected by household oregon intimate spouse violence, determination is enactment disposable through crisis lines and section enactment services. ​​If you're successful contiguous information oregon fearfulness for information oregon that of others astir you, delight telephone 911.