Petition

Stop Ottawa Bubble Zone By-law

0
4,000
SIGNATURE GOAL

Ottawa Parliament Hill


TO: Mr. Mark Sutcliffe, Mayor of Ottawa, and all Ottawa City Councillors

Ottawa is the capital city of our nation and, as such, serves as a beacon of our democratic rights and institutions. Your privilege and responsibility, as Ottawa City Councillors, is to guard this heritage. However, with the recent proposal of a new “bubble zone by-law” (the “Vulnerable Social Infrastructure By-law”), that heritage is under threat.

This far-reaching, undemocratic by-law could restrict lawful protests, demonstrations, rallies, and even conversation and prayer in a 100-metre radius around thousands of locations across the city, encompassing entire city blocks in some cases. Citizens will not be free to express themselves in these public spaces. It will be up to the subjective whims of by-law officers whether a person is saying the “wrong” words, holding the “wrong” sign, or praying the “wrong” prayer within these speech-suppression zones, with outrageous fines of up to $100,000 levied.

If the only purpose of this by-law is to stop criminal activity, as some claim, then it is absolutely redundant. Since the Criminal Code of Canada already prohibits harassment, threats, incitement of violence, and hate crimes, police have the power to halt unlawful protests and to arrest dangerous protesters across the entire city of Ottawa – not just in certain “bubble zones”. All residents are equally protected everywhere under the current law. If police enforcement is a problem, that is the issue you must address.

Otherwise, there is no reason for a new by-law, except to restrict the free expression of opinions and viewpoints that some deem “politically incorrect” or “offensive”.

Ottawa City Council does not have the right to take away our rights in public spaces. Our tax dollars pay for those spaces – they belong to every Canadian, and we should be free to peaceably share our opinions and concerns in those spaces.

After all, according to our Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, “Everyone has the following fundamental freedoms: ... freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression ... freedom of peaceful assembly...”

According to the United Nations Human Rights Committee, it is a “‘fundamental human right’ for people to gather to celebrate or to air grievances, ‘in public and in private spaces, outdoors, indoors and online.’ ... Governments could not prohibit protests by making ‘generalised references to public order or public safety, or an unspecified risk of potential violence.’”

Therefore, I call on you to reject the “bubble zone by-law” (the “Vulnerable Social Infrastructure By-law”) and to affirm your commitment to guard the rights and freedoms of all Canadians all across the entire city of Ottawa. Anything less is an affront to the heritage of our nation’s capital.

Sign This Petition Now!

Do you wish to send a postcard?

(Note: If you choose Yes, CLC will mail a physical postcard, pictured here, in your name, to the petition target(s). You'll be asked to donate $1.75 toward the cost of postage & printing)

Postcard Sample

Signatures

Thus far 3791 signatories
Page 11 of 253
Jennine B. Abbotsford, BC , V2T6A6
Jun 8, 2025 - 11:39am
Kristen R. Ottawa, ON , K1K4C2
Jun 8, 2025 - 11:38am
I should be able to silently pray wherever I want to. And people have the right to free speech. We live in a free country and we should be able to peacefully protest things wherever necessary. Political censorship is terribly close to living under a dictatorship and not a democracy.
Anonymous Guelph, ON , N1E1W3
Jun 8, 2025 - 11:00am
Lucie V. Linden , AB , T0M1J0
Jun 8, 2025 - 10:22am
Anonymous Blind Bay, BC , V0E 1H2
Jun 8, 2025 - 10:21am
Liz G. Toronto, ON , M1r1e8
Jun 8, 2025 - 09:05am
Carmela M. Wasaga Beach, ON , L9Z2T8
Jun 8, 2025 - 07:03am
Lisa N. Utterson, ON , P0B1M0
Jun 8, 2025 - 06:50am
Anonymous Vaughan , ON , L6A2P4
Jun 8, 2025 - 01:07am
Marc L. Vonda , SK , S0K4N0
Jun 8, 2025 - 12:43am
Anne P. Englehart, ON , P0J 1H0
Jun 7, 2025 - 11:05pm
Corey M. Sherwood Park, AB , T8H 1P7
Jun 7, 2025 - 09:56pm
Anonymous London, ON , N6H 5W6
Jun 7, 2025 - 09:42pm
We are a democracy. This action is close to the fascism occurring in the states
Martha K. Steinbach, MB , R5G 2P1
Jun 7, 2025 - 09:19pm
Charles C. Pakenham , ON , K0a2x0
Jun 7, 2025 - 09:11pm