Sharon Collingwood: We need all voices in a democratic society
I met Mike Sullivan in the Fall of 2020. I liked him right away; he’s a plain-spoken man, with a wry sense of humour, and has lots of interesting stories of his time as a member of Parliament in York South Weston. I was also impressed with his knowledge of environmental issues; after his retirement, Mike did a postgraduate environmental studies degree at York.
Not long after our meeting, things started to happen fast in Stratford, and soon I was asking Mike for a big favour. A small group of us had found out about the secret dealings over bringing a glass plant to Stratford, and we were determined to mount a protest. We asked him if he would help us, and he said yes.
That was the beginning of a huge learning experience for me. I learned a lot about municipal administration and politics, I learned a lot about citizen activism, and I learned that once Mike Sullivan sets his mind to do a thing, he doesn’t stop until it’s done. It wasn’t long before we started calling him “Bulldog.”
Through his experience as a former MP, Mike saw that abuse of administrative power was at the heart of the Xinyi glass plant issue. He began looking into what had gone on in closed (secret) meetings, and established that Stratford City Council had broken the law. Both the former and the present City Council have fought his efforts to bring documents to light that prove this, at no small cost to the City.
It has been a continuing battle with City Hall to bring everything into the open, the last instalment of which was Mike’s presentation at the February 26 meeting of Council, where he once again laid out recommendations for Council’s future actions in a calm and respectful way.
You can see that discussion in Mike’s presentation to Council, on the Stratford website at the 27:28 mark, or watch this clip.
It’s a pity that the City of Stratford found Mike’s presentation to be threatening and insulting, and has now banned him from attending Council meetings for the next two months. This means he will be unable to comment on democracy issues in the public arena. It may mean that decisions will be made without everyone’s voice being heard.
Mike continues to be concerned about Stratford’s environment and the welfare of its citizens. He served on the Energy and Environment Committee, and works on sustainability issues. His past work in environmental studies and his ability to inform discussion made him a very useful member of citizen working groups. His knowledge will be valuable for discussions on on the Official Plan or the Community Climate Action Plan, which are ongoing, and critical for our City’s future. In his second presentation to Council that same day he argued for the return of funding for climate change action in the City budget, a very necessary step.
See Mike’s second presentation on February 26 on the City website at the 43:25 mark, or watch this clip.
Unfortunately, Mike will not be able to be present at meetings on the Official Plan or the Community Climate Action plan in the coming months, due to the City’s ban, which prevents him from setting foot on City property, or speaking to City staff. Many Stratford environmental activists are disappointed by this action.
Mike has also been working on housing issues, because they are related to both the environment and the conduct of our democracy. He gave a presentation that same day arguing that it was against the interests of lower-income residents for the City to allow small apartments at the Bradshaw lofts to be rezoned as short-term rentals. Mike believes that profits should not come before adequate affordable housing, which is scarce in Stratford.
See Mike’s talk on the Bradshaw Lofts, the third of his presentations on February 26, on the City website at the 2:07:00 mark or watch this clip.
We still don’t really understand why Mike can no longer participate as a citizen advocate. As seen in the clips above, he has not been loud, and he has made no threats. His questioning of City procedures were not directed at individual staff. The only remark that could be seen as being rude to an individual was his question to the Mayor as to whether he had a financial interest in the Bradshaw Lofts. When Mayor Ritsma said no, Mike immediately apologized.
Mike is a valued member of Get Concerned Stratford, and a talented spokesperson. We are very sorry that this situation has arisen, and we would like to know what the residents of Stratford think about this. You have the video evidence: the complete recordings of what Mike said at the Council meeting in February. Was the City’s response a justified punishment, or an attempt to silence a strong voice for democracy and the environment?
Please use the comments box below to add your voice.
If the Stratford City Administration’s goal was to stifle dissent and block differences of opinion and criticism, then BRAVO! You have accomplished your goal.
We have valued Mike’s work and eloquence over the years since Xinyi, and are very perturbed about Stratford Council’s apparent unwillingness to take constructive/evidence-driven criticism on board. Their recent actions heap yet another level of disgrace on our municipal government. Their apparent rejection of democratic engagement from concerned citizens, in addition to being unacceptable, suggests a continued and very worrying fear of exposure.
Over the last couple years I have advocated for enforcement /warnings in regards of the idling bylaw with little success .i have also questioned the removal without replacement of the play ground that was in old Fairgrounds with little satisfaction .
I have also questioned the CAO about of the number of City owned vehicles and their use to drive back and forth to their respective residences and only reply i got was if funds are secured monitors will be placed in the vehicles to study whether their is action required !!
Needless to say I am left with frustration
Very disappointed by this total
lack of transparency at City Hall once again . I was under the impression that promises had been made to discontinue in camera meetings to the extent. that they had been during the Xinyi debacle . However it seems that city council continues to feel they have a right to make decisions with no public input , behind closed doors or in secret .
I am most disappointed in the new city councillors who seem to have drunk the same Koolaid, when we all hoped that some new faces might clean up council after the last election .
I would advocate returning to a ward system whereby city councillors are elected to represent specific wards / areas of the city . Perhaps then they may be more accountable .
Far too many decisions are still being made in secret – this is no way to govern in a democratic society and is the start of a slippery slope .
Mr. Sullivan is a strong voice for democracy and the environment and we as citizens of Stratford are and have been very fortunate to have him speak for us on our behalf. The banning of Mr. Sullivan from council meetings for a period of 2 months is shameful. It appears that Council members may be tired of being called out for their bad behaviour in breaking the rules when it comes to in camera meetings and decisions made in-camera. This is a sad state of affairs for the City of Stratford. The Get Concerned Stratford group, and especially Mr. Sullivan, have acted responsibly for our environment and for our democratic rights in my opinion. I hope that this treatment will in no way change his devotion to his very important work.
Banning any member of the public must have a reason. I don’t see why Mike was banned.
This action goes further, though, it spreads its wings to areas of trust and accountability within our current council. Innocently , I expect them, our elected officials, to handle my taxes well,
To govern well, to be transparent and honest. I have no idea why they banned Mike or anyone else. Why do you need the presence of the police?
I’m dumbfounded. Is our council scared of something??
While I do not agree with some of the things Sullivan believes in (such as high tax spending for climate alarm ideologies) clearly the legal department is going to far and Council should rein in such actions that show flagrant disregard for citizens’ Charter Rights.
What’s next, police on horses, stopping Sullivan from entering city hall as is the right of any citizen, to partake in our democracy?
Certainly council should be directing the appropriate city staff to get the agendas and the minutes completed and posted in time, in order to ensure proper legal citizen engagement. If they consistently do not do their job – there are reprimands, and if that does not work, they need to be fired. Get someone who can do their job.
“Climate alarm ideologies…” Jeez. He knows far more about climate science than most people, obviously including you.
When people challenge and ask questions I listen harder. They are often more knowledgable than me and every opinion matters. We must listen to and not ban public discourse, otherwise we will not learn what is the truth and what is hidden from our well rounded fact checking, that will make the best decisions possible in the present situation. Democracy is the best solution we have for exercising this right. Thanks for your leadership and commitment Mike.
Hannah Arendt once commented that as soon as you cannot say something, you are already in a tyranny. I expect “tyrannical” is not an adjective that city council would welcome as a description of their recent actions. And yet, here we are. I watched the videos of the meeting where Mike Sullivan was accused of threatening “workplace safety”. Nothing of the kind occurred… not even close. Mike was evidence-focused, extremely well-informed, even-tempered, polite, yet clear that council’s administrative procedures do not cut muster and must change (based on a third party review of their in-camera meetings). Which leaves me (and clearly many others) wondering, “Why the strong arm tactics? Why is council not able to confront their own misdemeanours in a good faith fashion? Why are they choosing instead to stifle bona fide critiques from their own residents?” This is not how a democracy works. I urge the mayor and councillors of this beautiful city to do better. We know you are (or can be) better than this.