Council voted 5-4 in favour of asking the province to 'restrict movement from large urban centres into small urban centres to prohibit the derailment of our small community resources'

In a tight vote that split council nearly in half (5-4) Collingwood council passed a resolution to have staff write the province asking for an Ontario-wide mandate to prevent people from travelling into small communities during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Collingwood council met yesterday afternoon for a special meeting, and this was one of the final voting matters of the evening.

Councillor Kathy Jeffery first raised the issue.

“There’s no delicate way to put it,” she said, adding she would like council to address “the migration of large urban populations into our small urban catchment area and putting extra pressure on our resources for our residents.”

She suggested staff advocate with the province “to restrict movement from large urban centres into small urban centres to prohibit the derailment of our small community resources.”

Mayor Brian Saunderson, and Councillors Deb Doherty, Steve Berman, Bob Madigan and Kathy Jeffery supported the motion, requesting staff include similar wording in their upcoming letter to the province about relief measures.

Deputy Mayor Keith Hull, and Councillors Mariane McLeod, Tina Comi, and Yvonne Hamlin voted against the motion.

“Sometimes it’s just about making the statement so people understand by going into other communities, you put others at risk,” said Jeffery. “I think we just have to become a lot more considerate of each other in the big picture.”

She said she wanted a statement to come from the province for an Ontario-wide mandate against travel to other communities, even for day trips. And it would not apply to Collingwood taxpayers.

Mayor Saunderson said he saw the motion as a “discussion about the continuum of social restraints.”

“It’s not a question of xenophobia or us and them,” he said. “It’s a question of the Ontario public respecting the unprecedented times we’re in … if we don’t adopt these measures collectively … then we are putting each other at risk. It’s a matter of respect, not exclusion.”

Councillor Doherty said in her work with the Association of Municipalities of Ontario she’s heard similar issues from other small municipalities during the pandemic.

On the other side of the argument, Councillors Hamlin and Comi expressed their opposition.

“As emotions escalate, we need to be cognizant of language or notions of who belongs in our town and who doesn’t,” said Comi. “This is such a complicated, unprecedented situation … It should be a time where our community can look to us to have deep empathy and understanding of the myriad of circumstances around the world people are finding themselves in.”

As an example, Comi highlighted the idea that some frontline workers are going through great lengths to find childcare and might have to venture between communities for a solution.

Coun. Hamlin said she couldn’t support the idea without evidence that there was an issue and it was causing problems.

“As Councillor Comi said, I’d be so reluctant to try and figure out who we think belongs here and who doesn’t,” said Hamlin.

Chief Administrative Officer Fareed Amin weighed in on the matter, suggesting it would be hard to enforce such measures.

“The practicality of that becomes problematic,” he said, venturing further into the future with his next statement. “When we get over this and we re-build, part of that will be attracting people and bringing them into our community. So, I think the motivation is well-intentioned, I just wanted to bring attention to the implementation aspect and the kind of message we might be sending.”

After the motion passed, Deputy Mayor Keith Hull said council’s 5-4 vote put staff in an awkward position.

Hull said he was “extremely disappointed” with what passed and asked that any letter to the province come to council before it is sent.

Mayor Saunderson said Hull’s concern was noted and the letter would be “circulated to council.”