Ottawa City Council’s joint committee approved a new Safe Access to Social Infrastructure Bylaw creating 50-metre “safe access zones” around entrance points to facilities such as schools, places of worship, hospitals, long-term care facilities, daycares, and community health centres. The bylaw passed 15–2 and is designed to protect access to these sites while attempting to respect Charter-protected expression and assembly. City staff framed the distance choice as a practical communications threshold: “At 20 meters, normal speech can be heard. At 50 meters, a person would need to shout to be heard. At 80 meters, communication becomes nearly impossible.” The zones apply only when a facility requests them, and council also adopted motions to monitor federal Bill C-9 and to review implementation after two years.

Topics Discussed

Safe Access Zone Framework: The bylaw establishes 50-metre buffer zones around entrance points of designated social infrastructure, active from one hour before opening until one hour after closing (and 24/7 for hospitals). The restrictions apply on municipal rights-of-way and sidewalks, not private property. Prohibited conduct includes blocking entrances or preventing access, and the bylaw also addresses disruptive conduct such as fireworks and noise disturbances. Penalties discussed ranged from $150–$500, with a maximum of $5,000.

Constitutional and Charter Rights Concerns: Several delegations and councillors argued the bylaw risks overreaching. Constitutional lawyer Paul Champ called it “unconstitutional,” saying existing tools already address harmful conduct: “we already have several laws, the criminal code, other regulations and also people have the power of injunction.” A key debate focused on whether the bylaw should include a categorical ban on demonstrations inside the zone. Councillor Devine argued that approach “considerably increases the risks that this bylaw will fail” Charter proportionality requirements. Constitutional law professor Jamie Cameron similarly warned: “I cannot see that a tribunal will respect a prohibition on all activity and assembly in a safe access zone without proof of harm.” Devine’s attempt to remove the categorical prohibition was defeated 3–14.

Community Safety Incidents Raised in Support: Speakers supporting the bylaw pointed to specific events. The meeting heard about protests at Broadview Public School (June 9, 2023) where people were “forced to stay inside” and had to find other ways home safely. Supporters also referenced impacts from protests near the Soloway Jewish Community Centre (September 2024) and the adjacent long-term care setting. T. Cohen, CEO of Hill Lodge, described a protest as “an aggression on the peace and dignity of seniors… [and] vulnerable people who could not escape.” David Sax of the Jewish Federation described an April 2024 incident after leaving a Muslim friendship dinner, saying police told him “he was not there to make arrests but to protect me.”

Labour Rights and Enforcement Concerns: Labour representatives warned the bylaw could affect health-care workers even with a union exemption. Karen Golden told the committee that some workers “do not have the legal right to strike” under provincial law, meaning the bylaw’s union carve-out would not apply to them in practice. Other speakers focused on enforcement discretion and unequal impacts, including the warning that “marginalized people would be even more marginalized because of this bylaw.” Staff also acknowledged enforcement involves discretion based on behaviour and context: “The officer would evaluate these factors… [including] whether the person is obstructing access… [and] whether they are on public or private property.”

Indigenous Consultation Gaps: The committee also discussed concerns about consultation. Councillor Bradley said an Indigenous elder had shared with him that he “did not support the city’s direction” and that it could be “another potential way to silence Indigenous voices,” adding the city “should be careful.” Staff materials indicated attempts to engage the Algonquin advisory circle, with a meeting planned for the following week.

Motions

Passed: - Main motion to approve the Safe Access to Social Infrastructure Bylaw (15–2) - Councillor Plante motion to monitor federal Bill C-9 and report back on compliance impacts - Councillor Johnson motion directing staff to report to council in Q4 2028 after two years of implementation - Councillor Truster motion clarifying the bylaw does not apply to unions, strikes, public activities, or labour dispute-related activities

Rejected: - Councillor Devine motion to remove Article 172A prohibiting participation in demonstrations within safe access zones (3–14)

Attendees

The transcript did not include a complete attendance list. Councillors mentioned by name included Devine, Bradley, Plante, Johnson, Truster, Luloff, Hill, and Vice-President Kit. The chair was identified as a council president, but the transcript did not specify the name.