Under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms every citizen is guaranteed the fundamental freedom of expression and opinion, including the freedom of the press.
Under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms every citizen is guaranteed the fundamental freedom of expression and opinion, including the freedom of the press.
All citizens can exercise this cherished right by utilizing the press through writing letters to the editor.
Most newspapers, including the Innisfail Province, dedicate a page for letters as a vehicle for readers to express their opinions on important civic issues. Published viewpoints from readers have historically been a powerful force to create changes to questionable legislation and public policy, ultimately leading to new and more desirable social conditions.
Over the last two months many citizens of the community have expressed strong opinions over the town's recent dismissal of fire Chief Dean Clark. The Province made the editorial decision to temporarily hold back its own opinion to ensure a fair, untainted and impartial forum for readers to express their views on this critically important issue and how it has impacted their community.
The letter writing led to a delegation presentation at town council on Nov. 28. This was followed by a respectful exchange of opinions between citizens and elected members of council. It was an admirable, albeit long overdue example of community engagement.
However, what was less admirable were statements from two council members, Coun. Patt Churchill and Coun. Heather Taylor, on how subsequent vital information and opinion should be expressed and delivered.
Churchill took aim at the many letters to the editor by angry citizens that have been published in this newspaper.
She noted that while freedom of the press is one of our greatest liberties, letter writing during past town controversies did not, "at the end of the day," serve the community. What does, added Churchill, was coming to council and speaking to members -- but not through the newspaper, because, she said, the "editor wins," not the citizens.
"When you see this negativity in the paper week after week after week none of us wins as a community," said Churchill. "Please don't do it through the papers."
At the close of the presentation, delegation members and council members agreed an early January public meeting date would work for the town to provide answers to delegation questions, but not before Taylor suggested answering them by letter.
Hopefully, Taylor's suggestion will remain a non-starter, as there is a risk, even if it's just small, that the moral obligation of this municipal government to exercise full transparency on this important issue would be cast aside, with most citizens never seeing council's answers, not even this newspaper.
In the meantime, citizens may want to tightly hold onto their constitutional right that their opinions matter, whether it's expressed at a public meeting or through their newspaper's Letters to the Editor section.
The latter will always be a vital forum for free-flowing expression of opinion, particularly when government bodies, including Innisfail council, too often take for granted who elects them to office.
But citizens never forget. They can prove it next October at the ballot box.
