Elected officials in Peterborough County and beyond are banding together to “Elect Respect” by signing their names to a province-wide movement speaking out against toxicity and restoring civility in political culture.
Why? Because the local politicians agree with the initiative’s tagline: democracy depends on it.
“We as leaders of diverse backgrounds are not alone in the struggle to create a better culture — a professional culture, a healthy culture — in our governance workplaces,” says City of Peterborough councillor Joy Lachica.
“It enables us to work in a productive and a positive work environment where we can make the decisions. Ultimately, it’s for the people that we need to make sure that a governance work environment is healthy, is well, is positive, and is respectful.”
At the time of this writing, among the Elect Respect signatories — the majority of whom are women — are Lachica, North Kawartha mayor Carolyn Amyotte and Apsley councillor Ruth Anne McIlmoyl, Peterborough County warden Bonnie Clark, Port Hope councillor Claire Holloway Wadhwani, and Peterborough trustee Steve Russell.
Founded by Burlington mayor Marianne Meed Ward, Elect Respect began as a conversation between a small group of women called the Halton Elected Representatives (HER) who first came together to share experiences of abuse and harassment as women in politics.
In recognition that elected officials from across levels of government and of diverse backgrounds can face attacks — despite that it is more common among women and ethnic minorities — the group rebranded to Elect Respect.
The initiative invites elected officials and civilians to sign an online pledge to join together “in standing up for civility and respect in our political spaces.” The coalition hopes to see, in the coming months, elected officials endorse and table resolutions and support for the campaign.
VIDEO: Elect Respect – Sameera Ali, Regional Councillor Ward 4 Milton
Warden Clark brought such a motion forward for Peterborough County council’s consideration at its meeting on Wednesday (June 25), which was approved by council as a consent item. Clark has learned about Elect Respect while taking part at the Rural Healthy Democracy Forum hosted in Almonte on June 12.
“We spoke about how democracy is healthy when everyone is able to participate fully and safely and contribute to our communities,” Clark says. “I support this motion wholeheartedly, and we must support the systems and dialogue that elect respect. We want women and marginalized groups to feel safe.”
Clark suggests one of the issues is that it’s almost expected that those in public roles should face harassment.
“A couple of things we say is ‘you have to have a thick skin to be in politics,’ and I’ve also heard many people say it’s a ‘blood sport’,” she says. “Let’s change that. Let’s change it to the fact that we want to treat everyone with respect and pledge to that and reject harassment, personal attacks, and focus on ideas, policies, and debates. We are a democracy, so you support the decision that is made because it’s collective.”
She adds that, since the pandemic, she has seen a change in how elected officials are treated in the public sphere, and she fears this abuse and mistreatment can cause community members to be fearful of running for public office.
“If we’re going to promote democracy, we need to have elections and have choices. If this (abuse and harassment) is one of the deterrents for people not running … I hope to stand in support so that we can maybe turn that around,” she says.
“But once elected, we want people to stay in their seats because they’ve worked hard to acquire those seats. It’s knowing that there are like-minded people around and that support is there. That’s what I want to come out of County Council in this motion: to show that respect and support.”
For her part, North Kawartha mayor Carolyn Amyotte notes she saw “both men and women” colleagues leaving office during the 2022 municipal election.
“It wasn’t because they had accomplished their goals and were finished with public service, but because they were tired of the harassment and abuse and just couldn’t take it anymore,” she says. “We lost some amazing, dedicated and experienced community leaders.”
“Who wants to run for office if they are going to be subjected to the kind of hatred and vitriol that is directed at politicians on a regular basis? Communities lose out on having diverse and broad representation when people are afraid to run for office, and our democracy is undermined when we don’t respect and protect those we elect to lead our communities.”
As an elected representative for over 20 years, Amyotte says she has “seen the decline in civility and decorum across all level of government.” That’s why, she says, she’s also bringing an Elect Respect motion to the next North Kawartha Township council meeting.
“We need to push back against the rise in toxicity and abuse that is directed at both politicians and all those who work in public service,” she says.
Amyotte adds that it’s not just a commitment to put a stop to abuse and mistreatment from members of the public, but also from other elected colleagues. She explains that, in 2023, North Kawartha council passed a resolution calling for legislative amendments to improve municipal codes of conducts and enforcement, and to hold councillors accountable for workplace harassment.
The initiative was led by The Women of Ontario Say NO in support of Bill 5: The Stopping Harassment and Abuse by Local Leaders Act. The motion called for harsher penalties, considering that the most severe penalty that can be imposed on a municipal councillor in Ontario is suspension of pay for for 90 days.
This is a timely issue for Lachica, after the City of Peterborough’s integrity commissioner Guy Giorno concluded she had been bullied by Peterborough mayor Jeff Leal following an April 2 general committee meeting on the controversial Bonnerworth Park redevelopment. The integrity commissioner also found that Mayor Leal has breached city council’s code of conduct by intimidating city councillor Alex Bierk.
However, on June 2, city council voted 7-3 in favour of a motion not to impose any kind of penalty on the mayor — either in the form of a reprimand or by suspending his pay — for the two breaches. The councillors who voted in favour of the motion believed the integrity commissioner’s report itself was sufficient punishment.
“Each and every Ontarian is entitled to a healthy and safe work environment, even as elected officials,” Lachica says. “Yes, it’s a different environment and we’re not typical employees, but within our professional world and in our environment where we work we’re held to, in fact, an even higher bar because we’re elected and we’re role models for the community.”
“That’s why we have integrity commissioners, and we have to work hard as individuals to make sure that we keep that in check. So to me, this is just business. This is not an emotional decision. It’s about doing business in a positive environment for the sake of our community, for the sake of our public, so that we can get the work done that we need to.”
Describing Peterborough as “a strong, positive, and democratic-minded community,” Lachica says many members of the public have shared that it’s important to them to fight for a safe work environment.
“The bottom line is that no person deserves to be treated with intimidation or bullying in any work environment,” she says. “There is a great deal of important business that needs to be done in our landscape and if we don’t have the healthiest, most respectful environment to do that then the public isn’t being served to the degree it should.”
Lachica, Clark, and Amyotte all agree that it’s crucial to endorse “Elect Respect” as they think ahead to the 2026 municipal election, and to encourage community members not to be too intimidated to get involved in local politics.
“It’s a time for us to not take our democracy for granted,” says Lachica, noting it’s “eroding” in the U.S.
“I think there’s not a better time (to run in an election) and if people have the wherewithal, the courage, and the analysis to get involved, it’s just a moment that can’t be missed,” Lachica says.
“So (I send) much courage to people that would run in next year’s municipal election. I think that we’re just beginning to see changes that are monumental in the city of Peterborough and we’re going to be seeing more as we come together and accomplish them.”
More information on Elect Respect can be found at electrespect.ca.
