WINGHAM, ON: The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms announces that a legal warning letter has been sent to the Municipality of North Huron (Council) calling for the immediate repeal of a by-law banning the public from recording municipal council meetings, as well as the reversal of a related 60-day ban on two local residents from attending council meetings.
The letter follows an incident at a Council meeting on January 15, 2026, when Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) officers were called by municipal officials and directed to remove two residents from council chambers after one of them was spotted recording the council meeting on his phone.
Neither individual was accused of disruptive behaviour. Nevertheless, both residents were subsequently banned from attending council meetings for 60 days.
Lawyers funded by the Justice Centre say the Council’s by-law prohibiting public recording of council meetings violates section 2(b) of the Charter, which protects freedom of expression and freedom of the press. Courts have repeatedly confirmed that recording and publishing matters of public interest, including the proceedings of elected bodies, is constitutionally protected activity.
Constitutional lawyer Darren Leung said, “Freedom of the press guarantees citizens the right to record and publish matters of public interest, which is especially significant when dealing with democratic institutions such as elected municipal councils.”
The warning letter also states that the 60-day bans imposed on the two residents are arbitrary and unconstitutional.
Courts have held that excluding residents from public council meetings interferes with democratic participation and violates freedom of expression.
In addition, the letter criticizes Council’s decision to call 911 during the incident, noting that emergency services should not be used in the absence of any reasonable apprehension of danger. Lawyers warn that misuse of police resources undermines public trust and diverts emergency services away from situations where they are genuinely needed.
