Woolwich mayor wishes she'd acted sooner to stop councillor's rainbow crosswalk comments

The Mayor of Woolwich Township admits she could have handled Monday night's council meeting better and plans on doing so in the future.

During the scheduled council meeting Monday, Coun. Murray Martin said he disapproved of a proposal to paint a rainbow crosswalk in Elmira, Ont., citing the rainbow's origins in the Bible. 

As a result of his comments, Martin faced backlash from fellow colleagues and members of the community. 

Mayor Sandy Shantz, who chaired the meeting and issued an apology on Tuesday, told CBC on Thursday she now knows she should have stepped in.

"I was uncomfortable from the beginning and I wish I would have said, 'Coun. Martin, where are you going with this?'" Shantz said in an interview with The Morning Edition's Craig Norris.

"That would have given us both time to just stop, and given me time to collect myself, because it caught me off guard and given him time to think carefully about how he was expressing himself."

"That's what I hope I will remember to do if it ever happens again," she added.

She said additional training on how to handle similar situations could be a something to consider in orientation for the next term in office. 

Proposed diversity and inclusivity committee

Shantz said she spoke with Martin after the meeting about how he could have expressed his feelings in a way that was not harmful to the community.

Martin issued an apology Wednesday afternoon. He said: 

"I understand that the comments that I made at council on Monday evening were not only harmful to members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community but to Woolwich Township residents as well. I can clearly see that the statements I made were wrong and it was never my intention to cause harm."

Coun. Patrick Merlihan, who challenged Martin during Monday's meeting, said he hopes something positive comes out of this situation. 

"My sincere hope is that Coun. Martin's apology was born out of authentic regret because he realized the harm he's done here in the community and far beyond," Merlihan told CBC.

"There is a groundswell of support because of the comments what were made and there is outrage in the community and I'd like to turn that energy into something positive for the community."  

Merlihan said he plans on introducing several motions during the township's next council meeting on Sept. 12.

Those motions include creating a diversity and inclusivity committee and having sensitivity training for staff and councillors.

Merlihan said he would also like to see rainbow crosswalks in different parts of the township and hopes it becomes an effort that involves members of the community.

"I'm hoping that council will support all of these initiatives. I think this is just a starting point, but I think this could be the start of something really positive in our community," he said.

"I really am hoping Coun. Martin will support these initiatives seeing as he has recognized what his words have done in our community."