City council briefs: Graphic flyers must be wrapped and come with warning

London's city council has approved a bylaw requiring graphic anti-abortion flyers to be wrapped and labelled with a warning sticker. 

Complaints about the flyers began in 2020 after people found some with explicit images of terminated human fetuses, which were sent by the Canadian Centre for Bio-Ethical Reform based in Alberta. 

The city's community and protective services committee has been working on the bylaw since last year, however it found that an outright ban could trigger legal battles. 

Instead, council voted 13 to 1 that there must be a warning that says the envelope or package "contains a graphic image that may be offensive or disturbing to some people." Ward 1 Coun. Michael van Holst was the outlier. 

Ward 14 Coun. Steven Hillier emphasized the importance of protecting people's rights and freedoms. But he said those freedoms also come with limits. 

"When we drive down the road, you know what to expect because we have rules in place to govern those public spaces," said Hillier. 

"And one of the reasons for this is that there are young people, and the images are put in front of them without consent. It's a good thing we have rules to protect them when they're in these public spaces." 

Ward 4 Coun. Jesse Helmer pointed out that the bylaw had nothing to do with the pro-life messaging of the flyers. 

"It's the unwanted nature of the communication in combination with the graphic imagery that is causing harm," said Helmer. 

The bylaw does not apply to mail that is delivered to a residence by Canada Post, or delivered at the request or with the consent of the addressee. 

Anyone violating the bylaw will face a fine of $350. 

Heritage status given to Former Kent Brewery 

City council also approved an heritage designation to the site of the Former Kent Brewery on Ann Street. 

An application to build a proposed 22-storey luxury student apartment building on the site was deferred to June 20.

Exotic animal bylaw remains unchanged 

Some members of council were adamant that London not be home to venomous snakes, spiders, reptiles and other exotic pets. 

Ward 10 Coun. Paul Van Meerbergen moved to amend the current animal control bylaw to make room for class 7 animals, the category for critters normally found in the wild. He argued doing so could allow for future business and educational opportunities with reptile zoos like Reptilia. 

Ward 12 Coun. Elizabeth Peloza was among those who shot down the notion. 

"When you go to many places, you look once for a brief moment, gazing in that cage. But for that creature living in that enclosed space, that's their entire life," said Peloza. "There are very limited educational opportunities in those situations." 

The motion failed in a 5-9 vote.