Pembroke council backs mayor's unilateral decision to axe diversity committee
Ron Gervais scrapped committee in late November, but councillor argues its work isn't over
After a heated debate around the council table Tuesday night, a majority of councillors in Pembroke, Ont., backed up Mayor Ron Gervais's decision to suddenly scrap a committee created two years ago to address racism and discrimination in the community.
Pembroke's move to create the committee was lauded as a motivating factor in other communities in the region launching their own.
Residents expressed shock and disappointment after learning their new mayor axed several local committees in late November without notice, a few days after he was inaugurated — including the climate action, seniors and diversity committees.
Former diversity committee members told CBC their work is far from over.
Gervais, who sat on that 10-person committee as a councillor, justified the unilateral decision as his "prerogative" in a statement in December.
On Tuesday, Gervais put forward a motion asking councillors to support his decision not to reinstate it.
"My motion, simply put, is for council to affirm the decision not to have a diversity advisory committee," said Gervais, asking his peers to vote to "move forward" from this issue.
Who are we, frankly, one of the least diverse group of people sitting around the table, to tell them that their work is done?- Coun. Ian Kuehl
Gervais pointed to some recent accomplishments — like creating an Indigenous mural, including land acknowledgements at meetings, and the city's library getting shortlisted for the Ontario Public Library Service Awards for diversity and inclusion — as evidence that diversity and inclusion is underway in the community.
"Is this not a testament to the commitment by our city?" asked Gervais. "My expectation is that inclusion, equity and diversity are part of the fabric of the city of Pembroke, in the DNA, if you will. However, I'm of the opinion that the advisory committee ... is not required."
Couns. Ed Jacyno, Patricia Lafreniere and Andrew Plummer voted in support of the mayor. Gervais also voted in favour.
Couns. Ian Kuehl and Troy Purcell voted against it. Coun. Brian Abdallah, the deputy mayor, says he was away on a work-related trip and did not vote.
"I find what has happened with this issue in the city of Pembroke to be one of our most embarrassing proceedings," said Kuehl. "Who are we, frankly, one of the least diverse group of people sitting around the table, to tell them that their work is done?"
"Here we are trying to build solidarity, build a caring community, and we make decisions like that shooting yourselves in the feet," said Purcell.
"It was a surprise to all the councillors the committee was struck down without any engagement whatsoever. So what I suggest is we go back to the drawing board ... [and] continue the committee."
Purcell, who was slated to put forward a motion to reinstate the committee at the same meeting, withdrew it following the vote on the mayor's motion — which went first.
His motion to defer the vote until all councillors were present also got voted down by Gervais, Jacyno, Lafreniere and Plummer.
Pembroke's council created the city's first diversity advisory committee in 2021, spurred by former mayor Mike LeMay, who vowed Pembroke wouldn't be "defined by racism" after an elderly Vietnamese woman became a victim of an alleged hate-motivated assault in late 2020.
The committee's goal was to provide advice and recommendations on diversity, equity and inclusion to the city's planning committee. It was also mandated to advise the city on actions it can take to make it a safe and welcoming place for people from various ethnic and cultural backgrounds, ages and sexual orientations.
WATCH | Skip to 2:30:00 to watch council debate the motion:
Heated back and forth between councillors
Councillors from opposing sides of the issue had several exchanges throughout the debate.
At one point, Jacyno said he was "not a stranger to racism," describing how his parents were immigrants who came to Canada "after serving four years in a slave labour camp." Jacyno did not specify which country his family immigrated from.
He described being bullied "by a bunch of thugs" when he was growing up in Pembroke.
"I would not fight back. I'd come home with a bloody nose and my dad says, 'What happened to you?'" recalled Jacyno. "They were picking on me because I was from a different nationality."
He continued, saying reporters and the CBC like to focus on negative stories and "they want to spin the story that Pembroke is an awful place to live."
"Let's carry on. Why do we have to continue to focus on something that's happened in the past? Why would I continue to focus on something that happened to me 60 years ago?" said Jacyno, adding that he believes "those among us that are the racists" are "the little ones" that "hide under the rocks" and spark issues online.
"If you continue to talk about it, you're always going to have it, because all you're doing is you're throwing more gasoline on the fire."
Kuehl said he was "flabbergasted" by Jacyno's statement, calling it "the most horrible comment I have heard tonight."
"I can't believe your comment that when you were a kid, you just took it, and that's what people should do.... You take it until they give up," Kuehl said.
"I honestly can't believe that you said that ... when they're being called slurs — racial, sexual and others — that they should take it."
In response, Jacyno said Kuehl "misconstrued" his story.
"I wasn't [intimating] that everyone else should have that happen to them," Jacyno said. "All I'm saying is if you continue to focus on the negativity ... then it'll continue to fester within your community."
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