Residents decry Pembroke ditching diversity committee but vow work will continue

Several groups and residentsin Pembroke, Ont., are decrying a recent council vote to back up its new mayor and scrapa committee created to address racism and discrimination,calling the move "embarrassing"and "hurtful."

But in a message of hope, several people of colour and members of thetwo-spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendercommunity are vowing to continue their work.

On Tuesday, councillors voted 42 in favour of Mayor Ron Gervais'smotion to not reinstatethe diversity advisory committee, following outrage from community members and widespread media coverage of his unilateral decision to get rid of it inlate November.

In an interview with CBCThursday, Gervais said his main reason for "restructuring" the committees was due to budget considerations,suggesting a lot of staff resources were being put towardthe diversity committee.

The seniors and climate action committees were also scrapped.

Pembroke's council created the city's firstdiversitycommittee in 2021,spurred by former mayor Mike LeMay, whovowed Pembroke wouldn't be "defined by racism" after anelderly Vietnamese woman became a victim of an alleged hate-motivated assaultin late 2020.

The initiative was laudedas a motivating factor for other communities in the region to launch their own.

The committee's goal was to provide advice and recommendations on diversity, equity and inclusion to the city's planning committee.

It also advisedon ways to make the city of about 16,600 people west of Ottawaa safe and welcoming place for people from various ethnic and cultural backgrounds, ages and sexual orientations.

By the end of its first term, the committee presented a 58-page inclusion action plan with recommendations for the city.

Duane Gastant' Aucoin, a former committee member who was present at the meeting, saidwhile he was hurt by the outcome, what really stung was what was said at council.

"[We] couldn't believe in 2023 some of the things that the leadership were saying publicly it was very hurtful," Gastant' Aucoin said, addingseveral residents were"very angry."

In a joint statement, former diversity committee members and several external groups includingPFLAGRenfrew County, Pembroke Pride and theMashkiwizii Manido Foundation condemned some councillors for making questionable remarks during the debate.

In one instance,Coun. PatriciaLafrenierewas challenged by acolleague for using the phrase "these people." The statementsaid she showed "complete unwillingness to try and understand why, in the context of historically marginalized groups, it is an offensive phrase."

Lafreniere justified her words by saying they weren't intended to be malicious.

"I apologize[for]how I came out... [but] I won't apologize for being me," she said Tuesday.

WATCH | Councillor's 'these people' remarks challenged:

Pembroke councillor's 'these people' remarks challenged

2 years ago

Duration 2:00

After Coun. Patricia Lafreniere used the phrase 'these people' multiple times during her statement, Coun. Troy Purcell challenged her, saying the use of the phrase "goes to show you" the work council still has to do.

In another instance, Coun. Ed Jacynosaid he was "no stranger to racism,"and recalled beingbullied growing up in Pembrokedue to his nationality. He also suggested talking about racism fuels the issue.

"Jacyno conflated racism with the bigotry he experienced 60 years ago as a child of European immigrants, and stated racism exists because we keep talking about it," reads the joint statement.

"To remain silent in the face of racism, homophobia, transphobia and misogyny in our community is irresponsible and dangerous."

WATCH |Councillor suggests talking about racism like fuelling 'fire,' colleague reacts:

Pembroke councillor 'flabbergasted' by his colleague's comments on racism

2 years ago

Duration 2:27

During Tuesday night's city council meeting, Coun. Ian Kuehl said he couldn't believe Coun. Ed Jacyno's comments, which included an anecdote about "a bunch of thugs" who bullied him as a child because his parents were "from a different nationality."

CBCviewed Jacyno and Lafreniere's emailed responses to the group's letter, in whichthey both justified their remarks.

Coun. Troy Purcell, who opposed the mayor's motion and ended up withdrawing his own motion to reinstate the committee, told CBCit was a "truly disappointing" result.

Purcell said he's concerned that if council doesn'tfollow through withthe inclusion action plan, people will view Pembroke as an unfriendly place and might not considermoving there.

Work will not stop, residents vow

Former committee members likeJulianna Morin reiterated their work is far from over.

"I'm not stopping, that's for sure," said Morin,who uses the pronouns they and them.

Morin saidfordiversity and inclusion to be "in the DNA" of Pembroke, like the mayor said Tuesday, the city needs to provide resources to make that happen.

"It's just regrettable that the city, like I said, has chosen to not be a part of this," they said. "That work is not going to stop."

Gastant' Aucoin recalled how Pembroke's motto is "the heart of the Ottawa Valley."

"Well, this heart is a little smallerthan we had all had hoped, but it continues to grow," he said."We're going to continue our work tohelp make Pembroke a safer place for all of us with or without the city."

Dorian Pearce, who headed the now-scrapped climate advisory committee, also vowed to continue fighting for changeand encouraged others to do the same.

"Many people that I know are feeling so left behind by this council," Pearce said."We need to keep the hope up. We we need to continue to believe that better is possible."

Mayor not open to reconsidering

Gervais told CBChe's not open to reconsidering reinstating the diversity committee, given the motion passed at council.

CBC asked Gervais whetherequity-deserving groups like the diversity committee don't deserve city resources, a sentiment raised by several community members.

You have to be sitting in a place of very colossal privilege to think that there are no further issues.- Miriam Mottiar

"I don't know that it's not deserving of resources but it's trying to make do with ratepayers' dollars," he said, citing other priorities like safe drinking water and infrastructure maintenance.

"We're not losing sight of [diversity, equity and inclusion]."

When asked if he stood by hiscouncil peers' controversial remarks, Gervaissaid he doesn't speak for them.

"I believe that diversity, equity inclusion has to be ... the DNA ... in the fabric of what at least the corporation does," he said. "And so certainly that's my commitment."

Miriam Mottiar, an Ottawa doctor who grew up in Pembroke and whose family experienced racism, described the mayor's comments as"delusional"and "profoundly embarrassing."

"Equity is most definitely not part of the DNA of fabric [in]the upper Ottawa Valley," she said.

"You have to be sitting in a place of very colossal privilege to think that there are no further issues and that ... we don't need to have a committee who addresses this."

WhenMottiar reflects on council's decision, she worries for her parents who still live in Pembroke.

"Most people who live in Pembroke are kind-hearted people," Mottiar said. "But ... there were times where it felt unsafe and we experienced very kind of aggressive and threatening behaviour and I don't really want that for my parents."