Saskatoon councillors approve draft of bylaw to ban conversion therapy

Saskatoon city council has approved a draft bylaw that would ban conversion therapy within city limits.

In a 10-1 vote, councillors agreed to have administration bring thebylaw forward at an upcoming council meeting for consideration.It will need to pass three readings in council beforebecominglaw.Ward 5 Coun. Randy Donauer was the opposition vote.

The bylaw would make it illegal for businesses to provide conversion therapy, which is defined as a service intended to change someone's sexual orientation or identity. Anyone providingconversion therapy could face a fine of $10,000 for individuals or $25,000 for corporations.

Additional fines would be applied for repeat offenders.

"For me the purpose of this bylaw is to clearly state in the City of Saskatoon, we stand clearly against harm to residents on the basis of their gender, and sexual identity, or their expression," said Coun. Hilary Gough.

"[These]activities are harmful to our residents, and are taking place in our community. This isn't a past, and bygone activity. And the harms are real and long-lasting."

The federal government is also looking to ban conversion therapy, promising changes to the Criminal Code to criminanize aspects of it. However, it's not clear when thatbill will get passed.

"All levels of government have an important role to play when it comes to prohibiting conversion therapy, as each level has different powers and remedies available," said Dr. Kristopher Wells, Canada Research Chair for the Public Understanding of Sexual and Gender Minority Youth at MacEwan University.

He said a bylaw would be a more direct and immediate remedy rather than a criminal charge, which could take years to prosecute.

Should theban pass final reading, Saskatoonwill join other cities across the country that have done the same including Vancouver, Edmonton and Lethbridge.

Most recently the Yukon became the first territory in Canada to ban the practice.

Yukon teenagers get conversion therapy banned in territory

4 years ago

Duration 1:59

A group of teenagers have successfully lobbied the Yukon government to ban conversion therapy, the first territory to do so.