Library blocks Tory leadership candidate

Meet-and-greet deemed too big a security risk

OTTAWA • A public library has told a Conservative leadership candidate he can’t use the facility to host a meet-and-greet with prolife supporters because the event’s “controversial nature” will lead to protests it can’t manage.

But the candidate, Saskatoon MP Brad Trost, says he believes the decision is more about the topic itself than any threat of protest.

“If this was an environmental group with a bunch of unemployed oilpatch workers protesting, I don’t think they would be getting the boot,” Trost said Thursday from the sidelines of the Conservative caucus meeting in Quebec City.

“But that’s just my opinion and I can’t really prove that one way or the other.”

Trost was supposed to hold meetings at a branch of the Saskatoon public library Saturday afternoon on a variety of topics; one of the advertised sessions was to discuss “respect for life.”

Two anti-abortion organizations were encouraging their members to attend, and in response, a protest page cropped up on Facebook calling for those who support abortion rights to make their voices heard as well.

“I can’t believe this conversation is even still happening in 2017. So we’re going to protest!” read the Facebook invitation.

At the time the booking was made, the library was told the space was needed for a “day of reflection” by an unnamed group, but last week it was alerted to the anticipated subject matter by a protest organizer.

“We’re just not equipped with staff, security, space to manage a protest against Mr. Trost,” said Carol Cooley, the chief executive officer for Saskatoon’s libraries.

“It has nothing to do with his views; we definitely back intellectual freedom and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. It’s just a matter of, ‘Can we operationally handle the event and the resulting protest?’ And we really can’t.”

Trost decided to enter the Conservative leadership race last spring after the party voted in favour of dropping language from its official policy handbook that was against same sex-marriage.

He said while there is still space within the party to discuss socially conservative views, the incident with the library suggests the public space for those kind of discussions is dwindling.

“This basically explains why I’m running,” he said. “There are people in the country who don’t want room for social conservatives to even talk about their issues.”