Anti-abortion ads start appearing next week
Anti-abortion bus ads are expected to appear on the exterior of two city buses, either on Monday or Tuesday. The ads are expected to feature graphic images of fetuses – and those images are expected to remain on the buses for the next three months. Although a city staff report stated that the ads will be posted April 1, city transportation manager Kevin Jones said on Friday the ads won’t actually appear until early next week. On Monday night, council will talk about the ads a final time. Then council is expected to vote a final time on a plan: They will see how the courts rule in a similar case and then determine whether Peterborough can change its advertising policy to avoid the controversial ads in the future. In Grande Prairie, Alta., a court is about to hear an appeal of the case where that city refused anti-abortion ads on public transit. The initial court decision was to uphold the city’s right to refuse the ads, which feature graphic images of fetuses. Grande Prairie’s reason for turning down the ads, from the national pro-life group Canadian Centre for Bio-Ethical Reform (CCBR), was that they would disturb many citizens. If that is upheld in appeal court, then Peterborough could change its advertising policy to allow the city to reject controversial ads that are likely to disturb people. City council is getting a more detailed report on its advertising policy sometime in the fourth quarter of 2017. Councillors will have a chance to ask for changes to the policy at that time. The issue stems back to 2016, when the CCBR asked to place the ads on buses in Peterborough. The city initially refused to use the ads; city officials told CCBR the images would decrease bus ridership. Later, the city relented and said the ads couldn’t be banned after all – a refusal would violate the pro-life group’s freedom of expression. CCBR then obtained a court order to ensure the city would stick to its promise to use the advertisements. Also on council’s agenda Monday:
Leahy’s Lane
Council will vote a final time on a plan to allow a developer to put a couple of small apartment buildings on vacant land at 53 Leahy’s Lane. Councillors have already granted preliminary approval to the plan. The developer wants to build a pair of two-storey buildings, each with five apartments.
Fairhaven development
Council will vote a final time on a plan for a new neighbourhood of rowhouses north of Fairhaven long-term-care home, on lands left vacant after the original Fairhaven was torn down. Councillors have already granted preliminary approval to the plan. Construction is expected to happen in 2018. Parkview Homes is planning 92 new housing units. There would be 10 single-storey duplexes along Langton St., plus a series of single-storey buildings (each with five to eight units) configured elsewhere on the property. Don’t forget to check The Examiner’s website Monday night for livestreaming, blogging and tweets from the meeting. It all begins at 6:30 p.m. NOTE: See more city council coverage on Pages A1 and A2.