Ottawa city councillors will debate a plan to study a “bubble zone” bylaw at the next council meeting after a notice of motion was tabled Wednesday.
Mayor Mark Sutcliffe said the bylaw aims to restrict demonstrations near certain community spaces, including schools and hospitals amid an increase in hate crimes.
“No one should feel threatened or intimidated when attending their place of worship, school, community centre, or any other gathering space. Our mosques, churches, synagogues, and other institutions play a crucial role in supporting some of our most vulnerable community members, including seniors and children,” Sutcliffe wrote on social media.
Sutcliffe added there was a 19 per cent increase in hate crimes in 2023 targeting Muslim, Jewish, LGBTQ+ and other groups in Ottawa.
“That is not just a statistic; it’s a call to action,” he wrote.
The motion directs staff to study the feasibility of implementing a “vulnerable social infrastructure bylaw” in Ottawa and report back with findings in the new year.
The bylaw, often known as a bubble bylaw, has been introduced in other cities and jurisdictions across Canada.
The City of Vaughan passed a similar measure in June that would restrict demonstrations within 100 metres or “a reasonable distance” from a religious institution, school, childcare centre, hospital or congregate care facility.
The measure was passed amid a rise of demonstrations and protests following the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attacks and Israel’s subsequent armed offensive in Gaza.
Bubble bylaws have been previously used in Canada to protect safe abortion access and healthcare centres.
The Ontario government passed the Safe Access to Abortion Services Act in 2017 to establish safe zones around facilities that offer abortion services, as well as the homes and offices of abortion providers.
Similar laws exist restricting demonstrations near abortion facilities exist in British Columbia, Quebec, Alberta, Manitoba and Nova Scotia.