BY TOM ORIET
The Right to Free Speech is a Property Right
Ontario city attempts to censor expression on private land
A
homeowner in Port Colborne, Ont., is making the news for displaying a flag and door sticker that reads “F*ck Trudeau” with the asterisk substituting for the maple leaf from the national flag. We will refer to the collective display as the “flag.” Allegedly, residents complained to the city’s bylaw enforcement division and other city officers about the flag. The city claims the flag can be removed under the property standards bylaw. Section 3.11 of Bylaw 4299/135/02 states, “Exterior walls of a dwelling and their components shall be free of signs unauthorized by the Corporation of the City of Port Colborne, painted slogans, graffiti and similar defacements.”
CAEPL A .ORG
PIPEL INE OBSERV ER
35
