Hill Defends Bubble Bylaw

Published 05/20/2025 · Updated 05/20/2025

This was a very busy and very impactful time for me as a city councillor.

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This newsletter excerpt written by Barrhaven West Councillor David Hill is courtesy of the city-wide community group Your Applewood Acres (And Beyond) Neighbours

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I was the lead on the Vulnerable Infrastructure Bubble-Zone bylaw and in committee it passed 14-2. …

The bottom line is that staff has been directed to take no more than nine months to develop a regulation that will keep very precise locations such as hospitals, faith sites, schools, and long-term care facilities safe from protests designed to intimidate and block access to these sites.

For me, this is about balancing competing charter rights, and ensuring everyone can go to their schools, hospitals, old age homes, or places of worship free of intimidation and with safe access. The eventual bylaw will be very narrow. If you’re protesting something at Ottawa City Hall you won’t be impacted by the church across the street, because you’re protesting your government not that church.

Asking protestors to simply move demonstrations up to 80 metres back is a minimal impact to the free speech of the protestor while maximizing protection of the charter rights of vulnerable people. I wish this motion wasn’t necessary, but we have seen repeated incidents in Ottawa that show council had to step up.

If this is something you have questions on, please reach out as I would be happy to discuss the nuance in threading this needle.