Pembroke residents vow work will go on after city ditches diversity committee

Several groups and residents in Pembroke, Ont., are decrying a recent council vote to back up its new mayor and scrap a committee created to address racism and discrimination, calling the move "embarrassing" and "hurtful."

But in a message of hope, several people of colour and members of the 2SLGBT community are vowing to continue their work.

On Tuesday, councillors voted 4–2 in favour of Mayor Ron Gervais's motion to not reinstate the diversity advisory committee, following outrage from community members and widespread media coverage of his unilateral decision to get rid of it in late November.

In an interview with CBC Thursday, Gervais said his main reason for "restructuring" the committees was due to budget considerations, suggesting a lot of staff resources were being put toward the diversity committee.

The seniors and climate action committees were also scrapped.

Pembroke's council created the city's first diversity committee in 2021, spurred by former mayor Mike LeMay, who vowed Pembroke wouldn't be "defined by racism" after an elderly Vietnamese woman became a victim of an alleged hate-motivated assault in late 2020.

The initiative was lauded as a motivating factor for other communities in the region to launch their own.

The committee's goal was to provide advice and recommendations on diversity, equity and inclusion to the city's planning committee. It also advised the city on ways to make Pembroke a safe and welcoming place for people from various ethnic and cultural backgrounds, ages and sexual orientations.

By the end of its first term, the committee presented a 58-page inclusion action plan with recommendations for the city.

Duane Gastant' Aucoin, a former committee member who was present at the meeting, says while he was hurt by the outcome, what really stung was what was said at council.

"[We] couldn't believe in 2023 some of the things that the leadership were saying publicly ... it was very hurtful," Gastant' Aucoin said, adding several residents were "very angry."

In a joint statement, former diversity committee members and several external groups — including PFLAG Renfrew County, Pembroke Pride and the Mashkiwizii Manido Foundation — condemned some councillors for making questionable remarks during the debate.

In one instance, Coun. Patricia Lafreniere was challenged by a colleague for using the phrase "these people." The statement said she showed "complete unwillingness to try and understand why, in the context of historically marginalized groups, it is an offensive phrase."

Lafreniere justified her words by saying they weren't intended to be malicious.

"I apologize [for] how I came out ... [but] I won't apologize for being me," she said Tuesday.

WATCH | Councillor's 'these people' remarks challenged: 

In another instance, Coun. Ed Jacyno said he was "no stranger to racism," recalling how was bullied growing up in Pembroke due to his nationality. He also suggested talking about racism fuels the issue.

"Jacyno conflated racism with the bigotry he experienced 60 years ago as a child of European immigrants, and stated racism exists because we keep talking about it," reads the joint statement.

"To remain silent in the face of racism, homophobia, transphobia and misogyny in our community is irresponsible and dangerous."

WATCH | Councillor suggests talking about racism like fuelling 'fire,' colleague reacts: 

CBC viewed Jacyno and Lafreniere's emailed responses to the group's letter, in which they both justified their remarks.

Coun. Troy Purcell, who opposed the mayor's motion and ended up withdrawing his own motion to reinstate the committee, told CBC it was a "truly disappointing" result.

Purcell said he's concerned that if council doesn't follow through with the inclusion action plan, people will view Pembroke as an unfriendly place and might not consider moving there.

Work will not stop, residents vow

Former committee members like Julianna Morin reiterated their work is far from over.

"I'm not stopping, that's for sure," said Morin, who uses the pronouns they and them.

Morin said for diversity and inclusion to be "in the DNA" of Pembroke, like the mayor said Tuesday, the city needs to provide resources to make that happen.

"It's just regrettable that the city, like I said, has chosen to not be a part of this," they said. "That work is not going to stop."

WATCH | 'We deserve so much better than this,' says resident: 

Dorian Pearce, who headed the now-scrapped climate advisory committee, also vowed to continue fighting for change, and encouraged others to do the same.

"Many people that I know ... are feeling so left behind by this council," Pearce said. "We need to keep the hope up. We we need to continue to believe that better is possible."

Gastant' Aucoin recalled how Pembroke's motto is "the heart of the Ottawa Valley."

"Well, this heart is a little smaller than we had all had hoped, but it continues to grow," he said. "We're going to continue our work to help make Pembroke a safer place for all of us — with or without the city."

Mayor not open to reconsidering

Gervais told CBC he's not open to reconsidering reinstating the diversity committee, given the motion passed at council.

CBC asked Gervais whether equity-deserving groups like the diversity committee don't deserve city resources, a sentiment raised by several community members.

"I don't know that it's not deserving of resources but it's trying to make do with ratepayers' dollars," he said, citing other priorities like safe drinking water and infrastructure maintenance.

"We're not losing sight of [diversity, equity and inclusion]."

When asked if he stood by his council peers' controversial remarks, Gervais said he doesn't speak for them.

"I believe that diversity, equity inclusion has to be ... the DNA ... in the fabric of what at least the corporation does," he said. "And so certainly that's my commitment."

Miriam Mottiar, an Ottawa doctor who grew up in Pembroke and whose family experienced racism, described the mayor's comments as "delusional" and "profoundly embarrassing."

"Equity is most definitely not part of the DNA of fabric [in] the upper Ottawa Valley," she said.

"You have to be sitting in a place of very colossal privilege to think that there are no further issues and that ... we don't need to have a committee who addresses this."

When Mottiar reflects on council's decision, she worries for her parents who still live in Pembroke.

"Most people who live in Pembroke are kind-hearted people," Mottiar said. "But ... there were times where it felt unsafe and we experienced very kind of aggressive and threatening behaviour and I don't really want that for my parents."