Canada is known for being accepting, inclusive, polite, and up until recently, a free country. The Security from Trespass and Protecting Food Safety Act, also known as Bill 156, is a Provincial law that is designed to silence whistleblowers, and hide the cruelty that occurs on farms all over Ontario. Not only is Bill 156 unconstitutional, but it is also a waste of taxpayers’ money, gives truckers the impression that they can be aggressive towards activists, and it prevents the general public from seeing where their food comes from. Bill 156 is a draconian law that should be repealed.
The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms is part of the Canadian Constitution, and it lists the fundamental rights and freedoms that everyone residing in Canada is entitled to. (“Guide to the Canadian Charter”). The Charter is superior to all Canadian laws and the Supreme Court of Canada can strike down any laws that deny our rights or freedoms. Bill 156 violates our Freedom of Expression and Freedom of Peaceful Assembly. Regardless, it has been pushed through all levels of Parliament by the Conservative Government. According to an article by Animal Justice, similar “ag-gag laws” have been struck down in U.S. courts because they have been found to violate the First Amendment. Many legal experts in Ontario have argued that Bill 156 goes against the Constitution (“Ontario ‘Ag Gag’ Bill”).
Due to the fact that Bill 156 goes against the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, it will receive pushback from animal rights lawyers and will be fought in court until it’s repealed. This will use up valuable court time and eat into taxpayers’ money which could be used for better things such as funding hospitals, schools, or perhaps investing in plant-based foods.
“It’s heartbreaking to contemplate that it may have, even in those 48 hours, already emboldened the meat industry to declare open season on this type of activism” (Labchuk). This quote was taken from a speech given by Camille Labchuk, a lawyer with Animal Justice. She is referring to the death of fellow activist Regan Russell, who was violently killed in front of Fearmans Slaughterhouse by a slaughter truck driver. It is believed that Bill 156 may be the reason that the driver believed he was fully within his rights to run down a peaceful, 65-year-old woman. Through this incident, it’s evident that Bill 156 gives the meat industry false authority to harm activists.
Based on the definition given by the Legislative of Assembly of Ontario, Bill 156 “is intended to protect farm animals, the food supply, farmers and others from risks that are created when trespassers enter places where farm animals are kept or when persons engage in unauthorized interactions with farm animals” (“Security from Trespass”). This Bill actually calls the area that is one kilometer or less around all Ontario slaughterhouses “animal protection zones.” In truth, Bill 156 protects the farmers, not the livestock. Animal rights activists are the only way that Ontarians have the ability to see the cruelty they pay for. Silencing activists is removing the only transparency that’s left.
Bill 156 is clearly just a spontaneous attempt to silence whistleblowers from exposing the cruelty and suffering that occurs in all steps of the animal agriculture industry. The Bill violates the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, will use an excessive amount of taxpayers’ money being fought in court, emboldens the meat industry to harm peaceful activists, and eliminates the only transparency that the public had into where their food comes from. Canada is a Democracy, and to remain so, we cannot have draconian laws such as Bill 156.
Works Cited
“Guide to the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.” Canada.ca, 8 June 2020, www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/services/how-rights-protected/guide-canadian-charter-rights-freedoms.html.
Labchuk, Camille. Keynote Address. Animal Justice. Fearmans Pork Inc, Burlington. 28 June 2020.
“Ontario ‘Ag Gag’ Bill Is Unconstitutional, Say Leading Legal Experts.” Animal Justice, 27 Mar. 2020, www.animaljustice.ca/media-releases/ontario-ag-gag-bill-is-unconstitutional-say-leading-legal-experts.
“Security from Trespass and Protecting Food Safety Act, 2020.” Legislative Assembly of Ontario, www.ola.org/en/legislative-business/bills/parliament-42/session-1/bill-156.
Thank you for your well wriiten story on the injustices activists, and non human animals have and will continue to suffer from if Bill 156 is signed into law. Ca ada may get most things right, but oh how it’s Goverment has failed the most vulnerable fellow earthlings, and has already claimed the life of a beautiful soul, Regan Russel. The world is weeping. Time to repeal the vile Ag-Gag Bill156.