A city committee has approved the “bubble zone” bylaw that would prohibit protests within 50 metres of places of worship, schools, childcare centres, hospitals and residential care facilities. A joint meeting of the emergency preparedness and protective services committee and the public works and infrastructure committee voted in favour of the city’s “Safe Access to Social Infrastructure Bylaw” Friday afternoon. The committee voted 15 to 2 to approve the bylaw, with councillors Sean Devine and Jessica Bradley as the dissenters. The bylaw would create “safe access zones” that prohibit demonstrations within 50 metres of access points at designated facilities. The safe access zone would be in effect from one-hour before the facility opens to one hour after it closes. Nearly 40 delegates spoke at the committee meeting. Supporters argued the bylaw is a response to increasingly hostile, and at times, targeted demonstrations. “After seeing the skyrocketing statistics of hate crimes against Jews… I think this is a very reasonable way to say ‘let us in.’ Let us get in and out without having someone in my child’s face in a mask screaming at them,” David Sachs, community relations and antisemitism specialist with the Jewish Federation of Ottawa, told the committee. Opponents of the bylaw said it is built on fear, not facts. “While we do have a documented pattern of incidents of violence and hate on the rise… these are not connected to protests and that is not a pattern that we are seeing,” Tom Ledgley, coordinator for Horizon Ottawa, said ahead of Friday’s vote. Constitutional lawyer Paul Champ says the bylaw won’t hold up in court and says existing laws already address things like intimidation and harassment. “In my opinion it’s not a matter of if this bylaw is going to be challenged it’s a matter of when. The fact that a perfectly peaceful protest is deemed unlawful under this bylaw in my view will not withstand charter scrutiny,” Champ said. The bylaw would prohibit people from blocking or preventing access to safe access zones. The following would be prohibited within the 50-metre safe access zones: A motion by Coun. Devine to remove a section from the bylaw that states “no person shall conduct or participate in a demonstration” within a safe access zone was voted against by the committee. Devine said without the amendment, the bylaw would prohibit peaceful demonstrations and put Ottawa “further into restricting expression than any other city.” “The motion I have passed, will still achieve the benefits and the desires of safe access, it will not put us before a battle,” he said. Coun. Ariel Troster said she was initially opposed to the bylaw, but believes there are perimeters that “protect the balance of rights.” “I think we need to recognize that when vulnerable people, whether it’s young children or somebody’s who’s accessing a hospital or a retirement facility, they have a right to access their healthcare providers or their educational institutions,” Troster said. Owners and operators of facilities will need to apply to the City of Ottawa to receive safe access zone designation. The fine for violating the bylaw would range from $150 to $500. Demonstrations would not be prohibited near government and diplomatic facilities, and demonstrations related to labour strike movements would be exempt from the bylaw. Council directed staff to develop the “bubble zone” bylaw last May to protect access to vulnerable social infrastructure during protests and demonstrations. If approved by council, the bylaw would come into effect on Aug. 1 2026. With files from CTV’s Josh Pringle and Katelyn Wilson
