Democratic Process Abused

I will admit there are some individuals that can be a real pain in the ass and they can be disruptive to the point where the process of doing business is disrupted but the action of Halton council is really pushing the envelope. Bar this gentleman from council meetings, maybe, but to bar him from all PUBLIC community facilities is stupid. This gentleman has accomplished his goal.......

Vet banned from cenotaph

Halton Hills bars critic from public property

By VIVIAN SONG, TORONTO SUN

Derrick Williams' supporters call him the town's staunchest watchdog. Halton Hills' chief administrative officer says he made a comment of a "threatening nature" about a councillor. (Stan Behal, SUN)

A 70-year-old veteran has been banned from all community facilities in the Town of Halton Hills -- including Remembrance Day ceremonies.

Derrick Williams is called the town's staunchest watchdog by his supporters. He attends every council meeting armed with newspaper clippings and an unrivalled knowledge of the community he's lived in for the past 40 years.

A retired truck driver, Williams calls himself an "uneducated man" who loves "the most beautiful community" he's ever lived in.

Last Thursday, he attended a 7 a.m. chamber meeting where, as usual, he challenged the mayor and council members, asking pointed questions about the region downloading road costs to the town and requesting more information on the departure of the last chief administrative officer.

The next day, Williams was served with a notice from the town, banning him from any publicly owned property -- including the cenotaph -- indefinitely.

He served as a private for six years with the Royal Canadian Regiment, which is now serving in Afghanistan.

"He's disgruntled, not abusive," said Al Kirouac, co-editor of a two-man online publication, The Halton Herald.ca. "He's a typical old guy not happy with the politics in the community. He's never inappropriate, never unlawful ... Basically, they're trying to shut him up."

But chief administrative officer Dennis Perlin said the ban was the result of two years of "rude, insulting remarks" made to councillors, staff and visitors to meetings.

Things came to a head when Williams made a comment of a "threatening nature" about a female councillor at a town hall meeting, Perlin alleged.

"It was a remark of a nature that any mother, daughter or sister would not want to hear," Perlin said, declining to elaborate.

No charges have been laid, he conceded, saying police determined the comment wasn't enough to warrant a criminal charge.

Williams denies uttering any verbal threats, saying council is relying on hearsay from third parties.

Perlin said all Williams has to do to lift the ban is call him.

But Williams has felt the chill, he said, and he refuses to pick up the phone.

"I'm scared. I figure if I open my mouth without a lawyer, I'll be suspended again," he said.

It's the latest attempt to gag opposition, say a handful of area residents who claim they too have been bullied into silence.