Why location may matter for rejigged proclamation policy at city hall
Organizations seeking official proclamations from city council may soon need to show a stronger link to London.
In January 2020, city council launched a pilot project resuming the issuance of proclamations that acknowledge a wide range of community initiatives and events.
Twenty-nine proclamations have been approved to date, including Black History Month, Respiratory Therapy Week, and World Migratory Bird Day.
Organizations must apply to the city clerk’s office six weeks prior to the intended proclamation date, explain the significance of the event, and its connection to London.
On Monday, the Corporate Services Committee (CSC) recommended continuing the proclamation process on a permanent basis, but with several modifications:
- proclamations include acknowledgement on city hall’s official social media accounts
- organizations be permitted to apply for more than one proclamation each year so long as they focus on separate events or issues
- a local sponsor be identified as part of the application process
Deputy Mayor Josh Morgan said having a local individual back the application will ensure the proclamation has ties to London.
“This is anybody in the city, whether they’re a client, or someone who benefits, or who believes in this organization and would like to see their city council issue a proclamation,” Morgan said at committee.
Meanwhile, Councillor Michael Van Holst told the committee he hopes to see proclamations with a local focus.
“Who we want to help are those groups that have been established in the city,” said Van Holst.
City hall stopped issuing proclamations in 1997 after the Ontario Human Rights Commission ruled against then-Mayor Dianne Haskett and city council who refused to proclaim the 1995 Pride festival in London.
Council will consider updating and extending the Issuance of Proclamations Policy at its meeting on July 6.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
He replaced Mickey Mantle. Now baseball's oldest living major leaguer is turning 100
The oldest living former major leaguer, Art Schallock turns 100 on Thursday and is being celebrated in the Bay Area and beyond as the milestone approaches.
What a urologist wants you to know about male infertility
When opposite sex couples are trying and failing to get pregnant, the attention often focuses on the woman. That’s not always the case.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Made-in-Newfoundland vodka claims top prize at worldwide competition
A Newfoundland-made vodka has been named one of the world’s best by judges at this year’s World Vodka Awards.