A teachers protest at the Wiarton Willie festival on the weekend saw an unfriendly exchange between members of both the Grey Bruce Labour Council and the Town of South Bruce Peninsula.
The G.B.L.C. sending a press release saying a group of people protesting in support of teachers and educational workers taking part in the ongoing strike actions were asked to leave by Mayor Janice Jackson, who also allegedly said "You might get beat up".
When asked about the allegations, Mayor Jackson said "there was no threatening behaviour, certainly on our part. We asked them to not use our celebration as a forum for their protest".
Jackson called it "a simple request", noting "they obviously did not respect our town enough to protest somewhere else. It was really unfortunate because it really was a wonderful celebration".
Labour Council President Kevin Smith says the groups choice of location was to try and gain exposure to Ontario's Premier, noting "We suspected Doug Ford was going to show up. We just wanted to be there in the event that he did, just to make him aware that we're still here, we're not going away. He needs to get back to the table and come up with a deal". Smith says Mayor Jackson's comments "sends a message to myself, my colleague and my friend, that the community of Wiarton could be violent, which for myself, I've lived in the area my entire life. Wiarton is not like that, and I'm not sure why the mayor felt she needed to portray that". The release from the Labour Council notes "The Grey Bruce Labour Council knows the community members of Wiarton to be welcoming and one that does not deny people their voice. The Labour Council has been the voice of working people in our region for over 60 years and we will continue to be heard along with our affiliate unions. One mayor and one town clerk will not shut down the fight to protect public education”.
