Despite receiving several complaints from residents, city officials and police say noisy street preachers in Sarnia are not breaking any laws.
The individuals are commonly seen at the corner of London Rd. and Murphy Rd. and in the downtown, at Christina St. and George St.
While they can be distracting, Sarnia Police Chief Phil Nelson says the onus is on drivers to stay focused on the road.
"I understand how people's attention is taken to different things, I've driven up London Rd. many times myself and I've seen signs listing this sale that sale, this price that price, those can all be distractions for anybody," says Nelson. "But, if you're distracted by looking at those signs and you run into or hit somebody it's your fault."
Mayor Mike Bradley says city hall has received about half a dozen complaints over the last six months.
"Both police and bylaw enforcement people were checked with and both took the position that no laws were being broken and it's a Charter of Rights issue that people have the right to free speech," says Bradley. "The one issue that has been raised in the downtown area is the proximity to residential, and that is being looked into because some communities have rules that restrict amplification."
Under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, everyone has the right to freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression, freedom of peaceful assembly and association.
