The Region of Waterloo wants to come down hard on anyone using harassing, discriminatory and otherwise offensive language in its public spaces and facilities.
Next week, the region's community and health services committee will hear about recommended changes to its Code of Use bylaw that will officially prohibit that type of unwelcome behaviour in the region's premises.
The changes address harassment based on race, religion, gender identity or sexual orientation and other protected grounds under the Ontario Human Rights Code occurring within public spaces that are regionally owned or occupied.
The region is recommending an enforcement strategy that includes issuing an offence notice and removal of the offending person from the premises.
Anyone caught contravening the bylaw could face fines of up to $5,000.
The bylaw amendment comes after regional council passed a motion in the spring opposing hate and prejudice in all its forms.
A year prior to that, a presentation by the Coalition of Muslim Women (CMW) urged council to support the eradication of Islamophobia and other forms of hate across the region.
The group called for changes to the bylaw and asked for training for bylaw officers on how to recognize and acknowledge the pain of Islamophobia and other forms of hate.
The CMW also urged the region to fund its Hate Crimes Reporting and Support program, support training on Islamophobia, and invest in neighbourhood programs to address Islamophobia.
A Statistics Canada report last year showed hate crimes reported to Waterloo regional police increased 260 per cent between 2019 and 2020.
