Victoria city council decided to revisit its policy last year after its controversial proclamation of International Blasphemy Rights Day. Councillors have agreed to a proclamation policy that will include a disclaimer that council is simply “fulfilling a request,” not endorsing the associated cause.
That disclaimer came at the recommendation of Coun. Charlayne Thornton-Joe.
“If it’s clear that we are supporting the request and receiving for information but not personally endorsing each one, I think for me that would give me more comfort,” she said.
Proclaiming special days, weeks or months is a long-standing tradition for municipalities. Victoria had no formal policy on such proclamations, essentially rubber-stamping most requests, unless they propagated hate or were commercial in nature.
But human-rights tribunals in B.C. have ruled that municipalities can’t be choosy in issuing such proclamations, that they cannot decline any requests.
That makes sense. A mayor or council might try to issue only those proclamations that align with the municipality’s values, but that’s treading on shaky ground. Who’s to say one cause is more worthy than another? What might seem silly to you might be very serious to someone else.
But it gets complicated. Take a look at some proclamations Esquimalt issued over a period of a few weeks in 2016: Oceans Day, Rivers to Ocean Week, International Day of Persons with Disabilities, Giving Tuesday, Random Act of Kindness Day, National Teen Driver Safety Week, International Day of Older Persons and Community Living Month.
In Saanich, 26 such proclamations issued from the mayor’s office (council does not get involved) in 2016, including Giving Tuesday, Think Local Week, Waste Reduction Week, Build Green Day, Public Works Week and Access Awareness Day.
Lists from other municipalities would look much the same.
The human-rights rulings, though, open up the field to anyone. January, for example, could be a little cluttered, in that it is, according to one website, National Bath Safety Month, National Black Diamond Month, National Blood Donor Month, National Braille Literacy Month, National Hobby Month, National Hot Tea Month and National Oatmeal Month, to name a few.
Look to February for Heart Month, Black History Month, Dump Your Significant Jerk Week and National Do a Grouch a Favour Day.
Of course, many of these are frivolous, meant to cause a smile or two. But even the more serious causes can fill up a calendar. The reason for declaring a special day or week is to raise awareness and bring attention to a cause, but the sheer number of such observances makes the exercise self-defeating.
Municipalities would do well to stop issuing these proclamations, but many will probably be reluctant to bring an end to the tradition.
Perhaps we could initiate a Stop Proclaiming Special Days Week.
