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GREAT NEWS! The Township of Russell has abandoned it's appeal of the Superior Court decision finding parts of the sign by-law unconstitutional!

TOWNSHIP OF RUSSELL RENEWS ITS ATTACK ON FUNDAMENTAL FREEDOMS

After losing its case in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice last month (Charles Frederick Armstrong v. The Township of Russell, 2025 ONSC 3790 (CanLII), ) the Township of Russell has decided to appeal.

The Township of Russell filed a Notice of Appeal on August 8th, 2025, essentially stating that the original judgement, striking down significant sections of the Township Sign By-Law as unconstitutional, is completely wrong. The appeal claims all conclusions of the trial judge are wrong and the Sign By-Law should be restored.

The decision to appeal would likely have been made by the Mayor, Mike Tarnowski, and the Chief Administration Officer, Richard Godin.

The Township By-Law provided for severe restrictions on election signs during election campaigns. The By-Law differentiated between federal, provincial, and municipal election signs. Federal and provincial election signs were permitted throughout the legislated election campaign period. Municipal election signs were only permitted during the last 30 days of the municipal election campaign period. Other restrictions included provisions such as: one supporter of a candidate may put out an election sign expressing support for that candidate, but neighbours within 30 metres are prohibited from showing support for the same candidate; and prohibiting signs for a by-election between October and March, if it’s a regular or general election signs are just fine.

Fortunately, the decision of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice striking down the By-Law provisions remains in effect until the appeal is decided.

Remember, Township of Russell property tax money is paying for the appeal!

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LA MUNICIPALITÉ DE RUSSELL RENOUVELLE SON ATTAQUE CONTRE LES LIBERTÉS FONDAMENTALES

Après avoir perdu son procès devant la Cour supérieure de justice de l'Ontario le mois dernier (Charles Frederick Armstrong v. The Township of Russell, 2025 ONSC 3790 (CanLII), ), la Municipalité de Russell a décidé d'interjeter appel.

La Municipalité de Russell a déposé un avis d'appel le 8 août 2025, affirmant essentiellement que le jugement initial, invalidant d'importantes sections du Règlement municipal sur l'affichage, était totalement erroné. L'appel soutient que toutes les conclusions du juge de première instance sont erronées et que le Règlement sur l'affichage devrait être rétabli.

La décision d'interjeter appel aurait probablement été prise par le maire, Mike Tarnowski, et le directeur général, Richard Godin.

Le règlement municipal prévoyait des restrictions sévères concernant l'affichage électoral pendant les campagnes électorales. Le règlement établissait une distinction entre les affiches électorales fédérales, provinciales et municipales. Les affiches électorales fédérales et provinciales étaient autorisées pendant toute la durée de la campagne électorale prévue par la loi. Les affiches électorales municipales n'étaient permises que pendant les 30 derniers jours de la campagne. D'autres restrictions comprenaient des dispositions telles que : un partisan d'un candidat peut déployer une affiche électorale exprimant son soutien à ce candidat, mais il est interdit aux voisins situés à moins de 30 mètres de manifester leur soutien au même candidat ; et l'interdiction d'afficher des affiches pour une élection partielle entre octobre et mars, s'il s'agit d'une élection générale ou régulière.

Heureusement, la décision de la Cour supérieure de justice de l'Ontario annulant les dispositions du règlement demeure en vigueur jusqu'à ce que l'appel soit tranché.

N'oubliez pas que l'appel est financé par les impôts fonciers de la Municipalité de Russell !

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The matter of Charles Frederick Armstrong v. The Township of Russell, 2025 ONSC 3790 (CanLII), < https://canlii.ca/t/kd5t2 >, is now posted online for all to read.

canlii.ca

VICTOIRE POUR LA LIBERTÉ D'EXPRESSION

Aujourd'hui, la Cour supérieure de justice de l'Ontario a statué que le règlement de la Municipalité de Russell sur les pancartes est inconstitutionnel en ce qui concerne les pancartes électorales. J'avais contesté les restrictions imposées par ce règlement et les accusations portées contre moi lors de ma campagne pour les élections partielles de l'année dernière. Ça a été 11 mois difficiles pour moi, mais j'ai gagné !

Le juge M. Flaherty a déclaré que le canton n'avait fourni aucune preuve ni justification pour les restrictions qu'il impose aux pancartes électorales, les pancartes électorales municipales étant les plus restrictives. Les autres types des pancartes, notamment les pancartes immobilières, sont peu restreints.

Le juge a écrit : « Le règlement restreint l'expression politique, qui est l'incarnation même du discours qui favorise les aspirations d'une société démocratique… à son moment le plus important, pendant une campagne électorale », et le règlement « surpasse toute restriction à la liberté d'expression qui pourrait être justifiée ». (Ma traduction)

Il s'agit d'une victoire du peuple sur ce que plusieurs appellent la « tyrannie locale », c'est-à-dire les restrictions inconstitutionnelles imposées par les administrations locales à notre Charte des droits et libertés.

Nous avons maintenant le défi passionnant de réécrire le règlement sur la signalisation de la Municipalité sous une forme qui soit justifiable dans une société libre et démocratique.

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VICTORY FOR FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION

Today the Ontario Superior Court of Justice ruled the Township of Russell sign by-law is unconstitutional with respect to election signs. I had challenged the by-law’s restrictions, and the charges laid against me, during my by-election campaign last year. It has been a long 11 months for me, but I won!

Justice M. Flaherty stated that the Township has provided no evidence or rational for restrictions it imposes on election signs, with municipal election signs having the most restrictions. Other types of signs, real estate signs in particular, have few restrictions.

The Justice wrote: “The By-Law restricts political expression, which is the epitome of speech that furthers the aspirations of a democratic society… at its most important moment, during an election campaign” and the By-Law “surpasses any limitation on freedom of expression that could be justified”.

This is a victory of the people over what many call “local tyranny”, unconstitutional restrictions on our Charter of Rights and Freedoms by local governments.

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ELECTED! ÉLU!

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VOTE! VOTEZ !

As of 8:42PM this Saturday evening only 11.5% of voters have voted! We are well past halfway through the voting period so let’s get out and vote folks! VOTE!

Samedi soir à 20h42, seulement 11,5 % des électeurs avaient voté ! Nous avons largement dépassé la moitié de la période de vote, alors allons voter ! VOTEZ !

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VOTE! VOTEZ !
As of 10:30 this Saturday morning only 10.1% of voters have voted! We are almost halfway through the voting period so let’s get out and vote folks!
À 10h30 ce samedi matin, seulement 10,1 % des électeurs avaient voté ! Nous sommes presque à mi-chemin de la période de vote, alors allons voter !

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How do we curb speeding, and other traffic infractions, on our roads?
This is a significant issue as many of our Township roads and streets are experiencing significant increases in traffic volumes. Many streets, mine included, were once quiet and peaceful with little traffic. Now, with the urban expansion, subdivisions, we see that we have more cars, pedestrians, and cyclists. The risk of collisions between these groups is increasing exponentially. The older streets, mine is now almost 40 years old, do not have proper sidewalks, safe cycling space, or even safe places to cross the street. The recent reduction of the speed limits in residential areas is a good first step but we must upgrade our road safety infrastructure. Here are some of my thoughts on the issue.
There is a belief that such things as speed cameras (automated speed enforcement) and red-light cameras are necessary in the Township. While these are somewhat effective, they punish those who have already been speeding or illegally entered an intersection. We must prevent these actions before they occur. In addition, in reading the news reports, many municipalities seem to be motivated by potential revenue generation not genuine road safety. Road safety is the goal, not revenue generation!
There are speed humps in use in the Township now in Embrun and Limoges but I have not seen any statistics on their effectiveness.
In my opinion we need to explore the use of non-punitive measures to control traffic and make our roads safer. We must examine, and eliminate as not practical, such things as stop signs, speed humps, periodic road narrowing, etc. before we install traffic cameras.