From a grade school speech to a provincial movement: Emily McIntosh, Bill 9 & the fight for accountability in Ontario

It’s often difficult to pinpoint when and where a sense of justice and a willingness to fight begins; for Emily McIntosh the indicators were there early. 

She still remembers the butterflies in her stomach that day in Grade 7 when she stepped up to the microphone for the school speech contest. Her topic was unusual for a twelve-year-old: the dangers of poaching in the Serengeti and its devastating impact on wildlife. She poured herself into the words, her message carrying a conviction far beyond her years.

She won that speech contest, beating out three other finalists who were all boys. 

Whatever pride she might have felt in winning was quickly undercut when the opponents she had just defeated mocked her, dismissing her win not with debate, but with derision. 

It was a lesson in how hard it could be for a girl to have her voice heard and respected, and how quickly those in the majority could try to diminish it. The experience affected her so deeply that she refused to represent her school at the regional level, unwilling to stand again in a space where her message could be undermined simply because of who she was.

Emily McIntosh advocating in Niagara Falls for better accountability of municipal elected officials.

(Jerry Manco)

Fast forward almost 30 years, a husband, two children and a life that has included living across Canada, and on three continents. Her sense of determination has been sharpened.

Resettling in Oro-Medonte, just north of her hometown of Barrie, a chain of events were put in motion that would once again leave her feeling compelled to act.  

She became aware of a sexual harassment incident, that according to her, “in any other workplace would have resulted in termination”. Her sense of outrage over the alleged actions of a local municipal councillor would not allow her to sit on the sidelines, she “refused to live in the reality that might ignore this type of behaviour”.   

From that seed of childhood defiance grew The Women of Ontario Say No (WOSN)—a grassroots movement demanding that elected officials face the same workplace safety and accountability standards as everyone else. The rallying cry was simple but powerful: No one is above the rules. No workplace is exempt from safety.

When the Ontario government introduced Bill 9, the Municipal Accountability Act, it showed the potential to be the watershed Emily McIntosh and WOSN had been fighting to bring about, but it needed amendments. 

The bill follows reform efforts that began under the previous Ford government as Bill 241. Intended to strengthen codes of conduct and integrity commissioner frameworks for municipal officials, Bill 241 was cut short when the 2025 snap election was called. Reintroduced as Bill 9, the legislation in its current form reflects much—but not all—of what WOSN considers essential to achieve true accountability, transparency and integrity among municipally elected officials. 

Members of the Women of Ontario Say No were eventually removed from Niagara Falls Council in June and later arrested before being released without any charges laid.

(Ed Smith/The Pointer)

It was in Niagara Falls that McIntosh’s advocacy—widely supported by municipal leaders, provincial officials and human rights advocates across Ontario—collided head-on with official resistance. 

In June, WOSN had sought to delegate before council to speak specifically about Bill 9 and the need for stronger protections. With the provincial committee on public input for the bill scheduled to visit Niagara Falls in July, WOSN aimed to secure the backing of one of the remaining communities that had not yet endorsed their efforts. But the city clerk repeatedly blocked McIntosh’s requests, citing concerns that her presentation might touch on “ongoing legal proceedings”—a reference to an assault charge against Councillor Mike Strange.

Strange was charged with intimate partner violence assault after being arrested on May 3rd.  Police, responding to a call, arrived at his house and found an injured woman. 

The councillor was apprehended and charged. 

In comments made by Strange, who was allowed to do what McIntosh was prevented from doing when she was denied the opportunity to speak on the proposed legislation, he veered into the specific matter that was supposedly prohibited from council discussion—proclaiming his innocence despite the police decision to charge him, based on the evidence. The criminal trial has not yet started.   

In deference to the councillor’s personal circumstances, Mayor Jim Diodati and senior Niagara Falls staff refused to allow WOSN’s delegation.

McIntosh made it clear: she would not speak about Strange’s individual case, but would focus solely on the proposed provincial legislation and the broader principles it raised. Nevertheless, council denied her the opportunity to speak.

The tension came to a head on June 17, when six women quietly sat in the chamber holding small signs emblazoned with the words “Women of Ontario Say No.” Immediately, the mayor ordered them to lower the signs, leave, or deal with security and the police. When they refused, police were called. Three women representing WOSN were arrested and escorted off municipal property, sparking outrage from civil liberties groups, who called the move a potential violation of Charter rights.

Adding fuel to the controversy, Councillor Strange was permitted to speak during a council meeting weeks later, openly addressing his charges, while WOSN remained barred from the same chamber floor. To McIntosh this was more than a double standard; it sent a stark message about whose voices are welcome in local government and whose are not.

Ironically, the situation in Niagara Falls has come to illustrate precisely why the reforms proposed in Bill 9 are so urgently needed. In this case, a councillor facing a criminal charge for alleged intimate partner violence remains in office and, as a result, the City has refused to hear a delegation on a highly relevant and time-sensitive issue. The decision, widely seen as a misguided attempt to accommodate the councillor’s circumstances, has instead impeded public discourse, advocates have pointed out. Had the councillor been placed on paid leave while the legal process unfolded, the work of council, and the interests of the community, could have continued without obstruction.

For McIntosh and WOSN, the annual Association of Municipalities of Ontario conference from August 17 to 20 is far more than just another political event, it’s their biggest stage yet. 

Every August the conference draws leaders from across the province: mayors, councillors, CAOs, and policy staff from Ontario’s 444 municipalities. It’s where municipal priorities are shaped, alliances are forged and reform movements might gain momentum… or fade into the background.

This year the stakes are higher than ever. Nearly half of Ontario’s 444 municipalities—208 at last count—have passed motions supporting WOSN’s proposed amendments to Bill 9. These various motions call for legislation that ensures accountability for violence and harassment by municipally elected officials, including a clear process for removing councillors found guilty of egregious misconduct. 

For McIntosh, the widespread support proves that WOSN’s message is resonating far beyond activist circles and gaining traction inside council chambers and beyond.

At AMO, the message to the provincial government is blunt: this issue is not going away, and the legislation must be passed. WOSN is demanding a clear timeline for action and a commitment to lower the threshold for adopting a provincial integrity commissioner’s recommendation for removal from office if clear violations of the rules have occurred. Ideally, the decision to remove a council member from office should be taken out of the hands of their colleagues at the council table altogether.

Currently, it has been suggested that a unanimous vote by council members would be needed to trigger such action.

“A unanimous vote is a get-out-of-accountability free card,” McIntosh says. “It means that even a councillor convicted of a serious crime needs only one friend on council to keep their seat.”

WOSN argues that councillors facing serious criminal charges should be placed on a leave of absence while their case moves through the courts, just as police officers, firefighters and teachers are. Anything less, they contend, tells victims and the public that politics comes before safety; and loyalty before accountability.

In the months leading up to the AMO conference WOSN has worked tirelessly to build support. McIntosh estimates she has spoken directly with over a hundred councillors, many of whom have introduced motions themselves, demonstrating internal backing without the need for formal deputations. WOSN also emailed all 444 Ontario councils at least twice and made direct delegations to roughly 30.

AMO itself has voiced general support for Bill 9, framing it as a necessary step to reinforce accountability and ensure safe, respectful workplaces for municipal staff and elected officials. In its official submission to the Standing Committee on Heritage, Infrastructure and Cultural Policy, AMO also recommended two key amendments:

• Lower the removal threshold: Reduce the vote required to remove a councillor from unanimous to a two-thirds supermajority, noting that unanimous consent is too high a bar and creates equity issues across councils of varying sizes.

• Expand the range of penalties: Introduce progressive disciplinary tools for integrity commissioners—such as censure, barring attendance at meetings and stripping committee roles—so councils can respond proportionately to misconduct without relying solely on removal.
   

AMO’s stance suggests a pragmatic balance between empowering councils and ensuring misconduct is addressed effectively. For McIntosh, these recommendations are encouraging but leave the core issue unresolved: should councillors have the final say in removing one of their own?

(WOSN)

The AMO conference now offers a rare opportunity for supporters of accountability to speak directly to municipal leaders and provincial officials who will shape the future of Bill 9. It’s a moment where elected officials can ask questions of their provincial overseers and advocate for the institutional reform required.  

Eventually, the final decision rests with the province’s elected officials at Queen’s Park, but in determining how far Ontario is willing to go to make municipal governments truly accountable, the voice of municipal leaders may decide whether real reform takes root, or whether the status quo survives.  

McIntosh has had enough of a political system that shields abusers and tolerates egregious misconduct. WOSN and its supporters are calling on AMO delegates to keep shining a light on the issue, and to push for the changes that have eluded victims up till now.

Email: [email protected]

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