Saskatoon city committee sends conversion ban bylaw to council

The City of Saskatoon took another step towards banning conversion therapy.

The governance and priorities committed voted, by a margin of 8-2, to send a report on a bylaw banning businesses from practicing conversion therapy to city council.

“We’re rightly putting restrictions on activities that are harmful to residents in Saskatoon,” said Coun. Hilary Gough.

“We’ve heard from our community, and we know from experience of our community and communities around the world, (conversion therapy is) not supportive to well-being and quality of life.”

Randy Donauer and David Kirton voted against the motion. They both said they were opposed to the practice of trying to change someone’s sexual orientation but stated they believe the power to regulate the issue should remain with the federal and provincial governments.

“I hear those who have suffered and have concerns about abuse and I believe there needs to be a solution for that, but I don’t think the city is the solution for everybody’s issues,” Donauer said.

“I feel that our city is jumping ahead of the proper jurisdiction that should be doing this, and that’s the federal government,” Kirton added.

The council has debated whether banning businesses from practicing conversion therapy is within municipal jurisdiction, or if it’s necessary for the city to do so since it first charged the administration to examine the matter last February.

Previous administration reports specified that the city would only have the authority to prevent businesses from conducting conversion therapy and that broader restrictions fall to the federal and provincial governments.

Last March, the Trudeau government tabled Bill C-8, which proposed five changes to the Criminal Code related to the discredited practice, but failed to pass the bill before the Governor General prorogued the session in August. The Liberal government has since reintroduced it as Bill C-6.

City solicitor Cindy Yelland told the committee the federal government could resume the process to pass the bill when sits again at the end of January.

The vote sends the information report to council. If council approves the report the administration will draft the bylaw and council will vote on it in February.

Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton, along with several other Alberta municipalities, and Saint John, N.B., have passed bylaws banning conversion therapy.

Coun. Bev Dubois was absent from the meeting.

— With files from Ryan Kessler and Emerald Bensadoun

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