CENTRE WELLINGTON – A Centre Wellington councillor has joined other politicians from all levels of government to formally oppose COVID lockdowns as a group.
The End the Lockdowns Caucus has formed with Centre Wellington councillor Steven VanLeeuwen, MPP Randy Hillier, People’s Party leader Maxime Bernier, MP Derek Sloan and Perth East councillor Daryl Herlick as founding members.
In a phone interview, VanLeeuwen explained the goal of the group is to reopen the country while protecting vulnerable populations like seniors and those with pre-existing conditions from COVID.
He said as time has gone on since the early days of the pandemic and as he’s had more conversations with residents he wanted to speak out against the lockdown.
“I would say the effects of the restrictions and the lockdowns seem to be becoming more harmful and demonstratively more harmful than the virus itself,” VanLeeuwen said.
“I think receiving and hearing cries from the people constantly and I’ll say people of my riding and around, but I’m like ‘Okay I just can’t remain silent anymore.’”
He noted he has also become concerned with a rise in mental health problems, divorce, drug use and financial difficulties based on what he’s heard from people he’s met.
What started with five politicians has already grown in numbers, mostly with politicians from Ontario and Alberta.
A press release from the group said they’re looking to provide a formal challenge to current COVID policies.
“We’re starting with speaking up and also gathering other community leaders and other elected officials together so that we can speak with one voice,” he said.
“There will be further actions later on but at this point, you can see that there’s many signatures and different petitions to get started on. We want the voice of the people to be heard.”
One petition has gathered nearly 20,000 signatures in less than a week.
The province announced on Monday a gradual reopening of the province in certain areas but VanLeeuwen said this isn’t going far enough and is unfair to certain regions.
“The difficulty with it is, they also still continue to think that it’s acceptable to lock them back down again if something happens,” he said.
“Public health is taking a one-leg approach to dealing with the virus and have really stated that any other symptom that comes out of this, or the effect of these lockdowns, doesn’t matter.”
In a phone call, councillor Bob Foster told GuelphToday he’s asked the mayor to call an emergency meeting as he feels VanLeeuwen is violating the municipal act.
“In the municipal act, it clearly states it’s inappropriate to interfere with the Medical Officer of Health,” Foster said, adding VanLeeuwen chaired a meeting where the integrity commissioner explained this.
“Rather than uphold the rule of law he’s subverted it by joining this group and signing a manifesto that calls for an end to pandemic control measures including the lockdown.”
Foster also said the group misunderstands the Charter of Rights and Freedoms when they claim pandemic measures violates them.
“The charter rights are subject to reasonable limits in a democratic society and that’s the very first line in the charter,” Foster said.
“Is it reasonable, to control the spread of a pandemic, that we have a lockdown, we’re asked to be socially distanced, asked not to have parties and asked not to travel...in a worldwide health crisis like a pandemic it’s reasonable to call for those measures.”
Centre Wellington mayor Kelly Linton declined to comment specifically on VanLeeuwen’s decision until he’s had the opportunity to have “internal discussions.”
“I will continue to take actions and make decisions that are consistent with the advice received from our public health professionals,” Linton said in an email. “All seven mayor across Wellington County are united in our efforts to support the WDG Public Health’s critical vaccination efforts.”
VanLeeuwen agreed public health advice should be listened to but said he thinks the other side of the argument isn’t being considered.
“Right now we have handed the keys of governance to public health and we’re cowering behind them, saying ‘this is what the experts told us,’” VanLeeuwen said.
“We should never hand over control to one single entity, non-elected body.”
