Mayor says there's no need for another framed charter in town hall

Mayor Jeff Genung says there's no need to hang a framed copy of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms in the town council chambers.

He says there's already one prominently located right outside his office that has been there well before he was elected.

"I take the Charter of Rights and Freedoms very seriously, one as a mayor, two as a Cochrane resident, and thirdly as a Canadian, as does the entire organization of the Town of Cochrane," says Genung. "It just so happens that there already hangs a Charter of Rights and Freedoms in a very prominent spot in our public facility at the RancheHouse, and that's just right outside my office."

Over a dozen disenchanted residents flooded council chambers on Sept. 12, questioning why the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms donated to the town has yet to be hung in the council chambers.

On Apr. 27, Ron Voss and Deborah Murphy presented Mayor Jeff Genung with a framed copy of the charter, requesting it be displayed in the town council chambers. At the time, Mayor Genung accepted the charter, posed for a photo, and said afterward he hadn't decided where to hang it.

"The mayor actually received it with big smiles and signs of gratitude, but has basically stonewalled us regarding this," says Deborah Murphy.

She says they have received no response in their follow-up efforts and were also denied a spot on town council's agenda to ask the question.

Murphy confirms the mayor did point to the charter located right outside his office during their visit, but they told him they wanted it hung in the council chambers.

"My question still stands, even though I'm stonewalled about bringing it before our mayor and council, are you ashamed of the charter? If not, why is it taking so long to put it on the walls in the chamber where you make all of the decisions for our community?"

Murphy says she has been told one councillor was set to make a notice of motion in support of the request but during an in-camera session was discouraged from doing so, and that the mayor would be sending a letter. She says they have yet to receive that letter.

Mayor Genung says it's time to move forward.

"I feel that for the group that has presented us with the Charter of Rights, it is less about the charter and it is more about the continued rhetoric stemming from COVID. I'm moving forward. There are other issues demanding my attention, and that is where I'm focussing it."

In addition to the framed charter, Mayor Genung was given a copy of a letter from former Newfoundland premier Brian Peckford, who believes the charter and the rights of Canadians were ignored throughout the pandemic.

Murphy references the letter.

"What is wrong with these people? The Charter of Rights and Freedom, it's our constitutional right, why are you not standing up for it?  They had a letter from Brian Peckford pointing out that every level of government, including municipalities, has basically violated this, and so is that what's wrong with them? Are they afraid that if they put it on the wall, they admit they have violated our freedoms here? I don't know, that's speculation, but we're not getting answers."

Ron Voss, who publishes the online newsletter "No Bones About It" didn't believe having a charter in the council chambers would become a contentious issue.

"You would think that putting up the Charter of Rights and Freedom, the supreme law of the land, in a room where laws are made would be like asking something like ‘do you like apple pie?’, that is, a slam dunk," says Voss.

He says he's irritated about the stonewalling behaviour by the mayor and council over the last four to five months on this matter.

No Bones About It is published to provide a counter-narrative to the government-sponsored mainstream media and expose the influence of the United Nations and globalist elites, with specific reference to the Town of Cochrane.

Protesters outside of the council chambers on Sept. 12. (Photo/Barry Blink)