Vancouver City Council at odds over ‘intimidating’ children’s art   

Arguments over some crayon drawings, intimidation and rules… and then recess.

It might sound like the playground but it was actually the prelude to a debate about natural gas at Vancouver City Hall on Monday.

“I see Councillor Fry and Councillor Carr have visible signs on their desks and I feel that is intimidating to the speakers that we are going to have,” said Montague. “It’s intimidation and they are basically saying that they don’t want to hear them.”

City councillors were set to discuss the reintroduction of natural gas in new buildings in Vancouver — a hot-button issue with a crowd of speakers ready to have their say.

Councillor Brian Montague, who supports the move, did not like that Green councillors Adriane Carr and Pete Fry had some brightly coloured, children’s drawings on their desks of a whale, a seal and buildings, along with messages asking gas be kept out of buildings.

Fry told 1130 NewsRadio they were paid a visit earlier in the day by some small children and their parents to present the artwork, along with their concerns about the climate and the future.

“They were pretty cute little posters and they were a little bit intimidated to come to city hall, obviously, because they are just little children,” Fry said, adding that children’s voices deserve to be heard, too.

“To come to city hall and actually present it to a grown-up that they’d never met before, I think it deserves a little bit of acknowledgement and respect rather than just turning it into some cheap talking point. But here we are.”

After a recess, Mayor Ken Sim decided the children’s artwork did breach a council bylaw and said the drawings should be removed, citing examples where members of the public holding signs and shouting had previously been asked to leave the chambers.

 “I think it’s incumbent upon us to create a safe environment for everyone so they can express their feelings,” Sim told council.

 In the end, no decision was made about natural gas because there were too many speakers to get though.                

The reminder are due to appear before council today.