On Tuesday, Airdrie's City Council passed a notice of motion that was supported by the entire city council regarding the issue of graphic and unsolicited pamphlets.

"...Council direct administration to amend community standards bylaw number Bylaw No. B-09/2012; to regulate how unsolicited fliers showing or claiming to show graphic images of fetuses can be delivered to any premises to include that they'd be concealed in an opaque envelope," Councillor Tina Petrow stated during the presentation of the motion

Councillor Petrow continued that the bylaw amendment would also include a graphic content warning and include the name and address of the sender when delivered to a home. A public input session has been scheduled for September 6, in order to allow City Council to hear submissions directly from residents pertaining to the proposed changes to the bylaw.

Before the notice of motion was passed unanimously, council briefly discussed the motion, underlining that it wasn't meant to target opinions or ideological stances, whether they be anti-abortion or pro-choice, but it was meant to tackle the issues of graphic imagery.

"We don't have a position one way or the other; that's not what we're talking about. We're talking is graphic images only. We basically mirrored what Calgary was doing," Mayor Brown underlined.

The possible changes to Airdrie community standards bylaw are indeed almost identical to that of what The City of Calgary passed several months ago regarding graphic images.

According to the now-amended bylaw in Calgary, flyers that have graphic images of fetuses must be concealed in an opaque envelope, with a graphic content warning, and include the name and address of the sender when delivered to homes. The three requirements of the bylaw amendment in Calgary carry separate fines of $1000 if violated.

Mayor Brown added that Councillor Heather Spearman had questions regarding the fines and how the fine structure would work and if it would pertain to a fine that might be applicable to each flyer delivered to each home, though details such as this would become clearer during the construction of the bylaw amendment. Councillor Chapman also added that fine amounts would also be clearer once the bylaw comes through to the council for approval in the future. 

Councillor Petrow also added that there were some details to be hashed out, considering the fact that the notice of motion in some cases was very specific when it came to describing imagery with regard to the unsolicited anti-abortion flyers that residents received in late May. 

"It says we're making this motion for these specific things and then some of its very vague about graphic images. In my mind, just some of those 'whereas' is open to interpretation," she remarked.

Charlotte Satink, Manager of Legislative Services for The City of Airdrie, however, clarified that specific wording is much more vital when crafting the bylaw. In its notice of motion, council stipulates, among other things, that:

"...Flyers containing graphic, alleged images of aborted fetuses have been distributed in many Airdrie communities and whereas, when flyers with graphic imagery are left at residences in Airdrie, occupants are unable to meaningfully consent to view these graphic images prior to doing so... Members of Council have received correspondence from residents in Airdrie reporting the harmful and traumatizing impacts of viewing flyers with alleged images of aborted fetuses, particularly to those with experience of pregnancy loss...Children viewing graphic imagery such as the above may pre-empt certain sensitive conversations within families... The City of Airdrie wishes to provide its residents with the ability to decide whether they want to view flyers showing graphic images."

In late May, Airdrie residents voiced their frustration at the fact that multiple homes in multiple neighbourhoods had been canvassed with anti-abortion flyers which were left on doorsteps as well as tucked into siding. Previously, Discover Airdrie spoke to an Airdrie resident, Elizabeth Jarman who began an online petition to spur City Council to act. She had said that in 2019, there had been similar discussions at City Council where the flyers surfaced. Her online petition has over 500 signatures. 

Jarman had said that it was her son who previously discovered the flyer and the issue of smaller children finding the adverts was something dozens upon dozen of residents across several social media groups on Facebook highlighted. Many vehemently criticized the distributors of the flyers, saying that those who distribute the ads may be traumatizing not only kids but also adults who have gone through traumatizing events such as miscarriages, processing the death of their infants due to chronic medical illnesses or due to Sudden Infant Death (SID) syndrome, sexual assaults, or otherwise.

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