Edmonton to consider mandating envelopes, warnings for graphic flyers 

Madeleine Cummings · CBC News

· Posted: Jul 04, 2025 8:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 4 hours ago

Edmonton's metropolis assembly volition see adding restrictions aimed astatine preventing radical from unwittingly seeing flyers with graphic imagery.

Ward Dene Coun. Aaron Paquette introduced a question during Wednesday's metropolis assembly gathering that medication hole changes to the assemblage standards bylaw to necessitate each unsolicited people worldly containing graphic images to beryllium contained successful a sealed opaque envelope with a contented informing and senders' names and addresses.

Paquette said helium regularly receives complaints from residents coming crossed flyers successful their mailboxes with pictures of aborted fetuses.

He said specified images person traumatized his constituents for a assortment of reasons. 

"It's often children who bring successful the message and they're confronted with imagery that they are not emotionally oregon developmentally prepared to process successful a steadfast way," helium told CBC News connected Thursday.

Paquette's motion, which passed unanimously, projected a minimum good of $500 for violating the rules.

The question did not notation termination and the metropolis councillor said helium thinks the rules should besides widen to different types of graphic imagery.

Ward Anirniq Coun. Erin Rutherford said astatine the gathering that her bureau has besides received complaints astir this topic. 

Ward Sspomitapi Coun. Jo-Anne Wright said she hasn't been proceeding the aforesaid complaints but she's consenting to research restrictions to code concerns. 

"I deliberation I'm going to instrumentality the guidance from our ineligible section arsenic to what they specify arsenic being graphic," she said successful an interrogation Thursday.

Edmonton follows different cities

Calgary's metropolis assembly approved a alteration to its assemblage standards bylaw successful 2023. The regulations use to graphic images of fetuses and violations transportation fines of $1,000.

The City of Edmonton's ineligible squad told councillors Edmonton's bylaw requirements could beryllium modelled aft Calgary's.

Cities successful different provinces person besides passed akin bylaws, but respective person faced ineligible challenges. 

The City of St. Catharines, successful Ontario, repealed its graphic images bylaw past twelvemonth aft the Association of Reformed Political Action, a Christian governmental advocacy organization, launched a ineligible situation against it.

The ARPA filed a announcement of exertion past period challenging the constitutionality of a akin bylaw successful London, Ont.

Who's distributing flyers?

Blaise Alleyne, the eastbound strategical initiatives manager for the Canadian Centre for Bio-Ethical Reform, said the enactment distributes abortion-related images crossed the country. 

He said volunteers with a spouse organization, Edmonton Against Abortion, present postcards successful Edmonton year-round and an internship squad from Calgary visited the metropolis for a week of outreach successful June. Both groups usage the aforesaid flyers, helium said. 

CBC News has not confirmed which flyers person prompted complaints to metropolis councillors' offices.

Alleyne said determination are a fewer versions of the group's astir up-to-date flyer and the enactment rotates photos each fewer years, with flimsy variations since 2017.

Alleyne said the CCBR believes bylaws similar Calgary's won't past law tribunal challenges.

"City councillors would beryllium amended disconnected to admit that unfortunate photography is simply a portion of sermon successful a democracy, adjacent connected contentious issues," helium said. 

Gerard Kennedy, an adjunct prof of instrumentality astatine the University of Alberta, said determination tin beryllium limits to look but the work is connected the authorities to beryllium that immoderate are tenable and proportionate. 

"Freedom of look is expected to beryllium content-neutral with precise uncommon look limits, which means that you by each means modulate the time, spot and mode successful which look is done, and by each means support susceptible persons, but you shouldn't beryllium stopping a connection being sent retired simply due to the fact that you disagree with the message," helium said.

Richard Dur, enforcement manager with Prolife Alberta, said Albertans won't cull termination until they spot the world of it. 

"When thing is truthful horrifying we can't carnivore to look astatine it, possibly we shouldn't beryllium accepting it," helium told CBC News successful an emailed statement.

Dur said Prolife Alberta launched a province-wide advertizing campaign, successful portion "to bypass unjust municipal censorship."

The Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada says connected its website that graphic images of aborted fetuses are harmful and encourages radical to kick to municipalities and inquire for regulations.

Alleyne said helium has not heard of immoderate cases of radical being fined nether graphic images bylaws.

He said the CCBR complies with municipal bylaws, usually by not delivering successful communities with them since doing truthful is overmuch much costly and time-consuming.

"We've not faced fines, but it's impacted our quality to stock our connection with the public," helium said.

Councillors connected Edmonton's assemblage and nationalist services committee are acceptable to sermon imaginable bylaw amendments aboriginal adjacent year.