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1February 2025
Project kickoff and research
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2March 17 to April 15, 2025
Public engagement to understand community sentiment and perceptions
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3April to June 2025
Review and share community feedback and make recommendation to Council
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4July 2025
Implement Council direction
Overview
Some residents have expressed concerns over protests taking place outside of places of worship. One incident occurred in Mississauga in the fall of 2024. Other protests have happened in Brampton and Vaughan. In a few cases, protests that started out peaceful turned violent with worshippers being harassed, threatened and even physically assaulted.
Everyone has the right to peaceful protest. The City will not interfere with protests as long as gatherings remain peaceful and comply with all laws and by-laws. The public also has the right to safely access community spaces without fear of violence or intimidation.
Many places of worship also provide food and support to our most vulnerable citizens. Protests should not prevent people from accessing services they need.
The Canadian cities of Calgary, Vaughan and Brampton have already developed a by-law to create “buffer zones” around sensitive locations, like places of worship, schools or hospitals.
Project objectives
As part of the research process, the City consulted with:
- Experts
- Other municipalities
- The public
- Affected community groups
We looked at our existing nuisance gathering by-law to decide if it addresses the concerns that have been raised. We also explored the possibility of creating a new by-law to regulate protests near places of worship in Mississauga.
All research, feedback and ideas gathered during this process were used to inform a recommendation that was presented to City Council.
Public engagement
From March 17 to April 15, we conducted a comprehensive engagement process as part of our research to get different perspectives, considerations and understand what the impact on the community may be.
Through online surveys, we asked the public to:
- Share their experiences
- Help define what a place of worship is
- Give ideas to help inform our recommendation
We appreciate everyone who participated in our surveys and shared their thoughts and provided input.
Outcome
At the June 18, 2025, General Committee meeting, Council reviewed options to address violent or disruptive protests near places of worship. They chose to maintain the current enforcement approach, relying on existing by-laws and legislation, rather than developing a new by-law.
Key points of the motion:
- Council considered the development of a by-law to address protests near places of worship.
- Public consultation revealed no clear consensus on an approach.
- Staff advised that current tools including the Nuisance Gathering By-law, other City by-laws, the Criminal Code and the Trespass to Property Act are sufficient for enforcement.
- The Legal Services Division indicated that a new by-law would likely face a court challenge, would have significant enforcement challenges and be costly to enforce.
- Council directed staff to continue using existing enforcement measures and to advocate for legislative changes at higher levels of government.