We agree with Councillor McConnachie that #FactsMatter, so here's 27 footnotes #LightReading. "Punishing people for calling 911 will cost lives in the context of an overdose crisis. Senior levels of government are trying to do the exact opposite"

The Bylaw, which will likely have a chilling effect on calls for emergency assistance, is not only morally reprehensible; it is also Constitutionally suspect. Its potential to adversely affect the health and safety of vulnerable populations has not adequately been considered, and we therefore strongly urge you to abandon its enactment

Life-saving services should be supported by government: Our statement to the City of Ottawa and Queen's Park

Operation Northern Spotlight is a project ill-conceived by Durham Regional Police in Ontario in 2014 to "rescue" sex workers from human trafficking by targeting and investigating them. Typically, police officers posing as clients set up dates online with sex workers, through websites like Craigslist and Backpage, then surprise them in hotel rooms. Since 2014, there have been five "waves" of Operation Northern Spotlight coordinated among law enforcement agencies across Canada. The latest campaign in October 2016 involved 53 police agencies in nine provinces working in conjunction with the FBI. Only a few law enforcement agencies in BC participated in 2015 and 2016.