Nastiness, yelling, threats: Municipal politicians face anger from fed up constituents

One politician was threatened because a resident didn't like the speed bump the city installed on his street.

Another was yelled at because a homeowner's garbage wasn't picked up on time.

Earlier this month, a man who began emailing London city hall in June was arrested after his inquires turned into death threats.

"We've been hearing a growing chorus that the reality of being a municipal leader is becoming far more challenging," said Petra Wolfbleiss, the director of membership services with the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO), which acts on behalf of 444 municipal councils, from villages and small towns to regions and bigger cities.

"It isn't always just with the public. The notion of polarization is creeping in amongst council members as well, which then impacts the community."

In 2024, the mayor of Russell, in eastern Ontario, resigned because of what he described as a toxic culture on social media and a lack of civility in person. This year, Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown and his family were threatened, prompting them to get police protection.

"Sometimes that incivility and the harassment is something that is prompted not necessarily by anything that is going on at council, but public figures are an easy target for the challenges people are dealing with," Wolfbeiss said.

The AMO is focusing on helping municipalities deal with incivility and how to protect themselves and staff better, she added. "Many people talked about how fraught campaigning was in 2022 and they're worried about what they're walking into in 2026."

Politicians face personal attacks and hatred toward their families, said Corrine Rahman, a city councillor in London.

"I think people's fuses may be a bit shorter, and we've come to accept in society a level of disrespect that we hadn't going back a decade," Rahman said. Although she hasn't reconsidered staying in municipal politics, being harassed and yelled at does wear on a person, Rahman added.

"I didn't expect that there would be times where I have to shield my family from having to defend me, or to listen to me being disrespected by somebody in public," she said. "We have to create an atmosphere where people feel safe to share their opinions with us in a respectful way."

'Pop the bully in the nose'

For London city councillor Shawn Lewis, that's meant setting firm rules on Facebook and not tolerating disrespectful rhetoric.

"Sometimes, you have to turn around and pop the bully in the nose. You have to push back and not take that crap from people because being nice about it or ignoring it, it just feeds them. Sometimes, you have to push back."

Women and minorities get particularly targeted attacks, experts say.

"I see a lot more outright nastiness and lack of understanding," Lewis said. "I'm not your personal punching bag and I'm not going to let you just say negative things about me because you don't like me, especially if it's not related to the job."

People to take a breath before they say or post things that are nasty, Lewis said.

Ontario's municipal election is scheduled for Oct. 26, 2026.