After a long and raucous debate, Ottawa city council has made a decision on the Freethought Association of Canada’s “There’s probably no god” ad campaign and will allow the ads to be displayed on OC Transpo buses.
After two rounds of voting, 13-7 voted in favour to run the ads, as well as authorize an examination of the city’s advertising policy. In both votes, Somerset Coun. Diane Holmes voted to approve the motions.
After the votes were tallied, there was limited celebration in the audience. Immediately after the votes, council moved to go in camera, which emptied the council chambers.
Outside, members of the Freethought Association of Canada said that the decision meant the city was saying that people have the right to be non-religious.
Before the meeting, many people gathered both inside city hall and outside along Laurier Ave. to announce their side of the debate.
Those inside city hall were almost exclusively supporters of the Freethought Association of Canada and the Ottawa Humanist Association while those along Laurier Ave. were opposed to the ads.
OC Transpo originally rejected the ads after only four complaints were registered against them.
What followed after has been a media storm, with opposing viewpoints trying to justify their positions.
The Feb. 18 transit committee meeting appeared to be the possible end to the debate, until Coun. Alex Cullen moved to have the decision overturned. However, with reduced attendance during the later stages of the meeting, Cullen’s motion was defeated on a tied 3-3 vote.
That vote touched off further wrangling, with Cullen deciding to put forth a notice of motion at the Feb. 23 city council meeting to debate the decision on Mar. 11.
With council now allowing the ads, citizens should expect to see them on the sides of buses within the next few weeks.