City council to debate 'graphic image flyer' bylaw after concerns raised by parents

Using explicit graphics images in mail-outs could soon be subject to new rules after the community and public services committee supported an addition to its community standards bylaw requiring any mail-drops to be contained in a properly labelled envelope.

On Monday, committee voted 4-0, with Ward Anirniq Coun. Erin Rutherford absent, to send an amendment to the bylaw regulating the delivery of “unsolicited graphic image material” to council for approval. The new rules would mean hand-delivered letters or flyers must have a properly labelled envelope to conceal any imagery.

“At home you decide what your kids are going to watch and be exposed to — you should be able to have that control with your mailbox too,” said Ward Dene Coun. Aaron Paquette, who initiated the bylaw with a motion in 2025. “You only get one chance to be a kid. Also, if women who have had to have abortions — even if they didn’t want to but had to for health reasons — see this imagery, it triggers a lot of emotions in them that, frankly, no one has a right to trigger in someone who’s grieving or been through trauma.

“Parents should have a choice who gets exposed to that and people who have had trauma shouldn’t be exposed to it against their will by it suddenly showing up in their mailbox.”

Paquette said he put the motion forward after hearing from both concerned parents and women who had made use of abortion services who were traumatized by images of fetuses included in flyers placed in mailboxes. He said he also received a flyer with images of fetuses.

Should the bylaw pass, those dropped-off flyers will be required to be contained in an envelope and include a warning. The rules would apply to all provocative imagery, not just pro-life literature, meaning animal rights activist groups, for example, would also need to use a properly labeled envelope if using images which may be seen as disturbing.

The rules would not affect mail, as Canada Post is under federal jurisdiction. But Canada Post already doesn’t carry mail that has provocative imagery on the envelope.

Paquette said the bylaw isn’t intended to stifle debate or impose on free speech, it is mainly to ensure people outside of the debate aren’t negatively impacted.

“These are important topics worthy of public debate,” said Paquette. “But people should have a choice whether they’re confronted with this in their mailbox. You can still mail these out, but at least give people a choice of what they’re going to be exposed to.

“At least have some kind of warning about disturbing imagery. People can then choose whether they’re going to see it or not, and people who should not  — or we would not want to be exposed to that — are not. It’s common sense.”

If council approves the updated bylaw, Paquette said the city will examine other jurisdictions for guidance on what penalties are appropriate for violations of the bylaw. Enforcement of the bylaw will be handled through 311 complaints.

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