We need to bring back civility between neighbours. Here’s how
Incivility is increasing in Canadian communities, with many city councillors reporting harassment and considering resignation. In response, Ottawa held a City of Kindness symposium to promote human kindness as a means to foster community and belonging. This initiative encourages Canadians to engage in acts of kindness, aiming to strengthen social ties and combat hostility.
- ▪A survey revealed that two-thirds of Canadian city councillors experienced harassment in 2025.
- ▪The City of Ottawa organized a City of Kindness symposium to promote community and belonging.
- ▪Participants at the symposium signed a kindness pledge and brainstormed practical ways to make kindness a habit.
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Open this photo in gallery:People stroll by the waters and shores of the Ottawa River in Ottawa in July, 2023.Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian PressShareSave for laterPlease log in to bookmark this story.Log InCreate Free AccountSheema Khan is the author of Of Hockey and Hijab: Reflections of a Canadian Muslim Woman.Incivility is on the rise, according to The Globe and Mail, with city halls and council chambers across Canada becoming theatres of antagonism. In 2025, roughly two-thirds of Canadian city councillors who responded to a Canadian Municipal Barometer survey said they had experienced harassment. In New Brunswick, about one-third of city councillors have considered resigning due to constant abuse. From Whitby and Sarnia in Ontario, to St.
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