CHARLOTTETOWN — A village councillor in P.E.I. is asking a court to quash sanctions imposed on him after he displayed a sign on his property questioning the existence of unmarked graves at former residential schools.

In documents filed with the P.E.I. Supreme Court, Murray Harbour Coun. John Robertson claims fellow councillors exceeded their authority on Nov. 18, 2023, when they fined him $500 and suspended him from his municipal post for six months.

Robertson, who was elected to council in November 2022, was also removed as chair of the maintenance committee and ordered to write an apology to the mayor, council and the Indigenous community.

The councillor’s application for a judicial review says those sanctions were unreasonable because they failed to account for his fundamental right to freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression, as guaranteed by the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Robertson argues he shouldn’t be punished for stating personal opinions on political issues that have nothing to do with his role as an elected member of council.

Between late September and early October of last year, the councillor displayed a sign on his property with the message, “Truth: mass grave hoax” and “Reconciliation: Redeem Sir John A.’s integrity,” ahead of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 23, 2024.

The Canadian Press