The mayor of Wasaga Beach has announced the town will — at least for now — not be allowing comments on its social media platforms.
Mayor Nina Bifolchi recorded a video message to make the announcement, which was posted to the town's Facebook page on Tuesday.
"We believe strongly in truth and transparency," said Bifolchi, noting staff monitor comments to ensure they comply with the town's standards. "Unfortunately, a small group of people are using the town's social media platform to spread their hate, lies, and bullying behaviour."
In her video statement, Bifolchi said staff were spending a lot of time moderating comments, and after discussing the matter with the CAO, the mayor and staff decided to turn off commenting "for now" on the town's social media platforms.
The mayor cited the example of CBC turning off Facebook comments in June.
"I encourage you to share the town's posts within your own social media pages and discuss freely," said Bifolchi. "This is not about the town trying to control the narrative."
The mayor thanked those who she said shared their views, even opposing, in a respectful manner. She addressed a "small, toxic group" directly, stating they would no longer have a platform on the town's social media pages.
The town and mayor has encouraged people to email, call, or share feedback on the town's "Let's Talk Wasaga Beach" forum, which is online here.
Facebook comments have been shut down as of yesterday morning (Oct. 26). The mayor indicated it's a temporary move right now.
Deputy Mayor Sylvia Bray shared the town's announcement on her own page, stating "we all have to do our bit to stop the spread of lies and discourage bullying and harassing behaviour, both online and in person. Zero tolerance is possible when we all work together."
The post was also shared to a group called "Wasaga 22,000 Strong and Proud" where several comments referred to the move as "censorship," referred to town government as "communist" and suggested it was a reaction to the town being "called out" for deleting comments by residents.
Comments in the "Wasaga Beach Political Forum" group commended the action, referring to it as "sad but necessary."
