NAPANEE, Ontario, December 15, 2011 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Ontario Progressive Conservative Party MPP Randy Hillier (Lanark-Frontenac-Lennox & Addington) has taken a stand against the war on Christmas, leading a “pro-Christmas protest” after his local school board banned Christmas decorations on their buses.
The politician led the protest Wednesday at the Tri-Board Student Transportation Services offices in Napanee.
A press release from Hillier explained that the “Board insists that the policy against decorations is a safety issue, after back-tracking on an earlier statement that it was a human rights issue.”
“We have a number of laws on the books regarding public safety with motor vehicles, commercial vehicles and school buses, including laws to prevent distracted driving. If this truly was a safety issue, there would be a law addressing it. I guess I have more faith in our school bus drivers to be diligent about safety than Tri-Board does,” Hillier said.
A petition, asking the board to repeal their ban on decorations in school buses, which Mr. Hillier said gathered thousands of signatories in only two days, was also delivered to Tri-Board.
“The Board has the right to know the level of opposition there is to their policy,” remarked Hillier. “I also thought we would deliver a bit of Christmas cheer to what must surely be a very gloomy workplace these days.”
The Whig-Standard reports that about 100 people showed up to decorate the Christmas tree and sing Christmas carols.
Mr. Hillier told the crowd that Tri-Board’s explanation that the decoration ban was for safety reasons was inadequate, and the decision was made by a bureaucratic Grinch.
“I would challenge anybody to show me one shred of evidence, one ounce of evidence of any child who has ever been injured by a Christmas decoration on a school bus,” Hillier said. “When they can show me that evidence then I may chose to have a different view.”
“People are saying enough is enough,” Hillier said. “We’re not going to allow some officious mid-level bureaucrat to be the Grinch who steals away Christmas from our children.”
The Whig-Standard observed that when Tri-Board CEO Steve Wowk emerged from the company office, he was given a bag of coal by a protester dressed in a Santa Claus suit, reminiscent of St. Nicholas’ traditional elf helper, Black Peter, who, according to some folk tales, gave naughty children a lump of coal or a stick, while St. Nicholas delivered Christmas gifts.
Wowk did, however, say he was impressed by the crowd, according to the Whig-Standard, and joined the protesters in decorating the Christmas tree set up outside the office.
Contact Information:
Tri-Board Student Transportation Services
Steve Wowk, CEO
81 Dairy Avenue, Napanee, Ontario, K7R 1M5
Phone: 613.354.1981 ext. 324
Fax: 866-616-5816
Email: [email protected]
Randy Hillier, MPP Lanark-Frontenac-Lennox & Addington
Contact through Mr. Hillier’s website: https://randyhilliermpp.com/ontariocanleadagain/contact-randy