Counselling service available to P.E.I. municipal leaders after Three Rivers threats

Summerside Coun. Justin Doiron said he regularly interacts with city residents on social media.

While it’s usual for elected officials in Prince Edward Island to be subjected to some constructive criticism, Doiron said the conversations can sometimes turn hostile.

"People are certainly entitled to be passionate about what they choose to be passionate about, and I think [municipal officials] all here in some way or another to take that," he said.

"When it becomes personal, when people aren't happy about something and they sort of take digs at the person or the family behind the job, I think that’s sort of when it crosses a line."

The province recently created a free professional counselling service for municipal staff in light of an uptick in harassment towards them.

The confidential program called Municipal Leaders Talk launched in October. It gives mayors, councillors and chief administrative officers a safe way to discuss stress, abuse and other personal or family matters.

Information is available through the government's website, and there is a 24-hour phone number for officials to call.

Last week, the town council in Three Rivers closed its meeting to the public for the second time this year due to what the mayor said were "disturbing comments" from the public posted on social media.

P.E.I. RCMP did not provide details on the full nature of the threats, but Coun. Anne Van Donkersgoed told CBC News they are related to land and properties owned by Buddhist groups in the area, which have been the topic of concerns and speculation for years.

She and other councillors have been criticized by some over how much land the groups own.

Satya Sen, executive director for the Federation of P.E.I. Municipalities, said he strongly supports the counselling program and said its existence shows there is a problematic pattern of behaviour.

He noted, however, that it doesn’t necessarily mean municipal officials should be immune to criticism.

"It is important to criticize the people you elected, and that's part of the democracy, but it has to be constructive and fair," Sen said.

Sarah Outram, executive director of the P.E.I. Coalition for Women's Leadership, said harassment against municipal leaders isn't an issue that's unique to this province. She said other jurisdictions have started initiatives similar to the Island's counselling program.