By Kezia Royer-Burkett, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
That question echoed through Burlington last week after the sudden cancellation of the April 14, 2025, All-Candidates Meeting at Port Nelson United Church. The church’s steering committee cited safety concerns related to a planned protest convoy originating from Hamilton, saying it felt “justifiably worried about the safety of people attending.”
“Our concern was we didn’t know how big it would be. We didn’t know how disruptive it would be,” said William Love, president of the Roseland Community Organization (RCO) and an event organizer, in an interview with CBC Hamilton.
Don Baxter, an RCO member who also helped organize the meeting, noted that the term “convoy” evoked memories of the 2022 Freedom Convoy — a disruptive, wide-reaching protest against public health mandates. Although Love and Baxter said they received no direct threats, the possibility of unrest loomed large enough for organizers to pull the plug.
Liberal candidate Karina Gould was among the first to respond publicly.
“It is very disappointing that due to the intimidating behaviour from one campaign in Burlington, the Port Nelson Church had to make the difficult decision to cancel,” she said in a statement. “In Canada, everyone should feel safe to express themselves and not be subject to intimidation and harassment for engaging in the democratic process.”
Green Party candidate Kyle Hutton shared that sense of disappointment. “They should have had Bator up on the stage, but I don’t blame them for not wanting to — especially during Holy Week, and especially after repeated threats and this convoy showing up,” he said.
Michael Bator, the People’s Party of Canada (PPC) candidate for Burlington, sees it differently. He argues the decision to cancel the meeting — and his exclusion from the debate — is symptomatic of a broader issue.
“We sent out a statement. I held a press conference. I’ve asked my friends to stand with me for free speech,” Bator said. “Because without free speech, you have no voice. And if you have no choice, you don’t have a democracy.”
For Bator, this isn’t just about logistics: it’s about censorship disguised as safety protocol.
He pointed to the federal Leaders’ Debate Commission as an example: “The PPC was formed on September 14, 2018. The Debate Commission was created just over a month later. Maxime Bernier crushed it in the first debate, and then they moved the goalposts to keep him out of the next one. This year, they changed the rules again. Now the Green Party, which is polling lower than us and has fewer confirmed candidates, is invited, while we’re left out.”
Bator claims he outperformed the Green candidate in Burlington during the last election, receiving over 2,700 votes to their 1,000. “And yet they’re on the stage, and I’m not,” he said.
While debate organizers often rely on criteria such as national polling numbers, the number of ridings contested, and whether a party has a sitting MP, Bator questions both the fairness and transparency of those benchmarks.
“If your ideas can’t stand scrutiny, then your ideas suck,” he said bluntly. “We’re right — period. Right about immigration, about spending, about the climate grift. And they don’t want us at the table because they can’t defend their positions.” The PPC’s platform claims that climate change is simply hype and that the state of the global climate is the result of natural cycles, despite evidence to the contrary, which NASA notes is “unequivocal.”
Conservative candidate Emily Brown did not comment directly on Bator’s exclusion, but her advisor, Mark Fedak, acknowledged that the decision was likely based on “national leadership parameters.” Brown’s team expressed disappointment at the cancellation, noting she had been preparing to present her platform.
NDP candidate Michael Beauchemin offered a tone of understanding: “I’m always up for a challenge, so I was looking forward to the event. But I understand if the organizers felt they had to cancel for safety reasons. I don’t hold it against them.”
Yet for many Burlington residents, the cancellation wasn’t just a logistical hiccup — it felt like a blow to civic engagement. Some attendees, unaware of the cancellation, still showed up. One woman expressed confusion as to why a protest outside would affect the meeting’s proceedings. In a video posted on Instagram by lawyer and journalist Caryma Sa’d, protestors were seen gathered outside the church on April 14.
Bator also criticized the media’s portrayal of his campaign and supporters. He recalled how one fringe protester with an offensive sign became the focus of media coverage. “All of a sudden, CHCH pulls up, and they glued their camera to that guy. It’s disgusting,” he said.
Feeling sidelined by mainstream platforms, Bator says he’s turned to alternative media for coverage. “There are tons of independent podcasters in the U.S. that give us space. It’s a shame we have to go south of the border just to be heard.”
The cancellation has sparked criticism of Port Nelson United Church, a congregation known for its progressive and inclusive stance. “They pride themselves on inclusion,” said Bator. “But they’re not inclusive if they silence certain voices.”
As the federal election approaches, Burlington voters are left with fewer opportunities to hear from all candidates directly. What was meant to be a neutral forum for democratic debate has instead become a flashpoint in the ongoing tension between safety, inclusion, and the right to be heard.
“Everyone has a voice,” Bator said. “And everyone’s voice deserves to be heard.”
Whether Canadians agree with Bator’s platform or not, the more pressing question may be: who gets to decide which voices are allowed in the room?
Correction notice: Caryma Sa’d’s occupation has been corrected to “lawyer and journalist,” and that the video posted was on Instagram rather than Instagram Live.
