Saskatoon city councillors face threats, insults over controversial topics including fire pit restrictions

Since he was first elected in 2012, Saskatoon city councillor Troy Davies has been called an "idiot" and a "redneck" by members of the public. At one point, someone even threatened to run him over with a car.

Now, with public anger swelling over controversial issues like proposed restrictions on backyard fire pits, Davies said it is important to remember that comments to councillors need to be kept civil.

"Since I was first elected, I've gotten better at not taking things so personally," he said. "It probably took me about a year to get to that point."

The Saskatoon Police Service confirmed Monday it investigated a complaint from another city councillor abouta threat in December.

"It was investigated by a Detective Sergeant in our Intelligence Unit, and while the communication was strongly-worded, it was determined to not be criminal in nature," said a police spokesperson.

"Members of council were advised of the outcome and that should they receive threatening communication in the future to file a report so we can follow-up."

Speaking to CBC Radio's Saskatoon Morning, Daviessaid several issues, from downtown bike lanes to "Merry Christmas" messages on buses, have raised public ire during his time as a councillor.

However, he said the debate around whether fire pits should be limited to 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. has generated even more heated debate than usual.

"When you take rights away from people that they think they have for their backyards, whether you agree or disagree, people have a voice," he said.

Last month, council voted to defer a decision on whether to enact the burning limit. Two online petitions have been launched to kill the proposal.

Meanwhile, councillor Cynthia Block said the reaction to the issue has been very passionate. She said it is important that the public remembers that lines can be crossed.

"Sometimes, especially with online, I think people really struggle with understanding where those lines are," she said. "We seem to be losing our way on the online piece, and I think that's a bit of a concern."

She said the public needs to understand that councillors spend months considering and researching issues before making a decision.

Davies said listening to the public is the most important part of the job, but believes it's important to communicate respectfully.

"It's our job to listen to positive and negative responses," he said. "That's what we get paid to do. We're there to serve and we're there to listen, whether it be positive or negative. Just do it in a positive manner."