Recorded on January 22, 2026
The Safer Municipalities Act (Bill 6) became law in 2025. It allows police and bylaw officers to order people:
- to stop using illegal substances in public places such as encampments, or
- to leave an area.
Bill 6 also increases fines and prison sentences for public drug use. And it increases penalties for people who know they're trespassing and do it constantly.
This webinar aims to help community workers better understand Bill 6. This is so they can offer legal information to people affected by it, and refer them to a lawyer.
The webinar will cover the following about Bill 6:
- what it's about
- how it fits in with other laws, policies, and approaches to watch, control, and criminalize certain people and groups of people
- how it affects people, especially those who use illegal substances, are homeless, Indigenous, or Black resources and services available to people affected by it
Speakers:
- Ryan Peck, Executive Director, HIV & AIDS Legal Clinic Ontario (HALCO)
- Mskwaasin Agnew, Harm Reduction Worker, Toronto Indigenous Harm Reduction
- Amy Slotek, Staff Lawyer, Legal Aid Ontario
NOTE: We have provided a handout on important resources and supports from the webinar in PDF form below, along with the recording and PowerPoint slides.
ASL