Pointe-Claire city councillor Erin Tedford came into politics expecting to usher in sustainable development and environmental protections but instead says she was faced with a "toxic" environment at city hall that spilled over to her personal life.
It's why she says she had to make the "really difficult decision" to resign from city council on Tuesday a little over one year into her position.
Part of the reason for stepping down, she said, was the anger from some residents who showed up at her home to berate her about municipal issues rather than calling or emailing her office.
"And even when they're told it's not a good time, not leaving, coming around to the back of the house when the front door is not open, you know, those things were difficult," she said in an interview Wednesday with CJAD 800 co-hosts Aaron Rand and Natasha Hall.
"There seems to be such a divisive atmosphere that people have created sides and are deciding there's one side or another side, you're pro or against developments. And that's not the case at all."
Tedford said she ran on an environmental-oriented platform of preserving the tree canopy and heritage buildings in her district, as well as protecting green spaces and creating affordable housing, which required some government "checks" that she believed struck a nerve with some of her constituents.
Tedford, 46, said she always strived to strike a balance between business interests and standing up for the environment, while giving a voice to community members.
She announced her resignation Tuesday in a Facebook post, in which she wrote that many of the decisions from her council colleagues were counter to her values.
"In my experience, the most constructive exchanges are based on listening, respect, genuine reflection, and the consideration and exchange of alternative ideas. I have spoken honestly in Council about what I believe should be priorities and changes needed to ensure the preservation of our quality of life and heritage, as expressed by my constituents, but these views were rarely welcomed and efforts to silence them have even been aggressive," Tedford wrote.
She said she had to draw the line when she felt her privacy at home was "violated."
"I think this is a time where, emerging from a pandemic, we have to protect our health and safety and sometimes just say, enough is enough," she said, "even if it's not really the kind of way forward you would have envisioned or wanted."
