Testimony has wrapped up at the Human Rights Tribunal involving Borderland Pride and the township of Emo.

Harrold Boven and Warren Toles were councillors in 2022 when Emo council defeated a proclamation declaring Pride Week and named in the complaint launched by Borderland Pride.

In their witness statements, both stated they were concerned that Borderland Pride’s proposed wording contained values and statements not shared by all residents of Emo.

They noted a resolution approved in 2019 better served the community.
That proclamation removed all references to the LGBTQ community.

During the discussion in May 2020, Toles attempted to introduce a modified version, but it never came to a vote.

He testified that he wished he had pushed harder for that.

Neither municipal representative stated they reached out to Borderland Pride following their decision.

Toles said comments made by its co-chair Doug Judson about the municipality and how it ran its business did not give him the prospect of having a good discussion.

Harrold Boven stated that based on comments made in the news and social media there was nothing conciliatory to work with.

Final submissions are scheduled to be made next Tuesday.