When the Alt-Right "Infiltrated" a Small Town

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Mar 31, 2025

André Proulx, a reporter for Canadaland, and producer Tristan Capacchione dive into the chaotic political landscape of Pickering, Ontario, where alt-right ideologies are shaking the very foundations of local democracy. They discuss the alarming rise of online harassment, conspiracy theories, and the shifting dynamics of city council meetings moving online due to safety concerns. The pair explore the implications of a controversial councilor’s actions, highlighting the struggle for civil discourse amid rising tensions and the impact on community cohesion.

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ANECDOTE

Pickering's Alt-Right "Infiltration"

Pickering City Council released a video accusing Councillor Lisa Robinson of alt-right ties.
This video prompted a criminal investigation into Robinson and the move to online meetings.

ANECDOTE

Robinson's Rebuttal

Councillor Robinson claims the city is trying to silence her.
She believes this is an attack on the public's right to be informed and her ability to represent them.

ANECDOTE

The Players

Mayor Kevin Ash is a long-time politician whose father was also mayor.
Councillor Robinson, a former real estate agent and paralegal, has unsuccessfully run for MP and MPP.

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Internet trolls, doxing, conspiracy theories, harassment, criminal investigations, all the usual things that spring to mind when you think of small town council meetings. Welcome to Pickering, Ontario, best known for its nuclear power plant.

Is the alt-right driving Pickering to political meltdown? Or is the town council trying to silence a duly elected official over political disagreements? Either way things have gotten so out of hand that city council has locked the doors to the public. Council meetings have moved online. Now political foes don’t have to sit in the same room.

From Pickering to the wave of recent news stories south of the border where politicians from left to right are being shouted down at town hall meetings by angry constituents, are we witnessing the death of civil discussion in the civic sphere?

Host: Jesse Brown

Credits: André Proulx (Reporter), Tristan Capacchione (Producer), Bruce Thorson (Senior Producer), max collins (Director of Audio), Jesse Brown (Editor and Publisher)

Fact checking by Julian Abraham

Additional music by Audio Network