As we continue tracking where local candidates stand on the downtown summer street closures, today we feature a deeply troubling response from incumbent Councillor Molly Allaire.
Allaire is seeking re-election to Amherstburg Town Council. When asked if she would commit to removing the barriers that deny residents with disabilities equal access during the Open Air weekends, she attempted to plead ignorance.
The Candidate’s Position: Feigning Unawareness
In her reply, Allaire acknowledged that Open Air remains a deeply contentious community issue, but claimed a total lack of awareness regarding its accessibility failures:
“You mention barriers that deny people with disabilities equal access to the community. I do not know of these specific barriers you speak of. Could you please explain so I can make an educated response.”
On the surface, this might look like a candidate open to learning. However, public records and direct email archives tell a completely different story.
The Reality: A Meticulously Documented Paper Trail (2022–2024)
Let’s be entirely clear: Molly Allaire knows exactly what these barriers are, because she has been emailing me about them for four years.
The claim that she needs to be educated on this topic is a massive deflection that is entirely disproved by the written record. Allaire not only sat through my numerous public delegations, but she has also maintained a direct, multi-year correspondence on this exact subject.
My personal records show a clear timeline of her direct engagement with these barriers:
- September 5, 2022: Allaire responded directly to the burg watch candidate questions regarding Open Air and its community impact.
- February 18, 2023: Allaire initiated contact regarding Richard Peddie’s comments and a subsequent blog post following his interview on am800.
- November 10, 2023: Allaire emailed me with the explicit subject line “Open Air,” actively initiating a discussion on how the town could minimize or eliminate the physical barriers caused by the event’s barricades.
- November 13, 2023: Just days after that email, Allaire officially made the motion to send the Open Air footprint to the Accessibility Advisory Committee following receipt of the residents’ survey noting accessibility concerns.
- January 11, 2024: Allaire emailed regarding the physical signage blocking sidewalks during the summer festival months.
- September 12, 2024: Allaire sent an email explicitly regarding “Open Air Accessibility.”
To have written multiple emails over several years, reviewed survey data, and drafted an official council motion regarding the event’s footprint limitations—only to now tell a voter “I do not know of these specific barriers”—is political amnesia at its worst.
When an incumbent politician pretends a well-documented barrier is brand-new information, they are avoiding accountability. The Open Air footprint—which eliminates close-proximity curb side parking and cuts off vehicle navigation—is inherently ableist. Council has known this for years, and Molly Allaire has the sent emails to prove it.
What Do You Think?
Molly Allaire’s own email history shows she was fully aware of the Open Air footprint flaws and accessibility gaps as far back as 2022. Yet, her current campaign strategy is to ask a resident to explain the problem to her all over again.
Is it acceptable for an incumbent councillor to claim ignorance on an issue they have a multi-year paper trail discussing? Let me know your thoughts and stay tuned as we continue holding candidates accountable.
the burg watch 