Fort Erie joins the call for public access to sex offender registry
October 21, 2025 at 4:18 AM
Town councillors have followed in the footsteps of other Niagara municipalities in calling for public access to lists of registered sex offenders.
Councillor George McDermott put forward a motion supporting an earlier Thorold motion that calls for the Province “to permit public access to the Ontario Sex Offender Registry.” The Fort Erie motion also includes a similar request for the federal government’s registry and came following a presentation from Steven Soos and Alicia Googoo.
“So much of the suffering could be prevented if we stopped prioritizing the privacy of offenders over the safety of children. We cannot allow that to continue,” said Googoo, who said she was a victim of sexual assault as a child by an offender on the registry.
“Opening the sex offender registry to the public is a commonsense, life saving measure and ensures that those responsible for protecting children have the knowledge that they need to do so.”
Calls for changes to the criminal justice system have been continuing since the assault of a young girl in Welland earlier this year. While Soos said there are several changes they’re pushing for, making the registry public is one way to improve public safety. Currently only law enforcement agencies have access to such registries.
“This is a public safety issue, nobody wants to live next to a sex offender,” said Soos.
Some concerns about making a sex offender registry public include fears over vigilantism that could arise. After Mayor Wayne Redekop asked the delegation why they thought governments might be hesitant to publicize a list, they acknowledged worries over vigilantism.
“This is not about vigilantism, this is about prevention, it’s about protection. It’s about empowering families, educators and communities,” Googoo said.
Soos said he’s been going to various municipalities since before the assault in Welland that generated national headlines.
“We’ve got quite a few municipalities behind us and would love for Fort Erie to join the call,” he said.
The request will be sent to both the provincial and federal government, including Prime Minister Mark Carney’s office, the federal minister of justice, Premier Doug Ford, as well as the attorney general and solicitor general.
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About The Author
Luke Edwards
Luke Edwards is a longtime Niagara community journalist who has covered a variety of beats, including business, agriculture, the wine industry and politics. When not writing, there's a good chance he can be found at a baseball diamond or curling rink.
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