An Ottawa real estate association has banned a real estate agent for comments he made on social media criticizing LGBT pride.
The Ottawa Real Estate Board, a private board that provides listing services to real estate agents in the city, banned Marc Papineau, a 14-year agent, from doing business with the organization after he failed to pay a fine it levied against him for the comments.
In a lengthy 2023 social media post, Papineau said he doesn’t think LGBT “Pride” should be celebrated for an entire month when veterans only get one day to be recognized. He also said drag shows aren’t appropriate for kids and that sexual preference should be a topic only discussed by adults.
Following the comments, the Reddit activists filed complaints against Papineau to both the Real Estate Council of Ontario – the regulatory body for the industry in the province – and the Ottawa Real Estate Board.
The provincial regulatory body determined that Papineau’s comments were personal in nature and did not warrant disciplinary action. He is still listed as an agent in good standing with no restrictions or disciplinary action on the council’s website.
The Ottawa Real Estate Board – a private industry association – took a different stance.
According to records of appeal decisions, disciplinary hearing transcripts and notices of termination acquired by True North, the board considered Papineau’s posts professional because he also posts business-related content on his personal account.
His ban means that he is no longer able to list properties on Realtor.ca, also known as the multiple listing service (MLS).
While Papineau said he regrets how he phrased his comments, he still thinks the backlash has been disproportionate.
“What I said was taken completely out of context. I was called every name in the book. The level of hatred and harassment I faced was beyond imagination—death threats, months of online attacks, and even people showing up at my friends’ workplaces, demanding they be fired for liking my post,” he said. “My staff and friends were harassed relentlessly.”
He told True North that he has no issue with people’s sexual orientation, as he had stated in the original post, but as a Christian, he doesn’t agree with how pride is celebrated.
He said he has friends who served in the military and endured unimaginable hardships and feels like the disproportionate focus on recognizing LGBT+ pride over the time spent honouring veterans demonstrates that their sacrifices are being “overlooked.”
“We live in a free country where social issues should be open for discussion. Losing the ability to speak freely is the first step toward tyranny,” he said. “If others want to celebrate pride for months, fine—it’s a free society. But in that same spirit, I should be free to voice my objections. That’s what freedom looks like.”
The Ottawa Real Estate Board did not respond to True North’s request for comment.
The private listing board’s decision to terminate Papineau’s membership states that he breached a code rule that a real estate who uses its services must not engage in “disgraceful, unprofessional or unbecoming” conduct.
Papineau told True North in an interview that the standard that the private real estate board holds its members to is the same standard that judges in Canada must adhere to in their personal lives – something he feels is unreasonable.
Despite the regulatory body finding no cause to continue action against him, the private requiring estate association effectively overruled RECO’s decision, fining him $4,000 and required him to take a $1,158.25 diversity course offered by the regulator.
Because Papineau filed for bankruptcy, he negotiated the fines from OREB down from $4,000 to $100.
As per emails between Papineau and the board, he reached out about being unable to pay for the ethics course, and the board said they’d get back to him. He said because of this he thought he had more time to register for the course.
By the time the private board got back to him, the date he had to register by had passed and he received a letter of termination from the listing service association on Nov. 28, 2024.
As a sign of good faith towards a future appeal, Papineau borrowed money to be able to take the course and registered for it in December.
Papineau said the board’s decision to ban him has been “devastating” for his career.
“The damages are immeasurable. My reputation has been tarnished in certain circles, and I’ve lost business. Being forced to move to another board has stained my name,” Papineau said. “Competitors now use the fact that I’m blacklisted against me. They tell potential clients I’m banned in Ottawa, which causes me to lose listings and buyers.”
He said he continues to face bankruptcy in the midst of all the trouble, and the ban has “taken a toll” on his family.
Papineau believes that allowing industry associations to police free expression on personal social media accounts endangers Canada’s status as a free society.
“This isn’t just about me. Today, it’s me, and tomorrow it’s someone else. If this continues, eventually, no one will be allowed to speak,” he said. “RECO has a public list of offences by realtors in this city, including fraud, assault, theft, and even attempted murder—yet those individuals still hold licenses. My ‘crime?’ A Facebook post.”
Papineau said he is seeking an appeal for the regulatory body to overrule OREB’s decision as he keeps his legal options open.
