RTCOttawa

Romancing the Capital (RTC) is dedicated to providing a harassment-free conference experience for everyone, regardless of gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, age or religion. We do not tolerate harassment of conference participants in any form. Conference participants violating these rules may be sanctioned or expelled from the conference without a refund at the discretion of the conference organizers.

Harassment includes, but is not limited to:

Verbal comments that reinforce social structures of domination related to gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, age, or religion
Deliberate intimidation, stalking, or following
Harassing photography or recording
Sustained disruption of talks or other events
Inappropriate physical contact
Unwelcome sexual attention
Advocating for, or encouraging, any of the above behaviour

Exception: Discussion or images related to sex, pornography, discriminatory language, or similar is welcome if it meets all of the following criteria: (a) the organizers have specifically granted permission in writing, (b) it is necessary to the topic of discussion and no alternative exists, (c) it is presented in a respectful manner, especially towards women and LGBTQIA+ people, (d) attendees are warned in advance in the program and respectfully given ample warning and opportunity to leave beforehand. This exception specifically does not allow use of gratuitous sexual images as attention-getting devices or unnecessary examples.

Enforcement

Participants asked to stop any harassing behavior are expected to comply immediately

Authors, panelists, RTC volunteers, and assistants are also subject to the anti-harassment policy.

If a participant engages in harassing behaviour, event organisers retain the right to take any actions to keep the event a welcoming environment for all participants. This includes warning the offender or expulsion from the conference with no refund.

Event organisers may take action to redress anything designed to, or with the clear impact of, disrupting the event or making the environment hostile for any participants.

We expect participants to follow these rules at all event venues and event-related social activities.

Reporting

If someone makes you or anyone else feel unsafe or unwelcome, please report it as soon as possible at the RTC registration table or to the hotel main desk. Harassment and other code of conduct violations reduce the value of our event for everyone. We want you to be happy at our event. People like you make our event a better place.

You can make a report either personally or anonymously.

Anonymous Report

You can make an anonymous report here using this Contact Form

We can’t follow up an anonymous report with you directly, but we will fully investigate it and take whatever action is necessary to prevent a recurrence.

Personal Report

You can make a personal report by contacting a hotel staff member, identified by their uniform and name tag, or by speaking to someone at the RTC registration desk.

When taking a personal report, our staff will ensure you are safe and cannot be overheard. They may involve other event staff to ensure your report is managed properly. Once safe, we’ll ask you to tell us about what happened. This can be upsetting, but we’ll handle it as respectfully as possible, and you can bring someone to support you. You won’t be asked to confront anyone and we won’t tell anyone who you are.

Our team will be happy to help you contact hotel/venue security, local law enforcement, local support services, provide escorts, or otherwise assist you to feel safe for the duration of the event. We value your attendance.

Hotel Main Line for help: 613 – 271-3057

Ottawa Police Service: 613-236-1222

The Sexual Assault Support Centre of Ottawa: 613-234-2266

Local emergency medical

Queensway-Carleton Hospital

3045 Baseline Rd, Nepean, ON K2H 8P4

Emergency department: Open 24 hours

613-721-2000

Local non-emergency medical

Appletree Medical Centre

150 Katimavik Rd, Kanata, ON K2L 2N2

Thursday 8am-7pm, Friday 8am – 7pm, Saturday Closed