A town in northern Alberta may soon ban pride flags and crosswalks, with residents heading to vote on the topic early next week.
The topic came up over the summer at a special meeting held by the Town of Barrhead, located approximately 120 kilometres northwest of Edmonton, after over 10% of the town’s population signed a petition demanding a bylaw be drafted on the issue.
Town of Barrhead councillors decided at their October 8 meeting that residents will head to the polls on the plebiscite on the Neutral Space Bylaw, accepting an administration recommendation.
In a post on its Facebook page, the Town of Barrhead stated that the municipality initially approved the painting of the 2SLGBTQIA+ crosswalk for the past two years and a disability pride crosswalk this year in public spaces.
“A portion of the community does not feel these representations are necessary in these spaces. Under the Municipal Government Act, when a valid petition is presented, as in this case, the municipality is legally required to draft a bylaw, pass first reading, and either enact the bylaw or hold a plebiscite to let the public decide. Council has opted to let the Town residents vote. As a government body, we are bound by these rules and must respect the democratic process,” it added.
“We value the diverse perspectives in our community and are committed to transparency as this process moves forward.”
Councillors also picked November 20 and 28 as advanced polling dates and approved separate motions to use special ballots for eligible voters who were not available on any of the polling dates.
The Town added that based on the gathered information, the cost of holding a municipal plebiscite, which is set to happen on December 2, is approximately $5,000 to $7,000.
Earlier this year, the residents of another Alberta town, Westlock, voted in favour of forbidding the town from flying non-governmental flags on municipal flagpoles or painting local crosswalks in a manner other than in a white, laddered pattern.