Residents to vote on bylaw that would force Alberta town to remove its Pride crosswalk

Residents of Westlock, Alta., will vote in a plebiscite in February on a proposed bylaw that would force the town to remove its only Pride crosswalk, painted last summer.

Town council voted unanimously Nov. 27 to hold a municipal plebiscite on a proposed "crosswalk and flagpole" bylaw which would ban crosswalks or flags that support "political, social, or religious movements or commercial entities."

The proposal aims to keep public spaces politically neutral in the town 90 kilometres north of Edmonton.

"Our community will need to make a hard choice," Westlock's acting mayor, Murtaza Jamaly, said in a news release. "They will need to choose if removing our community's rainbow crosswalk sends the right message about who we are."

Residents will be asked on Feb. 22 to say if they support or don't support the proposed bylaw. The issue went before council as a result of a petition.

If voters support the proposed bylaw, the town would be limited to flying only municipal, provincial and federal flags on public property. Crosswalks could only be painted in the standard white striped pattern.

Westlock's only rainbow crosswalk would be removed — a move that Jamaly said would be a first in Alberta.

Council 'dismissive' of citizens' concerns

In May, Westlock councillors voted unanimously to paint the town's first rainbow crosswalk on 106th Street, between town hall and the Royal Canadian Legion. The crosswalk was painted June 27.

The project was spearheaded by the Thunder Alliance, a group that supports members of the LGBTQ community at R.F. Staples Secondary School.

"It's a great way for us to promote inclusion," Jamaly told CBC News last month.

Stephanie Bakker, who later launched the door-to-door petition for a bylaw, was among several residents who voiced opposition to the rainbow crosswalk at a June 12 council meeting, before the crosswalk was painted.

"I just wanted to have my say," Bakker said in an interview Saturday. "I doubted, honestly, that what I had to say would sway the decision very much, but just wanted to hear their thoughts on it."

Bakker said neutrality, especially within government, is important for everyone to "get along."

She said she started her petition because councillors had been "dismissive" of her concerns.

Westlock's official population count is 4,921. Under Alberta's Municipal Government Act, petitions must be signed by at least 10 per cent of an area's population to go before council.

Bakker needed 492 people to sign; she received a little more than 700.

"Clearly, a lot of the citizens of our town are having issues with this decision," she said.

Residents who signed the petition aren't against anybody and are just asking the town to remain politically neutral, she said.

But Jamaly, the acting mayor, said he believes the town needs to govern from a place that "represents and promotes" safety and inclusion.

"Our response has continued to be that what is equal isn't always fair," he said.

The rainbow crosswalk is the only piece of town infrastructure that would violate the proposed bylaw, he said. If the bylaw passes, the town would be required to remove it.

"It is a direct response to the rainbow crosswalk," he said. "These two matters are not isolated; they are connected."

Plebiscite 'brings fear,' LGBTQ advocates say

Bakker submitted her petition to the town at the end of September. It was formally verified on Oct. 30. Its contents were then formulated into the wording for a bylaw, which was presented to council for first reading on Nov. 27.

Councillors said Bakker's petition targets a minority group.

"In my opinion, this is lipstick on bigotry," Coun. Laura Morie said at the Nov. 27 meeting.

Coun. Curtis Snell said council has a duty to set direction for the town to be inclusive, accessible and welcoming. Snell put forward the motion to set the date for a plebiscite.

Alberta towns face anti-LGBTQ backlash during Pride Month

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After councillors set the February voting date, the Thunder Alliance said in a statement the plebiscite "brings fear" and that a bylaw would "devastate our community."

In an interview with CBC News, group member Finn McNee remembered more than 300 revellers showing up during Pride Month in June to celebrate the crosswalk's unveiling.

McNee said the crosswalk is a symbol of diversity and safety for youth.

"Why would anyone want to take that away?" they said.

The group is now spreading the word in person and on social media about the upcoming vote in an effort to gather enough supporters to vote against the bylaw.

Member Jess Lucas said some residents have already volunteered to drive people with mobility issues to the polls.

"The town has already shown that they are people with integrity who want to be part of a positive and inclusive community, and not a divided one," Lucas said.