Barrhead residents to vote on Neutrality Bylaw

BARRHEAD - Barrhead residents will be going to the polls on whether the Town of Barrhead should enact the Neutral Space Bylaw, with the date of the vote to be set Tuesday (Oct. 8).

On Monday, Sept. 30, at a special council meeting, Town of Barrhead councillors gave first reading to the bylaw, which would limit crosswalks within the town's borders to the conventional stripped ladder or continental pattern between two parallel lines all in white. It would also restrict flags on municipally-owned facilities or property to those of Canada, Alberta and the Town of Barrhead.

The bylaw would also prohibit decorations on town crosswalks or displaying flags supporting political, social, or religious movements or commercial entities.

Related Links:

Barrhead council approves decorative crosswalk policy

https://www.townandcountrytoday.com/barrhead-news/barrhead-group-looks-to-pass-neutrality-bylaw-9076067

https://www.townandcountrytoday.com/barrhead-news/barrhead-home-to-canadas-first-disability-pride-crosswalk-9188195

https://www.townandcountrytoday.com/barrhead-news/barrhead-neutrality-petition-valid-anti-crosswalkflag-bylaw-to-be-drafted-9470886

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Following first reading, councillors instructed administration to work towards staging the referendum.

The drafting of the bylaw became necessary after Barrhead Neutrality presented the municipality with a petition to pressure councillors into drafting and enacting the bylaw or to force a plebiscite on the said bylaw.

To be a valid petition under the Municipal Government Act (MGA), 10 per cent of the town's population needed to sign the petition. Alberta Municipal Affairs listed the town's 2023 population at 4,320, meaning the petition needed 432 signatures.

The Barrhead Neutrality petition had 851 signatures, 712 of which were considered valid.

Two of the organization's founders, Ard Doornboss and Jonathan Warkentin, said they launched the petition after Town council approved the Decorative Crosswalk Policy in mid-May.

Chief administrative officer Edward LeBlanc drafted the proposed bylaw using the petition's wording.

"The scope of the bylaw could have been greater under the MGA, but council decided to go with what [Barrhead Neutrality] asked and to have it go to a plebiscite," he said.

Mayor Dave McKenzie said that under the MGA, they had limited options, noting that they could have approved the bylaw outright or done what they did, giving it first reading and going to a plebiscite.

"It is democracy in action," he said. "The community will decide."

Critics of Barrhead Neutrality have stated that the organization's goal is not to ensure that municipal government remains neutral but rather to prevent Pride crosswalks, flags or other displays of support of the Two-Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer or Questioning (2SLGBTQ+) community.

They, including ABMunis, have argued that for the municipality to be truly neutral, it would have to refrain from allowing political and religious groups from using municipal property and that by limiting the scope of the bylaw to crosswalks and flags, the organization is really targeting the 2SLGBTQ+ community.

Related link:

https://www.townandcountrytoday.com/barrhead-news/ab-munis-enters-barrheads-neutrality-bylaw-discussion-9280802

"Council decided we should stay in a lane and continue with what the ask was in the petition itself," he said.

At the Oct. 8 council meeting, administration will present councillors with several options for the plebiscite, including potential dates and different options for advanced polling, institutional voting and a special ballot vote.

Barry Kerton, TownandCountryToday.com