BARRHEAD – Barrhead Mayor David McKenzie said the outcome of Monday's plebiscite vote Monday (Dec. 2), will have an impact on how people perceive the community of Barrhead.
“The eyes of the world are on us and, yes, it's going to have an impact on how people perceive Barrhead," said McKenzie.
On Monday night, Barrhead residents voted in favour of Barrhead Neutral Space Bylaw by a vote of 653 (57 per cent) to 492 (43 per cent) with 1,145 ballots being counted. The municipality, based on 2021 census data, estimates that between 3,400 and 3,500 residents were eligible to vote in the plebiscite.
“It is what it is. It's the democratic process,” said McKenzie.
“We are bound by the Municipal Government Act on how we deal with these plebiscite-type issues.”
RELATED LINK: Barrhead residents vote to ban Pride and decorative crosswalks, flags
The bylaw, will essentially prohibit "decorative crosswalks" on town roadways, restricting them to traditional white stripes and banned flags other than the Canadian, provincial and Town of Barrhead flags from flying on municipally-owned facilities, property and flagpoles.
The bylaw would also prohibit decorations on town crosswalks or the display of flags supporting political, social, or religious movements or commercial entities.
“I had a rather obscene threatening phone call first thing this morning at 7:30 from somebody (around) Calgary,” added McKenzie, noting everyone is watching Barrhead right now.
The drafting of the bylaw and the subsequent plebiscite 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.
The vote comes nine months after Westlock was forced to hold a similar plebiscite, which also resulted in the outlawing of decorative crosswalks and a variety of flags.
RELATED LINK: Westlock votes to ban Pride crosswalks, other flags by 24 votes
From this point forward, council has 30 days to pass the second and third reading of the bylaw.
The Town of Barrhead website outlines those next steps before the bylaw is approved.
