BARRHEAD – Town of Barrhead residents have voted in favour of banning Pride and decorative crosswalks, along with a variety of different flags.
On Monday Dec. 6 plebiscite voters supported the 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.
Town of Barrhead Mayor David McKenzie said the outcome of the vote 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.
The bylaw, will essentially prohibit "decorative crosswalks" on town roadways, restricting them to the conventional white stripes bordered by two white lines and 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.
“It is what it is. It's the democratic process,” said McKenzie.
McKenzie said they are bound by the Municipal Government Act on how they deal with these plebiscite-type issues.
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.
For many in Barrhead the results of the vote are unwelcome news
A spokesperson for Barrhead's S2LGBTQ+ community said they are in “recovery mode" after the vote
Caitlyn Clarke from the OutProud group said the feeling of inclusion 2SLGBTQ+ residents were feeling may be taken away.
“It is bad news for a lot of people in town. They were hopeful that the feeling of inclusion that they're experiencing is going to continue.”
“With that being taken they continue to feel like they can't be out, they can't be proud, they can't be who they are.”
The bylaw will essentially prohibit "decorative crosswalks" on town roadways, restricting them to 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.
“Right now, I think we are more just in recovery mode," Clarke said, noting members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community will be focused on self care and taking care of the community.
“I'd suggest that they (the people who support the bylaw) sit down and talk to a person who painted the crosswalk, either crosswalk, and actually listen to what they have to say because if they did, they might have voted differently," said Clarke.
‘Billboard for social issues’
Ard Doornbos was involved with the town’s neutrality movement from the beginning, and after six months of campaigning and petitioning, he said he’s relieved the process is over.
“From the very beginning, this was really about the flawed policy of the town council for us, and we tried to address that by bringing forward this petition ‚ that was really the only way to get things changed,” said Doornbos.
“By decorating crosswalks, basically allowed them to be turned into a billboard for social issues.”
The campaign generated tension in the community — members of the 2SLGBTQ+ and disability communities felt targeted by the petition, which came about after the neutrality group took issue with a Pride crosswalk, but Doornbos is hoping the winter will give the town time to cool off and reconcile.
“We all still live in Barrhead. We share the infrastructure, facilities, stores and churches with people of all stripes, and the people that voted no on this bylaw,” he said.
“It might take some more convincing for people who interpret this movement differently, but we have time and time will heal certain things and will give us the opportunity to do some reconciling.
“We still live here together.”
Disability group disappointed
Criss Schaffrick, an advocate for Barrhead’s residents who live with a disability, said the results were a tough blow for a group that only painted their crosswalk earlier this summer.
“I’m extremely disheartened. Today is the International Day of the Disabled, and I get to come into work today on a day that should be a celebration and I get to tell the people I work with that they’re losing their crosswalk,” she said.
The crosswalk, which was painted on July 7, features a disability flag and includes five coloured stripes: green, blue, white, gold and red. Green represents sensory disabilities; blue represents emotional and psychiatric disabilities; white stands for non-visible and undiagnosed disabilities; gold stands for neurodiversity; and red represents physical disabilities. The black on the outside of the stripes recognizes and mourns people who were lost due to ableism, violence, negligence, suicide, illness, or eugenics.
“There’s been some ramps built into some of the businesses, and it's brought forward a lot of things that people didn’t think about before. If you don’t have a disability, you don’t think of this stuff.”
Throughout the discussion on the plebiscite, Schaffrick said she felt the discussion was dominated by Pride, and groups such as hers and the Barrhead legion were collateral damage in the entire process.
“It brought out a lot of hatred. I was surprised by the hatred that was directed towards the LGBTQ community,” she said. “The Canadian ensign flag will have to be removed from the cenotaph, I think that’s absolutely horrible.
“I thought I lived in an inclusive community, but this has definitely shown me that that’s not true."
Despite facing the removal of the sidewalk, Schaffrick said it had done a lot to bring awareness to a group that is often forgotten or invisible.
“There’s been some ramps built into some of the businesses and its brought forward a lot of things that people didn’t think about before. If you don’t have a disability, you don’t think of this stuff.”
“I honestly don’t think people realize the damage they have done to people with disabilities; even their mental health, because they were so excited. During one of our meetings, one of the ladies got so excited that she hit the table and said, ‘This is OUR crosswalk!.’ And now I have to tell her today that it’s gone.”
Councillors gave first reading to the bylaw at a special Sept. 30th council meeting.
Under the Municipal Government Act, councillors had until Dec. 29 to enact the bylaw or send it to a referendum or plebiscite.
On Oct. 8, the council decided to let residents decide whether the municipality should enact the bylaw, selecting Dec. 2 for the vote. Advanced votes were held on Nov. 20 and 28.
