Residents of Westlock, Alta., voted in favour of a bylaw Thursday evening that bans certain flags and crosswalks from being displayed on public property, including the town’s only rainbow crosswalk.
A plebiscite over a neutrality bylaw, spurred by a door-to-door petition signed by more than 700 residents, was announced in November. The bylaw, which will be implemented after Thursday’s vote, bans crosswalks and flags supporting “political, social, or religious movements or commercial entities,” in an effort to keep public spaces politically neutral.
Town council did not support the bylaw, but the plebiscite is binding, Westlock Mayor Jon Kramer said in a news release issued Thursday night.
