Alberta town to host plebiscite on banning of Pride crosswalks, flags

A rainbow flag is seen at Toronto City Hall in Toronto on Tuesday, May 31, 2016. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Eduardo Lima

The Town of Barrhead will soon hold a binding plebiscite on a bylaw that would effectively ban Pride flags and crosswalks.

If passed, the Neutral Space Bylaw would ban "decorations," designs or colours on crosswalks on public spaces, requiring they be painted the standard white stripped "continental" pattern or "ladder" pattern between two parallel lines.

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The bylaw would also disallow the displaying of flags supporting political, social or religious movements and "commercial entities."

Only national flags, the provincial flag of Alberta or Town of Barrhead flags could be raised on flagpoles on public property or facilities

The bylaw, available to read online, states there will be "no grandfathering of any existing crosswalks or flags that contravene the new bylaw," which means the town's existing Pride and disability crosswalks would have to be removed.

Council passed first reading of the bylaw on Sept. 30.

The bylaw is the result of a petition pushing for the prohibition of Pride flags and crosswalks submitted to council in July.

It contained signatures from 10 per cent of the town's population and was determined to be valid.

Residents will head to the polls on Dec. 2.

Barrhead is 90 kilometres northwest of Edmonton.

The town of Westlock, about 40 kilometres from Barrhead, banned Pride crosswalks and flags earlier this year.