‘Embarrassing’ new bylaw in Taber, Alberta outlaws swearing, restricts public assembly

[ice orca]

Best corn ever comes from Taber. Small town politics are pretty bad in some places but don't hold a candle to big city stooges in power. Just look at the mayor in Vancouver or the former one in Toronto. Federal policies make everyone look bush league in comparison.

[thejazz97]

Best corn ever comes from Taber. Small town politics are pretty bad in some places but don't hold a candle to big city stooges in power. Just look at the mayor in Vancouver or the former one in Toronto. Federal policies make everyone look bush league in comparison.

I would make a joke about this... but I thought it might be too corny.

[GLASSJAW]

Are you this obnoxious with everyone or have I done something to warrent special attention? [...] watch your language, treat a woman like a lady even if she doesn't behave like one, don't lie or cheat, things that never go out of style but seem to be ignored by the many people.

BTW I am by no stretch of the imagination a Christian

well, first, no, i don't recall ever really having a conversation with you, or i can't really attribute your name with any post or whatever. any 'special attention' was probably just coincidental

second, when I called you a christian dad i wasn't doing so literally. i have (or had) no idea if you're either a christian or a father. what i did get from your posts in this thread was a strong hint of paternalism, though. and who loves to paternalize more than anyone in our society? lame ass dads -- the ones who are slowly growing more and more out of touch and can only respond to that by--wait for it--paternalizing!

in my day...

when you say a man shouldn't swear around a lady, that is paternalizing. that is obnoxious to me, and to a lot of people. when you say a woman should be treated a certain way just because she's a woman? that's paternalizing. how does a "lady" behave, anyway?

Feminism took away a lot of chivalry from our society, even if it didn't mean to. That's why these things have been ignored.

and what lead to feminism? chauvinism.

[thejazz97]

when you say a man shouldn't swear around a lady, that is paternalizing. that is obnoxious to me, and to a lot of people. when you say a woman should be treated a certain way just because she's a woman? that's paternalizing. how does a "lady" behave, anyway?

and what lead to feminism? chauvinism.

Sorry for respecting the other gender and being polite.

Yeah, chauvinism isn't right, but what some feminists are doing right now isn't right either.

[Bill Sikes]

.

[otherwise]

One of those men? If you mean Gentleman then guilty as charged, at least I try which appears to me more than you can say.

Gentleman? is this 1815? Oh no my poor delicate ears could never tolerate such language.

I've never mistaken manners for anything other than that. I'm now curious what possible manners could be mistaken for flirting?

[Big Mike]

Makes me think of

[Tambellini's Wrist Shot]

Exactly how I feel. I live in a town/city of 13,000 just outside Winnipeg. It's just the way it is. There's positives to small towns and negatives. While my wife and I are no saints, we would never swear in public anyway. It's trashy and rude. If my town instigated a "no swearing policy", while I'm no prude, I certainly wouldn't be against it. Positive is that I get to walk around without hearing teenagers swear at their parents and trailer trash ruining my grocery shopping run.

Selkirk?

[Hobble]

Where's Patrick Swayze when you need him?

[Lillooet_Hillbilly]

think this only happens in alberta? think again

Not for nothing is sun-baked Lillooet known as Canada's Hot Spot.

Only this time it's not the pitiless summer sun that's riling residents of the small Fraser River community. It's a far-reaching bylaw that seeks to close off every public place in town after 11 p.m., and ban all "formal gatherings" without a permit.

Many locals are not amused by the pending long arm of Lillooet law. They argue it's a violation of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Scores turned out at a recent council meeting to protest against the proposed measure, demonstrations have been held in the sweltering community, and even the B.C. Civil Liberties Association has chimed in.

"They've really opened up a can of worms," irate resident Ernie Anderson said Tuesday.

"This is a small town. We're not Coquitlam. We're not Surrey. People move here to get away from the city, and we like to chat on street corners. Will we have to get a permit for that?"

The bylaw, prompted by a wave of vandalism said to be spreading through the community's six parks, would throw a legal ring around parks, playgrounds, beaches, boulevards and local trails from 11 at night to 6 the next morning.

Anyone caught out of hours in one of these public places may be charged with trespassing, according to the bylaw.

As well, processions, marches, drills, performances, ceremonies, concerts, meetings "or other formal gatherings" will be verboten in the same public places without municipal authorization.

"These are simply sweeping restrictions," said Micheal Vonn, policy director of the BCLA.

If the bylaw is enacted, Lillooet will undoubtedly face a Canadian Charter challenge from the BCLA, Ms. Vonn warned.

"These kind of draconian measures on what you can do and cannot do are obviously ripe to such a challenge."

But Mayor Dennis Bontron, who runs a tax accountancy in town, said no one is out to infringe on anyone's civil liberties.

"I'm ex-military. I've been overseas. Our freedoms are sweet," Mr. Bontron said. "But with that freedom goes responsibility to act accordingly. We are trying to save our public parks."

The mayor said there is an unruly element in the community that hangs out after hours in local parks, often bashing in doors, breaking open garbage bins and, on one occasion, kicking the heads off sprinklers, costing the municipality $3,500 to replace.

Downtown, so many windows of local businesses have been smashed, Mr. Bontron said, Lillooet has one of the highest insurance rates in Canada.

"We are not taking away any rights, but when there are 20 people in a park, throwing rocks through windows at three in the morning, the police will be able to say: 'Move along, guys.' "

Corporal Darrell Robinson of the Lillooet RCMP supported the mayor's contention.

"People pay good money in taxes to preserve their parks, and yet these people consistently break off branches, pull up flowers, drive their vehicles over plant pots, leave drug syringes scattered about," Cpl. Robinson said. "It just goes on and on."

The bylaw, which has not yet been passed, will allow police to ask loiterers in public places to leave, he said, noting that similar bylaws are already in place in other B.C. communities where he has served.

"Lillooet is just basically catching up with the times."

Lillooet, it must be said, does seem to be a municipality where very little goes down easily.

The Bridge River Lillooet News, founded by the redoubtable Ma Murray, is full of news of water-meter installers being harassed, complaints over sidewalk cyclists, local bylaw officers pounding on doors at 3 a.m. to apprehend illegal sprinklers in the parched town, and worries over traces of arsenic in the water supply.

"Being in a small town, controversy goes with the territory," said Mr. Anderson, who has been active on many issues over the years.

Meanwhile, Mr. Bontron denies any suggestion that Lillooet is some sort of redneck town.

"We all wear collars," he said.

[Dral]

"We are not taking away any rights, but when there are 20 people in a park, throwing rocks through windows at three in the morning, the police will be able to say: 'Move along, guys.' "

[Lillooet_Hillbilly]

that never happened, only 2,500 people here and they mayor got all butt hurt when the reporters were all in town covering the 2009 fire and the anti water meter people held a protest on the village office lawn and got on air

[Brick Tamland]

If you have ever spent 20 minutes in Taber this makes complete sense...