The debate over whether election signs in Canmore should be prohibited on public property appears to be put to rest for the current town council.
During its Jan. 23 meeting, council voted to defeat second and third reading of an amendment to the Land Use Bylaw that would limit where political campaign signs are allowed to be placed.
Councillor Joanna McCallum was the sole voice of support for the change, having brought forward the idea before the municipal election in the fall of 2017. However, due to concerns the change was politically motivated, she successfully argued for council to postpone a final vote on the issue until after the election.
“I am going to support second reading,” McCallum said. “I feel I might be the only one on that plank and I am OK with that. I have been out there by myself before.”
While municipal clerk Cheryl Hyde briefed council that no complaints were received about signage during the election, the re-elected councillor said several candidates chose to lead by example and limit their sign placement and use.
“I just think in this modern time that it is quite passé to continue to rely on something that is using up not only financial energy, but public energy resources (to recycle them),” McCallum said.
Hyde indicated she counted the number of signs on public property, which was what the change to the bylaw would have applied to and, right before the public cast its ballots, there were 148 signs in the community.
At a public hearing on the change, several members of the public argued that to limit or ban election signage on public property would be anti-democratic and that was something Coun. Esmé Comfort reflected on during the decision.
“The other thing is that I think most of the incumbents police themselves and either chose not to use signs or chose to place them on private property,” Comfort said. “I would rather not task bylaw with another thing to enforce.”
Councillors Karen Marra and Jeff Hilstad were not able to vote on the motion, as they were not elected officials in attendance during the public hearing.
