OKOTOKS - Okotoks has followed Calgary’s lead when it comes to addressing graphic images being delivered to doorsteps.
Legislation was unanimously approved during an Okotoks council meeting on Aug. 21 that includes provisions that regulate the distribution of flyers, including flyers with graphic images.
The bylaw prohibits flyers from being dropped off at a residence where a “no flyers” notice is posted and states that flyers with graphic images must be in an envelope, with a warning and the sender's information visible.
The provisions for flyers are based on a similar City of Calgary bylaw to ensure regional alignment and fines can be administered if any one of the regulations are violated.
Another provision of the new bylaw in Okotoks deals with advertising or graphic images on vehicles, and it states that any images on vehicles must comply with the Canadian Code of Advertising Standards.
During the meeting, Mayor Tanya Thorn indicated the process for dealing with flyers is complaint driven.
“If you are seeing stuff dropped on your door, you do need to call municipal enforcement,” Thorn said. “Secondly... if you do not want flyers at your door, put up a sign at your doorway indicating no flyers.”
Vik Kulkarni, municipal enforcement manager for the Town of Okotoks, said calls to Okotoks Municipal Enforcement for graphic flyers will be prioritized as they are aware the content can be disturbing.
Fines for distributing flyers where a sign says they aren't wanted starts at $250 for a first offence, while fines for distributing graphic images start at $500 per violation of the bylaw. The bylaw can apply to the person delivering the material as well as the company or organization that facilitates the delivery.
The bylaw states that some flyers can still be delivered despite a "no flyers" sign, and those include election advertising materials, paid subscription newspapers, community newspapers, government information circulars and constituency information circulars from elected members.
The issue of distributing graphic flyers door-to-door came to the attention of Okotoks council after anti-abortion flyers with explicit images were delivered to homes earlier this year.
An online petition to stop the distribution of graphic flyers was started in July by a community member, and the Town said a number of complaints about the distribution of those flyers have been received from the public.
The City of Calgary bylaw specifically deals with graphic images of fetuses, while the Town of Okotoks bylaw defines a graphic image as an "image showing, or purporting to show, any subject matter that is not in compliance with the Canadian Code of Advertising Standards and offends the standards of public decency prevailing among a significant segment of the population."
The issue was originally scheduled to be on council's agenda in September, but was moved up after a second round of graphic anti-abortion flyers were distributed around Okotoks last month.
