INNISFAIL – The Election Sign Bylaw on the Town of Innisfail council’s agenda on Feb. 3 was intended to be routine.
The bylaw was enacted in 2021 to regulate the placement, size and removal of election signs within its municipal boundaries following a controversy that at least one municipal election candidate was throwing up signs without firm regulations in place.
Erica Vickers, the town’s director of corporate services, was not anticipating any problems for a review four years later as the new Election Sign Bylaw worked well in 2021.
The new bylaw had a comprehensive list of five election sign locations for public lands scattered across the town.
“We feel we had no complaints at last election. We see no need to change anything outside of maybe different locations, if you'd like to add one or things like that,” Vickers told council. “But we don't see there to be any need at this time.”
But two council members, mayor Jean Barclay and current deputy mayor Gavin Bates, did see a problem and accompanying need to bring to the table; the “horrible” clutter of signs on the green space at the intersection of 42nd Avenue and 50th Street that should be removed from the town’s most popular and visible election sign location.
“It seems the corner at the main entrance to town becomes the worst area (in town) in my opinion,” said Bates, who has been a winning municipal election candidate in three consecutive municipal elections. “I've fought for space there to put my signs up, and then you find other signs in front of your signs.
“I just wonder about potentially removing that one as a it becomes a horrible clutter.”
Barclay agreed, noting that when up to 15 signs pop up at the site it can be “quite a mess."
“I am not sure when the federal election will happen but it could be happening at the same time if the schedule stays the same,” Barclay told council. “That’s a pretty tight space in the there.
“You have people that have large signs, smaller signs, and it just gets to be quite a cluster of signs in there, and the wind comes and blows them over,” she later told the Albertan. “There are lots of areas in town that people can put up their signs, and that is not the best spot.”
And a west side area of town along Lakewood Drive between 56 Street and the 50 Street connector by the Innisfail Cemetery is not a good space either, said the mayor.
Barclay told council she has received feedback from citizens that it was “disrespectful” to have election signs in the cemetery area.
Vickers replied that the election sign location on the green space at the intersection of 42nd Avenue and 50th Street could be removed altogether or transitioned to a location past a nearby corner along some trees.
However, Bates said he has seen signs there in the past that were not authorized.
As for the current cemetery location Vickers suggested election signs could be put along the library side of Lakewood Drive.
A motion was passed to accept Vickers’ report as information.
Following council Vickers told the Albertan she will bring back an amended version of the Election Sign Bylaw to council on Feb. 24 that will show the removal of the election sign location at the intersection of 42nd Avenue and 50th Street.
She said there is still time to discuss the cemetery location and an administration recommendation for that site will also be brought back for council’s consideration on Feb. 24.
