The benches that have been spread around Westlock for years are on their way out due to a conflict between their owner and the municipality.
Brad Boutin, owner of Seven Angel Signs, the company that has provided the benches and their advertising space for many years, is no longer providing the service, explaining the town is going back on a verbal agreement that dates back 20 years to allow the benches without permits.
He is also concerned the town is not entirely fair when it comes to which signs it will allow and which it will remove, alleging favouritism and hypocritical bylaw enforcement.
“Over the years there have been multiple incidents that have taken place, preferring this set of circumstances to help them out, but this person here is rejected,” he said.
For mayor Ralph Leriger, the suggestion the town is playing favourites when it comes to signage is a non-starter.
He said the town’s signage bylaw, like any municipal bylaw, is about community standards, much like limits on fence heights, house heights and the number of dogs a person can own.
All municipalities have them — they are rules to be followed and the town will be diligent and efficient in enforcing them.
Much of the disagreement that resulted in Boutin pulling his benches is what could be considered a case of his word against the town’s, which is something Leriger said doesn’t sit well with him.
“I don’t want to get into a he-said, she-said, especially publicly, with one of our local business people,” he said.
One such example of conflicting perspectives is a proposal Boutin made to allow businesses to advertise and allow the town to get the money it’s owed through permitting fees.
He proposed to install signs along the highway rights of way in all four directions, an idea he said the town had no interest in.
Leriger viewed the meeting and proposal another way.
When presented with Boutin’s idea, Leriger and town manager Dean Krause both explained the highway rights of way fall under Alberta Highway’s jurisdiction and not the town’s, and as such there are provincial regulations to obey.
They told him the town is “more than happy to find him the appropriate contact and information on who he should discuss it with,” Leriger said.
“The meeting deteriorated rapidly and dramatically from there.”
While the discussion has revolved around signage, another angle has been at play.
Boutin contends the issues around the signage became more pronounced about two-and-a-half years ago, after the Mason sign went up on the welcome sign at the south edge of town, implying Mason influence is to blame.
Leriger didn’t speak to that allegation, but he presented a collection of papers Boutin had delivered to the town office that contained many anti-Mason comments and conspiracies about the organization.
In addition, Leriger said Boutin has been harassing town staff, prompting the municipality to advance a cease-and-desist order.
“It’s not a reasonable conversation we’re having,” he said. “We’re trying to, but it’s not.”
He added he is more than willing to find a way to remedy the entire signage situation to everyone’s benefit, but both sides will have to come to the table calmly.
