WESTLOCK — The anticipation of voting in the Town of Wesltock’s plebiscite Feb. 22 was evident as residents lined up outside the Westlock and District Community Hall several minutes before the doors opened at 10 a.m.
Residents are deciding whether or not to adopt bylaw 2023-14, which would require the town to remove the existing rainbow crosswalk between the town hall and the Westlock Legion and restricts them to flying flags representative of only the municipal, provincial, or federal governments. The bylaw would also see crosswalks painted only in a traditional white laddered pattern.
The vote was triggered by a petition filed by Westlock resident Stephanie Bakker last August.
Pam Frick was out early Thursday morning to cast her vote and was not surprised at the large turnout, even before the polls opened. She said it was important to vote because it’s “important for people to feel welcome, to feel they matter.”
“If they’re told stay in the closet then they don’t matter and it’s important that everybody feels like they can be themselves wherever they are,” said Frick, noting she was at the hall at 9:50 a.m.
Frick said she and her family are anxiously awaiting the results later tonight and vowed to remain positive in her outlook no matter the outcome.
“Now we get to sit and wait until they announce the results. My stomach’s turning a little,” she said. “If it’s a no that’s great, if it’s a yes, then there are other things we can do besides crosswalks and flags. There’s other ways to educate besides crosswalks and flags … we have lots of friends who are part of that community so it’s important to support them and show them they matter.”
Westlock resident John Grant said it was his convictions that prompted him to get out and vote and noted some of the concerns he still has, when asked how the town will move forward following the plebiscite.
“I’m concerned about the polarization that has been happening in town here,” said Grant. “I don’t know just how much this is going to change the attitudes of people on the different sides of it. I hope it will minimize the polarization but I don’t see it.”
He said they too were eagerly awaiting tonight’s results, adding “we want to see what happens.”
The parking lot began to fill up early Thursday morning as Westlock residents lined up cast their ballots. The Westlock RCMP and Town of Westlock peace officer were on site conducting patrols and town staff were working behind the scenes to ensure things were running smoothly as soon as the doors opened.
“People are lining up, making sure identification is ready and things are running very smoothly,” said returning officer Annette Boissonnault. “We were ready for the turnout and there was a lineup before the doors opened.”
Prior to voting day, the town received some inquiries from Westlock County residents expressing an interest in voting in the plebiscite and county resident Theresa Labouxciere was one of them who showed up at 10 a.m. to try and cast her vote but was turned away.
“I just have a strong opinion. I do come to town regularly, three to four times a week so I do know the issues,” said Labouxciere.
“I also know of what people in the community feel on both sides, and although I do support the rights of inclusion, there are some things I don’t agree with in our community,” she added, noting she felt the vote should have been open to county residents as well. “I do believe they should have opened it up for people in the county because we’re all involved in this community. We all walk down these streets and we’re all involved in community activities that go on,” said Labouxciere.
“We’re very much a part of this community even though we are not able to live here or don’t chose to live here, this is our community so I think we should have been able to have a say."
Polls at the community hall are open until 8 p.m. with results expected later tonight.
