MINTO – A letter from a local resident critical of a recent town council decision to install Pride banners on light standards leading into urban centres from the beginning of May until the end of September each year was discussed at the Oct. 18 meeting.
Minto council agreed to the banner installation on Sept. 19, in response to a request from the Minto Pride committee seeking the town’s help in setting up more durable decorations during Pride Month due to continued vandalism of decorations.
“I am writing to strongly oppose the spending of tax dollars to fund banners for Pride Month,” stated Minto resident Dale Hurlbut in his letter, dated Oct. 2.
However councillor Judy Dirksen pointed out the municipality was not paying for the banners.
“As it turns out, they have been paid for by a donor. But the Town of Minto was not ever intended to pay for them,” said Dirksen.
At the September meeting, council agreed the town would provide labour to hang the banners, with Minto Pride responsible for purchase of the banners themselves.
Council also agreed the town would assist the committee with fundraising through social media and website content.
Hurlbut’s letter pointed to vandalism as a sign of community opposition to the decorations.
“When the ribbons were placed on the poles, they were vandalized. Then you painted a rainbow crosswalk, vandalism continued. Now you believe that putting up banners will stop vandalism. Can you see that the majority of the community are opposed?” the letter states.
“We live in a democratic society where the majority should have a voice. To give a minority group special privileges offends the majority,” Hurlbut continues.
Dirksen noted Hurlbut’s letter “goes on to talk about the vandalism of Pride decorations.
“I’m not sure from his letter where he stands on that. But I want to be clear, and I think I have all of council behind me on this, I am absolutely opposed to any vandalism in any form,” she said.
“Those who vandalize should face the full consequences of their actions and vandalism just does not solve anything.”
Dirksen also took issue with Hurlbut’s criticism of her absence from the meeting at which the decision to install the banners was made.
“Judy, I hope you had a good reason for not being present at this meeting and not being able to take stand for Jesus,” Hurlbut wrote.
Dirksen replied, “In July, when I booked our flights to Alberta to visit with our daughter for a week, I had no idea what might be on the agenda on the 19th of September …
“There are a number of factors that my husband and I need to take into account when planning to get away for a week and, while it’s important, council is only one of those factors.”
She noted she felt the letter merited “a public response from me because my name is mentioned in it.”
Mayor Dave Turton thanked Dirksen for her comments.
“I agree with you and I certainly agree 100 per cent on the vandalism,” said Turton.
Second letter
“Why is this necessary?” asks a second letter about the Pride banner decision from Minto residents Marte and Joanne Pronk.
“You are catering to one special interest group above everyone else. And for a length of four months? Why?” the letter asked.
“Everyone deserves to be recognized every day of the year, and that is where the Canadian flag comes in. Why can we not just hang a Canadian flag banner and not single out a specific group?”
The Pronks urged council to reconsider the decision, suggesting “there are many who feel the same as we do … This is getting out of hand.”
Councillors did not comment on the letter.
