MINTO – The Town of Minto approved its commemoration policy, allowing Pride banners and flags on town property despite a petition calling for all public spaces to the neutral.
Ahead of the vote, the Minto Pride Committee spoke to council about the significance of displaying the Pride rainbow in communities. Minto Pride member Rosie Krul says the decorations are very important.
“Decorations might seem trivial but they signify to the queer community that they are welcome ad belong here,” said Krul. “They signify to the rest of Minto that discrimination won’t be tolerated.”
Chair of the Minto Pride Committee Brayden Scott told council that the vandalism of Pride decorations a week ago shows that hate towards the 2SLGBTQIA+ community is still very real in Minto.
“Even attending today’s delegation we needed to consider potential acts of hate and harm towards us which isn’t likely the experience of most other delegates,” said Scott.
One on of the organizers of the “neutral spaces” petition, Jim Dopfer asked council when they would draft and vote on a bylaw declaring public spaces “neutral” and was reminded by Mayor Dave Turton that they had been told before, council would vote on the issue during the second meeting in June. Turton pointed out that meeting was underway and not yet over.
Later, ahead of the vote on Minto’s new commemoration policy, Turton made council’s position very clear.
“Council of the Town of Minto cannot support a bylaw to ensure crosswalks, flags and banners on public property remain neutral,” said Turton. “Council of the Town of Minto, as outlined in our new strategic plan, will support the community vision that the Town of Minto is a progressive, rural community where all people are welcome.”
