Merrickville backtracks on Pride flag refusal
Merrickville-wolford Township has adopted a new policy that allows the Pride flag to be flown in June, months after a controversial council decision that rejected the idea.
At a meeting earlier in April, councillors amended the township's flag policy, establishing a “consistent protocol for the flying of flags at municipal buildings, properties and facilities and the framework to govern requests for flag raisings received from the community,” a staff report said.
Included in the change was a schedule of approved flags and timelines, including the LGBTQ2+ Pride flag for the month of June, the Franco-ontarian flag on Sept. 25, and the Truth and Reconciliation flag on Sept. 30.
The motion to approve the new flag policy passed with no discussion at an April 8 council meeting.
The change came after a controversial decision in September, when council rejected a motion to fly the Pride flag at the municipal building and to declare June as Pride Month in Merrickville-wolford Township.
At the time, council had received a routine request from a resident to fly the Pride flag at the municipal building — something councils in neighbouring Brockville, Smiths Falls, and Kemptville and beyond have done for years.
It was narrowly defeated in a three-to-two vote, setting into motion an organized campaign within the small community asking council to reconsider its stance.
The campaign included a social media video from the chamber of commerce, several emails to council from residents, and a petition with close to 200 signatures from the local population.
After a delegation from local resident Carlos Card, who spoke for the Merrickville Pride Association, formally asking council to reconsider the idea of flying the Pride flag in June, elected officials said they would reconsider the idea.
The issue was reintroduced formally by revamping the municipality's flag policy, now known as the acknowledgments policy, which outlines which organizations will be recognized, and which flags will be flown, and when. This schedule was approved “with the understanding that the additions or deletions may be taken into account based on recommendations from council.”
Flags and municipal acknowledgments must be approved by council, and some will not be allowed at all. This includes flags representing political parties, religious groups, fundraising drives that are political or religious in nature, or flags supporting “groups, organizations, or events that promote beliefs contrary to any other municipal policy.”
The policy will also acknowledge a series of other events throughout the year, including International Women's Day, International Men's Day, Parkinson's Awareness Day, Local Government Week, and Earth Day.