“I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it”
– Evelyn Beatrice Hall, biographer for Voltaire
It’s hard to separate an opinion on the national park from an opinion on the no-banner bylaw.
Ron Ethier of Superior Trades had to take down a “No National Park” banner from his Main Street storefront after someone complained.
He was using private property to express his opposition to Parks Canada, and was told that it’s against the rules – one year after he initially hung up the two banners.
Whoever squealed was probably pro-park. It’s hard to imagine the complainant actually caring about the sightliness of the sign.
Is it an attack on freedom of speech? Is it an attack on national park opponents? Or is it a reasonable bylaw that keeps downtown from looking too junky?
For anybody whose business or pleasure depends upon no national park, this form of peaceful protest has been suppressed and the voice of an ally was silenced.
But for those of us who don’t own guns, off-road vehicles or cattle – it’s hard to care about a banner that advocates for those things. It was just airing dirty laundry so that visitors to Oliver can know about how we fight over Crown land.
Before coming down earlier this month, the banners were up and making their statement for a year or so. At this stage in the game, there isn’t much more to add to the discussion. Whose opinion is going to change after glancing at the five words, ‘Yes Freedom; No National Park’?
Furthermore, the red and green banners didn’t add any beauty to Main Street. It wasn’t exactly a work of art.
But Dollarama has a tacky layout too, and the section of the bylaw about ugly colour combos is noticeably absent.
If this No National Park sign was considered “unsightly,” then that raises a much bigger question: how is a dollar store – which uses tired shades of green and yellow as a bat signal for its made-in-China inventory – considered sightly?
I’m sorry to drag the dollar store into this but a few sticklers decided to start a discussion about unsightliness. Green and yellow do not compliment each other – see a colour wheel.
Nevertheless, even though I don’t like the wardrobe, Dollarama is free to express itself with whichever ugly colours it wants. I wouldn’t expect a bylaw to mandate that a business decorate itself according to my personal tastes.
Freedom of expression is one of our Charter Rights as Canadians – it seems offside that some bylaw could override such a fundamental right.
The Town of Oliver may have overstepped its boundaries by telling Mr. Ethier to take down his banner. But this is Canada where our laws and attitudes are wishy-washy. It’s not like anybody is actually going to waste their time and money taking the municipal government to court over such a dumb rule.
Dan Walton
