Missing referendum signs a police matter, not a town one, CAO says
Signs promoting Alberta independence have been knocked down or taken repeatedly in Pincher Creek since they went up Sept. 8, according to a volunteer with the campaign that placed them.
They asked not to be named for fear of being targeted in the community. They filed a report with RCMP on Sept. 10 for the first incident but not subsequent ones.
Pincher Creek RCMP confirm they haven’t received further complaints about damaged or removed referendum signs since then.
According to the volunteer:
—Signs near Community Hall were pulled down the evening of Sept. 9 and moved down the fence line. One was broken in half and others piled together under horse manure.
—Four signs placed in front of the library were knocked down or removed each night from Sept. 11 to 14, and replaced each following day.
—Two of four replacement signs at the library were gone the morning of Sept. 16 and four signs were taken down on Remington Avenue the same day.
—Two large signs along Highway 3 were on the ground Sept. 16 after standing the night before.
Shootin’ the Breeze is not aware of any damage to or removal of local signs advocating the federalist position.
What the law says
In a June 29 post on Facebook, Elections Alberta said it is responsible only for monitoring the messages on referendum advertising and ensuring advertisers include the required authorization statement.
Complaints are handled by the RCMP. Pincher Creek RCMP confirm that damaging or taking a sign can be treated as mischief or theft under the Criminal Code.
Town’s role
The Town of Pincher Creek has no power to set rules for referendum signs, or to investigate when they go missing, says chief administrative officer Konrad Dunbar.
“We want to maintain a neutral stance,” he says.
Dunbar meets with any campaign that asks. Local independence supporters met with him before Aug. 31 to go over proposed sign locations.
“It is not in our mandate — we are not allowed to direct sign placement or remove signs. But we can confirm whether the locations a third party advertiser has in mind are on public or on private land,” he says.
A 2025 provincial amendment bars municipal councils from passing bylaws or resolutions about election signs or advertisements.
Dunbar says that before the change, each municipality could set its own sign rules, which for a provincial vote meant a patchwork. The amendment “created equal access all across the board,” he says.
If town staff need to move a sign for safety or mowing, they either contact the organization responsible or briefly move and replace it, he says.
Waterton Avenue is part of provincial Highway 6, so provincial highway rules apply. They prohibit signs on medians and signs that obstruct sight lines, interfere with traffic signs or create other hazards.
Placement guidelines
In an Aug. 20 letter to the Town of Pincher Creek, Let Alberta Decide lawyer Keith Wilson said volunteers had been told to follow guidelines similar to Calgary’s sign rules.
According to the letter, signs should:
—Not be placed within about 15 metres of an intersection.
—Not be placed within about 10 metres of a crosswalk.
—Be at least two metres behind the curb or roadway edge where practical.
—Not be placed on medians or traffic islands.
—Be spaced apart from similar campaign signs.
—Not block sight lines for drivers, cyclists or pedestrians.
—Not interfere with sidewalks, pathways, transit, traffic-control devices, utilities or municipal operations.
—Be securely installed and maintained.
Wilson said the campaign will remove its signs promptly after the Oct. 19 referendum.
Dunbar says the guidelines are in line with provincial highway guidelines.
He invites anyone with questions about sign placement to contact him at 403-627-3156.
