WESTLOCK – With hundreds sporting Pride flags and T-shirts and the community’s young and old applying paint to the 106th Street Pride crosswalk, Heidi Mills had a simple message for its detractors.
“We win.”
Downtown Westlock was filled June 27 for the inaugural painting of the crosswalk, an event that had initially been OKed by Town of Westlock councillors back in May, then brought back to the fore at a June 12 council meeting packed to capacity where supporters and detractors spoke.
R.F. Staples School’s gay-straight alliance (GSA), the Thunder Alliance, had made the initial request, then had come back to council to present their side and explained that the crosswalk, which runs between the town office and Westlock Legion Hall, represents “safety, respect and inclusion” for LGBTQIA2S+ folks — councillors voted 7-0 that night to reaffirm their support.
Mills, who works for the Pembina Hills School Division as student-and-family advocate and is a member of the Thunder Alliance, was beaming throughout the night and called the scene “pretty incredible.” While the threat of a counter-protest had loomed, no visible demonstrators were on hand and the event took on a carnival-like atmosphere with music blaring in the background and the smell of freshly-cooked hamburgers filled the air — barricades, manned by community peace officers, were set up at 100th and 101st Avenues to keep vehicles off 106th Street.
“I did not expect this much support. It’s hard to look around and not feel completely overwhelmed with emotion and burst into tears because there are so many people here,” she said.
Mills, a married mother of two who lives in Westlock County and considers herself an ally to the LGBTQIA2S+ community, said that despite the online venom they’ve endured over the past few weeks, the overwhelming in-person support for the community’s youth “was so powerful.”
“It’s been hard. The protestors, the hate online has been really hard to see and hear, but we just kept pushing forward and the fact that there’s no protestors here right now just proves that we win,” said Mills. “I’m already looking forward to next year. It’s going to be awesome to have even more supporters. I know there are parents and other adults in the community starting to gather, so maybe our GSA won’t be the only organized group in town, maybe there’ll be some others.”
Mayor had faith in the community
Mayor Ralph Leriger, along with all six councillors, plus town staff including department heads and CAO Simone Wiley, were in attendance throughout the two-plus-hour event doing everything from working the barbecues and handing out hamburgers, to rolling paint on the sidewalk and mingling with the partisan crowd that included folks from Athabasca to Edmonton and some even further afield.
Leriger said he wasn’t surprised by the outpouring of support as, “I had faith in my community that it is a kind and loving and compassionate one and they have proven that here tonight.”
“It was really heartening to see so many older people come out. The whole thing isn’t something that everyone understands, but they also know that they don’t have to understand it. People need to feel welcomed and supported and safe in their own community and that’s what it’s all about,” said Leriger.
He also said that he was proud of council and administration for taking the high road throughout as they endured their fair share of online vitriol and hate-filled messages.
“I’m proud, grateful, and relieved a little. There was a lot of resources and time spent on this, more time than there needed to be quite honestly,” said Leriger. “I think I have the best council in all of Alberta and this proves it. If you can reach consensus and do the right thing, you can move forward and get on with important business.”
As for the lack of in-person protestors, Leriger shrugged his shoulders but made a point to say that “people have the right to have a different opinion and peacefully protest and it’s important that all levels of government recognize that.”
“But at the same time, we’re allowed to disagree as elected officials. The debate is over and we’re moving on,” said Leriger. “Now that Alberta has recognized Westlock in a big way, we plan to use that recognition for economic development and talk about all the great things that Westlock has to offer.”
Edmonton-area MLA and Barrhead native proud to show support
Edmonton-Highlands-Norwood MLA Janis Irwin, who grew up in the Town of Barrhead and also participated in painting the first Rainbow crosswalk there in 2022, was floored by the outpouring of support before grabbing a brush. Irwin, who started her career working in rural Alberta as a high school teacher and a vice principal, is currently the Official Opposition Deputy Whip and the critic for women and LGBTQ2S+ issues.
“It’s Pride Month and it’s time for celebration. But it’s also a time to acknowledge that there’s still a lot of work to do when it comes to LGBTQ2S+ rights,” said Irwin. “It’s 2023 and yet in many ways we’ve seen a regression. We’ve seen a rise of people who feel emboldened and feel like they can spread lies and misinformation about an entire community.
“I get what it’s like to grow up in a rural environment but look around, Westlock is responding with love, and this is incredible. Look at how much this is going to brighten up downtown Westlock. This is beautiful, the community has come together, and I just couldn’t be prouder to be here and show my support.”
See expanded coverage in the July 4 print edition of Town & Country This Week.
