Listen Live
Listen Live
Listen Live

City Council set to review proclamation policy after rejecting to proclaim “Celebrate Life Week”

Nearly one year later after having garnered controversy and a protest, the City of Williams Lake will be reviewing its proclamation policy after Council rejected to proclaim Sept. 27 to Oct. 4 as “Celebrate Life Week.”

Councillor Jason Ryll who supported Councillor Laurie Walters’ recommendation on revisiting the City’s policies Tuesday says he thinks it is the right decision.

“We want to make sure that when it comes to what public perceives for Council’s decision that we’re not sending mixed messages to the public,” he says.

“By revisiting the policy, I think what that does is it makes the point clear that we don’t always endorse all of the proclamations that come forward. Our policy right written now as it is is that we support everything and I don’t know if that’s the right message we want to send the public.”

Mayor Walt Cobb who supported the proclamation with Councillor Ivan Bonnell and Sue Zacharias says it presents the City a dilemma.

“Our policy was to just endorse proclamations period- all or none. Now that is open for discussion and the decision will be made and for the way, I understand the rules that it is all or none,” Cobb said.

“So I guess maybe from here on in and it will be a Committee of the Whole meeting, we may not be proclaiming anything.”

Local pro-choice resident and activist, Carrie Julius spoke out on the City proclaiming “Celebrate Life Week” last year and said the proclamation represented an attempt by the Choice of Life Society of Williams Lake to approve an anti-choice view that would deny women their charter rights.

Proclamations, under the Humans Right Code, must be issued in a manner that does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ancestry, marital or family status, physical or mental disability, and sex, or sexual orientation.

Something going on in the Cariboo you think people should know about?
Send us a news tip by emailing [email protected].

Rebecca Dyok
Rebecca Dyok
News Reporter/Anchor who loves the Cariboo and coffee (lots of it).If you have any news tips or story ideas you would like to share I can be reached at [email protected]

Continue Reading

ckbx Now playing play

cffm Now playing play

ckcq Now playing play

- Advertisement -

Related Articles

- Advertisement -

Latest News

Infrastructure, housing, UNDRIP will top agenda as local governments meet in Victoria next week

Members of local governments and First Nations are gathering in Victoria next week for the annual Union of B.C. Municipalities (UBCM) convention.

B.C. Conservatives support federal bill to classify intimate partner killings as first-degree murder

B.C. politicians are voicing support for a federal Conservative bill that would classify the killing of an intimate partner as first-degree murder. 

Truck fire the cause of grassland fire near 100 Mile House ice rink

A truck caught fire on Wrangler Way in 100 Mile House, that spread onto the nearby grass, creating a wildland fire. 100 Mile House Fire Department was able to contain the blaze quickly, and report no one was injured.

Weather increased fire activity on the Suey Bay Wildfire

The Suey Bay wildfire on Horsefly Lake is estimated to be 2,331 hectares in size.

Evac Alert in Holtry Creek Lifted

The Ulkatcho First Nation and the Cariboo Regional District have rescinded the Evacuation Alert in the Holtry Creek Fire Area. The Alert was issued on September 16 and included portions of the Dusty Lake Fire Zone, approximately 310 km west of Williams Lake. The alert covered 65 parcels and 26,826 hectares.
- Advertisement -