Alberta town passes bylaw to ban decorative flags, crosswalks from government land

People walk on a Pride flag crosswalk in Calgary on Aug. 18, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Dave Chidley

A southern Alberta town has voted to ban decorative flags and crosswalks from public property in a move opponents say inches toward erasing marginalized communities.

On Tuesday, Didsbury town council passed a public spaces neutrality bylaw, restricting the community north of Calgary to flying only government flags and maintaining standardized road and crosswalk markings.

Mayor Chris Little says political neutrality is about ensuring everyone feels represented and that the bylaw doesn’t seek to bar people from expressing themselves.

Calgary Pride says the bylaw could lead to an erasure of LGBTQ+ representation, adding it’s becoming a “concerning” trend for Alberta cities and towns.

In 2024, Westlock and Barrhead passed similar bylaws, barring from municipal land a Pride crosswalk, a Royal Canadian Legion flag and a Treaty 6 flag.

The guidelines came after neutrality groups came forward arguing that governments should not promote some people over others.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 25, 2026.

Aaron Sousa, The Canadian Press