Town councillors in Antigonish have rescinded one bylaw regarding flags at Town Hall, and approved another.
Members of African Heritage Month- Zone 7 asked town councillors to fly their flag as part of African Heritage Month in February at December’s regular council meeting.
Councillors voted to ask staff members to review and amend the bylaw that stipulates only the Canadian, Nova Scotia and town flags fly at Town Hall.
After January’s regular town council meeting Monday night, Laurie Boucher, the mayor of Antigonish, said the timing for the change is great- in time for African Heritage Month.
“The citizens of Antigonish and visitors and our neighbours will soon see the African Heritage (Month) flag flying from our flagpole,” she said. “I think it’s a good step forward.”
Boucher said the change is significant- the African Heritage Month flag will be the first to fly at town hall other than the Canadian, provincial and town flags.
She said town officials are now able to fly any flag, with a few rules.
“We have to have a request from the group, and then council can decide whether they will or they won’t,” she said. “Within the bylaw, it says that the group has to supply the flag and the hardware.”
Boucher said the bylaw also stipulates no flag can be bigger than the Canadian flag.