Applause could be heard in council chambers after a motion to remove references to “conversion therapy” from Rocky Mountain House’s business license bylaw was defeated.
The motion, introduced by Councillor Ken Moesker, argued that federal legislation had made local bylaw provisions on the practice unnecessary.
Moesker stressed that he didn’t want to send the “wrong message” with the motion, saying it was coming from a purely legislative standpoint. He explained that the passage of Bill C-4 in December 2021, which made conversion therapy illegal across Canada, effectively rendered the town’s business license bylaw redundant.
He further noted that Rocky Mountain House should be “applauded” for being the first municipality in Alberta to include such provisions in its bylaws, back in February 2020, with the intent to protect LGBTQ+ individuals from harmful practices. He noted that the town had been commended for this action at the time, but argued that the federal law now provided a more comprehensive and enforceable ban.
“We can’t even get people to stop feeding deer in this town,” said Moesker. “Our community is much better served by federal legislation and the Criminal Code of Canada than the town’s business license bylaw.”
The councillor emphasized that removing the references would align the town with federal legislation and streamline its policies. He also reminded council, the town had recently undertaken a review of outdated bylaws and policies, with 22 items already amended or repealed. Moesker argued, the removal of conversion therapy provisions would be consistent with the town’s goal of keeping its bylaws relevant and efficient.
In his research, Moesker added that nearly every other similar-sized municipality in Alberta has no reference to conversion therapy in its business license bylaw. That includes Sylvan Lake, Penhold, Drayton Valley, Whitecourt, Cold Lake, Medicine Hat, Jasper, Banff, and Canmore, among others.
Despite Moesker’s reasoning, several councillors voiced opposition to the motion. Councillor Marley Capraro expressed concern that removing the references could indeed send the wrong message to the community.
“It’s imperative that we make [residents] feel valued, appreciated, supported,” said Capraro. “I think by removing this, it can give the opposite message.”
She argued, the previous council’s decision to include conversion therapy provisions in the bylaw had been a forward-thinking move, one that demonstrated the town’s commitment to inclusion and safety.
Emotional, Councillor Dave Auld also opposed the motion, stating the original bylaw had been a step forward for the community and had been widely applauded by other municipalities.
“I think it would be a huge step backwards for our community”, said Auld. “I think we’d be doing a huge disservice to our community as a whole, not just our marginalized community.”
Deputy Mayor Tina Hutchinson echoed these concerns, saying the presence of such provisions is in line with the town’s recent Unstoppable Conservations initiative, whose ‘noble cause’ states in part: we are a unified and inclusive community.
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In the final round of debate, Councillor Dale Shippelt acknowledged the administrative, and “zero jurisdiction” argument behind Moesker’s motion. However, he concluded that the symbolic value of the bylaw was too important to overlook.
Responding to an inquiry from Auld, CAO Dean Krause says the bylaw on the books would indeed still give the town power to revoke a business license to anyone who violates its dictates, should it be made aware of any such instance.
In the end, the motion was put to a vote and defeated, with all of council, save Moesker, opting to keep the conversion therapy references in place.
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