It's the biggest debate to hit Bonnyville, since the fight to ban folks from hitchin' their horses to posts.
Yes, the great Halloween curfew deliberation is upon us, with people coming out on both sides of the argument, while the enforcers of the rule – the Town of Bonnyville – will have finally brought it up to be publicly discussed at a council meeting on Monday (Sept. 22) – opened to the public, as they all are.
The question concerning so many residents, “Should the Town have a 7 p.m. curfew on Halloween night?” is perhaps the wrong tact to take.
Instead, asking, “Why does this curfew exist?” will likely render the responses that should result in the realization that such a rule is, in the least, illogical.
So, why does it exist? According to the Town, some residents experienced vandalism one Halloween night, more than a decade ago. Following the spate of one-night vandalism, the council-of-the-day reacted by enacting a curfew, leaving it up to peace officers to enforce, the following years.
If we have this straight, a one-time incident has left an entire town's residency punished for the last 15 years or so. Trick-or-treaters, parents and guardians have been told by the municipal government, because of the actions of a few one night years ago, you are now not responsible enough to be out after dark – on one particular night of the year.
Using this flawed logic, it's a wonder the Town did not simply enact a year-round curfew, just in case the vandals chose to carry out their absurd acts on another night, other than Halloween.
If the Town was so serious about protecting its residents from vandalism, then perhaps it could just use the bylaws already at its disposal to carry out enforcement against these particular vandals, on any night of the year – bylaws easily accessible on the town's website, unlike finding the Halloween clampdown in writing.
Graffiti, and other property damage are already illegal. At the risk of sounding crass, this curfew is just the Town being lazy.
Enforcing a blanket-rule is certainly having a negative effect on some (demonstrated by the lengthy and ongoing discussions on the Nouvelle's Facebook page), forcing them to adjust work schedules, skip dinner, or send the kids off with other more able parents or guardians to get a couple hours of trick-or-treating in before the curfew police swallow them up. But, on the other hand, this curfew has yet to be proven to have a positive effect on the community, as there is no proof the vandalism that has continued at a sporadic pace over the past few years did not particularly happen on Halloween night.
Furthermore, the curfew should not be used to protect those that do not want a trick-or-treater arriving on their doorstep. That societal norm has already been established. Out-of-candy, or not giving any out? Shut your lights off and keep your door closed. Simple as that.
The curfew is unnecessarily harsh, especially on the young trick-or-treaters and Halloween revelers, for whom this night truly exists. Revisiting it would be the sensible thing to do.
