'Embarrassing' new bylaw in Taber, Alberta outlaws swearing, restricts public assembly

Source: Metro

With a sweeping new bylaw, the southern Alberta town of Taber has outlawed swearing in public, instituted a nightly curfew on kids and teenagers, and granted local law enforcement the power to break up any assemblies of three or more people.

The new “Community Standards Bylaw” is clearly unconstitutional, said Lisa Lambert, a PhD candidate and instructor in political science at the University of Calgary, who lives in Coaldale, about 35 kilometres west of Taber.

“Little towns get bad names because of this kind of nonsense,” Lambert said. “This is so embarrassing.”

... Adults are also prohibited from assembling in a public place in a group of three or more where a peace officer “has reasonable grounds to believe the assembly will disturb the peace of the neighborhood,” according to the section of the bylaw that deals with “Assembly of Persons.”

Read more: http://metronews.ca/news/calgary/1307772/embarrassing-new-bylaw-in-taber-alberta-outlaws-swearing-restricts-public-assembly/