A group in support of the proposed Main Street bridge project are left feeling insulted after finding flyers featuring images of them altered in a way they say misrepresents their views and cause.
The flyers feature the photograph of the yes to the Main Street bridge campaigners which ran on the front page of the Eagle Valley News on Feb. 21, but with the text on the sandwich board in front of them altered to read:
“Say yes to the destruction of the park we are standing in. Yes to our self serving vision for your community. Yes to us here that hope to profit from our community. Say yes to us and no to the residents of Sicamous.”
The Eagle Valley News did not consent to the use of the image.
Tia Lemieux, a local business owner and proponent of the Main Street bridge project, who is one of the people depicted in the doctored photograph said she is disappointed the dispute has sunk to this level.
Lemieux said she first heard of the posters from a friend who spotted one of them while he was out walking his dog. After hearing of the posters she said she was able to locate at least three of them.
She said she realizes that everybody has their own ideas about the proposed bridge but she wasn’t sure if altering and posting a photo of them was even legal. Lemieux asked the police to remove the flyers; they said they couldn’t but said it would be legal for her to do so; she also contacted District of Sicamous maintenance staff who, along with a member of the pro-bridge group featured in the photo, took down the flyers.
“They were not factually accurate unfortunately and seemed to be poking fun at a certain group. Although we don’t have a standpoint on it as such, we wouldn’t allow people to post things that are inciting upset or inciting actions,” said Joe McCulloch, the district’s operations manager.
“If somebody intentionally puts something up that is very obviously either intimidating or aggravating then we would take it down no matter what it was; we wouldn’t allow that in the District of Sicamous.”
The issue of the posters was brought up at the Sicamous council meeting on Feb. 28 by Coun. Colleen Anderson. Anderson stressed she is impartial on the issue of the bridge itself, but said the flyers are unprofessional and immature.
Brenda Dalzell, another Main Street bridge advocate who appeared in the altered photograph, said the posters are not factual and so serve no purpose.
“It’s disappointing that some individuals feel the need to stoop to such an immature level, their actions speak volumes to their character,” she said.
Speaking on behalf of those opposed to the bridge, Ken Bateman said they cannot control what individuals decide to do with their displeasure, but the flyers are counterproductive to what those who oppose the bridge are trying to accomplish.
“I have talked to those involved with our opposition of the bridge and although we oppose the Main Street Bridge option, we do not support a personal campaign against other’s support of a bridge. It is totally within their rights to support as ours is to oppose,” Bateman said.
Lemiuex said she has lived in Sicamous for 30 years and has never encountered a situation like this in the past. She said Sicamous has always been a community that has pulled together, but feels that spirit has been lost with the posters.
“I think I’m hurt more about that than anything and seeing our community is changing towards this negativity that is present now.”