How do I file a petition?

• ​When a petition is complete, petitioners should contact CAO at ​780-910-8298 to arrange a time to deliver the petition to the office.

File a petition

When can I file a petition?

• Petitions for new bylaws can be filed as soon as sufficient signatures have been collected.
• Local improvement petitions can be filed as soon as sufficient signatures have been collected.
• In the case of a petition against a bylaw or resolution that is required to be publicly advertised under a section of the Municipal Government Act other than Part 8, the petition must be filed within 60 days from the end of the advertisement.
• In the case of a petition against proposed bylaws or resolutions required to be advertised under Part 8 of the Municipal Government Act, the petition must be filed within 15 days of the last day the bylaw or resolution is advertised.
• A statement of position can be submitted at any time.

When to file a petition

What  happens after I file the petition?

• CAO will review the petition and count the valid signatures. 
  
• ​Within 45 days of receiving the petition, a report will be made to Council on whether the petition is sufficient or insufficient.

After I file the petition

How many people do I need to sign the petition?

• For a public vote on a new bylaw, or a vote against an existing bylaw, a minimum of 10% of the total population of Village of Halkirk must sign the petition.
• For a local improvement, the petition must be signed by two-thirds of the owners who would be liable to pay the local improvement tax and the owners who sign the petition must represent at least half of the value of the assessments for the parcels of land the tax would be imposed on.
• Signatures collected outside of the 60 day period before the petition is filed will not be counted
• There are no requirements for informal petitions or statements of position.

Number of Signatures

Who can sign a petition?

• Petitions for a public vote on a bylaw can only be signed by an elector.  An elector is defined as a person who is at least 18 years of age, a Canadian citizen, and a resident of Village of Halkirk at the time of signing the petition.
• There are no restrictions for informal petitions or statements of position.
• Local improvement petitions can only be signed by the owner who would be liable to pay the local improvement tax. 

Who Can sign

What information needs to be included on a petition?

• Each page of the petition must contain an identical purpose statement which sets out which bylaw the petitioners are requesting a vote on
• Each petitioner must:
  • Sign the petition
  • Print their surname and given name
  • Provide their address or legal description of the land where they reside
  • Provide a telephone number or email address, if any
  • Confirm their eligibility
  • Include the date on which the petition was signed
  • Have a witness sign opposite them, and each witness must sign an affidavit confirming the validity of the petitioner’s signature

Information to include

Besides the petition itself, what other documents need to be submitted? 

• For petitions for a public vote on a bylaw, and for local improvement petitions, petitioners must submit the petition, a Statement of Representative, and an Affidavit of Execution of Witness for each signature collected.

Other documents to be included

What happens if my petition is deemed insufficient?

• ​A petition could be deemed insufficient if it does not follow the requirements set out in the Municipal Government Act. 
  

• If the petition is insufficient, Council will be notified but will not be required to take any action.

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Petition insufficient

What are the guidelines for submitting an informal petition or statement of position?​​

• The wording must be as brief and clear as possible
• If more than one page is submitted, please ensure that the entire wording of the statement of position is at the top of each page so that it is clear each person signing is agreeing to the original statement
• All petitioners should provide their printed surname and given name, signature, phone number or email address, home address or legal description of the land where they reside, and date of signature
• Designate one person as the contact person and provide their name, address or legal description of the land where they reside, telephone number, and email address (refer to the Statement of Representative template)

A statement of position must be legible

Informal petition