Cara Loverock
Northern News Services
Published Friday, September 28, 2007

YELLOWKNIFE - City councilor Lydia Bardak has relented and moved a campaign sign supporting Sue Glowach for MLA from her Northern Heights apartment balcony and put it in her window.

Lydia Bardak stands in the elevator of her Northern Heights condominium, next to a sign explaining why tenants are not allowed to post campaign signs on balconies. - Cara Loverock/NNSL photo

"Because of negative feedback, I was afraid that my efforts to help her campaign could end up hurting, and I don't want to do that," said Bardak.

Bardak said she was following the orders of Joe Maloney, the building manager, who said the condominium corporation regards the balconies as common space and off-limits for campaign signs.

"They have ultimate control over it," said Bardak, adding, "It worries me that I'm living in a place that I can't make that expression of who I support."

No residents of the building complained to Bardak, who received a letter from Kelly Bluck, condominium board president, thanking her for removing the sign which was also deemed a potential safety hazard.

"It's was a light, core-plast sign; I had six cable ties securing it," said Bardak. "it wasn't going anywhere."

According to Bluck, the poster ban is in keeping with the Northern Heights Corporation bylaws.

"The board is trying to adhere to the bylaws so we're just trying to do it in an equitable fair manner," said Bluck, adding that although the balcony is deemed common space, it is for exclusive use for the owner.

Saundra Arbury, chief electoral officer, said that as long as the condominium has control over that area they are within their right to keep people from putting up campaign materials.

"If it turns out that the balcony is common space, then I guess they have every right to do that," said Arbury.

Glowach said that she did receive some negative comments from people who were upset over the poster being hung on the balcony.

"One of the comments that I've got is 'as long as that signs up there I won't vote for you', was what someone had said to me," said Glowach.

Things calmed down and no one has said anything negative to her since the sign moved to the window, she said.