It’s not always easy wearing a crown

Per: Denise

D. MacDonald, Chief Financial O cer

Information For Electors

Pursuant to Section 1(s) of The Lloydminster Charter, an "elector" means:

For the purposes of election of members of Council, for votes on bylaws and for votes on questions, means a person who, on the day of the election i.is a Canadian citizen, ii.is of the full age of 18 years, iii.either a.has resided in the City or on land now in the City for at least 3 months immediately preceding the day of the election, or b.is the owner of assessable land situated in the City or of land now situated in the City for at least 3 months immediately preceding the day of the elections; and iv.has resided in Alberta or Saskatchewan for at least 6 months immediately preceding the day of the election.

A poll may be demanded in the City of Lloydminster by electors equal in number to at least 10% of the population.

In accordance with the provisions of Section 163 of The Lloydminster Charter and in accordance with the provisions of Section 194 and 201 of The Lloydminster Charter lloydminster.ca

The petition for a vote must be received by the Clerk within 15 days of the last publication of this notice and shall contain on each page “an accurate and identical statement of the purpose of the petition.” (Further requirements of the petition are provided in Section 164 of The Lloydminster Charter.)

DATE of the last publication of this notice is the 27th day of July 2023.

Lines from William Shakespeare’s famous plays have often been quoted. One such line in the play King Henry IV is,” Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown.”

King Henry IV is trying to sleep, but his burden is much too great which is making his mind restless.

This quote also refers to the fact that being a leader or someone in a position of power is not easy due to the heavy load of responsibility on their shoulders.

It’s wrought with challenges as they use their power to make decisions which affect others. With each decision is a subsequent consequence and folks amongst the masses won’t always be happy.

The legal system in Alberta, which deals with Pound Keepers, was called the Pound Ordinance.

It appears the Lloydminster Pound Keeper (1910) wasn’t immune to the effects of Shakespeare’s quote and the subsequent problems of being in this position.

The case reads much like a fictional tale straight out of a Western novel and goes something like this.

Apparently, Uncle Clarkson, who was employed as a Pound Keeper in Lloydminster, “… proceeded to put the law in motion and had nefarious designs upon certain horses then found disporting themselves upon the public highway, and having effected his fell purpose straightway gat him to his lair with his booty.”

This is where things got interesting as the owner of the horses had “visions of trouble ahead, so he set after Uncle the Pound Keeper with a lariat in hand and with a grim look of determination on his countenance.”

Then much to everyone’s dismay or perhaps entertainment, a race for life between the Pound Keeper’s mount and the cowboy’s steed took place.

Along came the descent of the aforementioned lariat thrown with great skill by the mounted rider who was galloping behind in hot pursuit.

Once the lariat reached its intended target, the Pound Keeper’s journey ended rather abruptly. Otherwise, folks in the surrounding district would also have had the pleasure of witnessing the brave Pound Keeper in action!

But wait there’s more.

This is when yet another character, John Gilpin is added to this tale. Gilpin was a London merchant who sold fabric; he was also famous for his equestrian feat on a runaway horse.

Apparently, Gilpin became separated from his family as they travelled together or so one story goes. He arrived 10 miles away from their destination due to his runaway horse.

Then the frightened horse, who is said to have been scared by a stubborn mule, ran back home again to London. Several sites have been ceremoniously commemorated along his misguided route.

The newspaper refers to this character in part, “…and that only, [being lassoed by the Pound Keeper’s lariat] kept Uncle from emulating the example of John Gilpin in his famous equestrian stunt.”

Herd law vs fence law were very contentious topics which caused many a sleepless night. It really didn’t matter which side of the debate you were on, or who wore the crown.