Security cameras to deter vandalism at Salmon Arm's Pride crosswalks not allowed, city staff say

Security cameras prohibited

Photo: Luc Rempel

Salmon Arm's Pride crosswalks were defaced with the name KIRK, a reference to slain right-wing activist Charlie Kirk, in September of last year.

Salmon Arm council's plans to install security cameras to deter vandalism of rainbow Pride crosswalks were scuttled after city staff said provincial law prohibits municipalities from operating this type of surveillance.

These security measures had initially been discussed last fall after the city’s Pride crosswalks were vandalized with Christian and Charlie Kirk-themed messages. Council had received a letter from a resident urging the city to consider installing surveillance cameras overlooking the crosswalks to deter future vandalism, and possibly catch vandals in the act.

Council was supportive of the idea, and asked staff to look into the cost and legality of installing the cameras.

At the Feb. 9 Salmon Arm city council meeting, Corporate Officer Rhonda West reported back to council about the privacy concerns related to this proposal.

“Surveillance cameras are commonly used in public spaces and can serve as a deterrent to criminal activity and assist police investigations,” she said.

“However, their use raises significant privacy considerations, particularly in public settings.”

West told council the public’s fundamental right to privacy is protected under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.

“In the public sector surveillance guidelines document, updated in January 2026, the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner stated that video and audio surveillance systems are particularly privacy intrusive measures because they often subject individuals to continuous monitoring of their everyday activities,” West said.

High definition video would be required in order to identify and prosecute suspects, and West said further consultation with local police confirmed “grainy or low quality footage” would not be very useful.

“Night vision cameras, which would likely be required, have limitations including narrower fields of view and the need for professional installation and permanent power sources,” West said.

In the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, it states public bodies must have “a clear law enforcement mandate” in order to justify the collection of personal information through video surveillance.

“A January 2026 OIPC decision required the city of Richmond to dismantle its field testing of a surveillance program after determining the city did not have the authority to collect personal information for policing purposes,” West told council.

“This ruling significantly clarifies and restricts the circumstances under which municipalities may use surveillance cameras.”

The decision ruled municipalities can only collect information for the purposes of law enforcement if an investigation is already underway.

“In other words, you can't collect personal information in the hopes that it might be useful in a future investigation,” West said.

“It's not sufficient for a public body to claim that it has an interest in reducing crime to fall under law enforcement based on the current legislation.”

She said when she spoke to OIPC staff about Salmon Arm’s particular situation, they felt the repeated incidents of vandalism at the rainbow crosswalks did not meet the legislated threshold required to justify video surveillance.

Rainbow crosswalks in Salmon Arm have a history of being vandalized going back to 2018, with the first incident taking place just two weeks after the first crosswalk was installed at Fifth Street SW and Fifth Avenue SW.

That same crosswalk was defaced with a swastika in 2024. The newer Pride crosswalks downtown at Hudson Avenue were vandalized when a motorist did a burnout across them in 2023.