Lillooet council has raised the ire of some residents with a new proposed bylaw. (lillooet.bc.ca)

The town council in Lillooet, B.C., has introduced a bylaw intended to maintain public order, but some locals say the proposed regulation goes too far and would violate the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Bylaw 343 would see parks and beaches closed overnight in the town of 2,300 and also calls for a ban on unauthorized performances, marches, meetings and formal gatherings in public places.

Critics say that violates the charter right to freedom of assembly.

"This is not something you would see in small-town living," said resident Ernie Anderson. "We meet on the street and talk."

'We have a vandalism problem on our streets.'—Lillooet Mayor Dennis Bontron

Anderson said the bylaw could too easily be abused.

"What designates public assembly? That is at the discretion of somebody that actually wants to enforce it."

The idea was to limit loitering and vandalism, according to Dennis Bontron, mayor of the town 150 kilometres north of Vancouver.

"The issue is not people who assemble," said Bontron. "The people we're concerned about are the people who are just sort of hanging out there, all night. We have a vandalism problem on our streets."

One civil rights advocate said the bylaw as it's written is likely illegal.

"If someone challenged the bylaw in court saying that, 'This is a park and I'm allowed to assemble here without requiring a permit and approval from the government,' then they'd be successful," said David Eby, executive director of the B.C. Civil Liberties Association.

Bontron acknowledges that council might have to reconsider the bylaw's language.

"We're going to have to do something with the wording," he said.

With files from the CBC's Jackie Sharkey