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“We haven’t had any issues,” says Taber police Chief Graham Abela. “We have had a few calls about gatherings, but we’ve been able to handle those issues without any concern whatsoever. People have been compliant and, as a result, there’s been no real obligatory enforcement.”

Despite the controversy, criticism and evena campaign to bring actor Kevin Bacon to town for an illegal dance party protest, Abela stands by the bylaw.

The biggest headache, he says, was dealing with countless reporters’ questions in March 2015 after “social media and other media grabbed a hold of it and took it to places it didn’t need to go.”

While the bylaw was denounced by lawyers and civil-rights experts who said it wouldn’t stand up to a Charter challenge, Abela maintains the lack of complaints and tickets dished out over the past 14 months demonstrate the new rules are working exactly as intended.

But some locals disagree, charging the bylaw was unnecessary and hasn’t curbed the behaviour it was intended to stop. Critics also say the whole hubbub has brought an embarrassing reputation to the agricultural community of 8,300 residents, located 50 kilometres east of Lethbridge.

“Nothing ever came of the bylaw,” says resident Jock Decoste.

Standing with two friends on an otherwise deserted street in downtown Taber, Decoste jokes he’ll soon be in trouble for gathering in a group.

“No swearing, no spitting, no hanging out with groups of three. It’s silly, really,” says his friend, Eric McCorry. “(Police) monitor, but they don’t do anything.”