TWILLINGATE, NL-Controversy surrounding the erection of a white cross overlooking Twillingate harbour in Newfoundland has led to the resignation of town mayor Danny Bath, deputy mayor Elizabeth Jenkins and two other town councillors.

The fibreglass cross was erected on Smith's Lookout overlooking the harbour of Twillingate on June 25. The cross, a winter project of the local Salvation Army Men's Fellowship group, measured 22 feet high with an 11-foot span.

Major William Kean, Salvation Army commanding officer at Twillingate, advised in an interview with The Pilot, the local weekly, that the Men's Fellowship group at his church had decided to construct a cross and erect it at some strategic site where could express their faith while at the same time be a monument to all the fishermen over the many years who lost their lives at sea.

The Men's Fellowship had approached town council to put up the cross and received unanimous consent. Just as the cross was being put in place, a concerned citizens group stepped forward, demanding that the cross not be erected.

Because the town council were confident that proper procedure had been followed, they refused to put a stop to the process and denied the group's request for an emergency town meeting.

The group of concerned citizens circulated a petition opposing the erection of the cross. The group gathered 120 signatures, less than four per cent of Twillingate's population of 3,600.

Concerns included lack of public consultation, increased traffic in the isolated location, lack of cooperation with other churches and that tourists might object to a Christian symbol in such a visible location.

Resident Joanne Best, spokesman for the concerned citizens group, is upset that the cross went up with no public consultation. She says the decision wasn't thought through.

"At first they [the concerned citizens] were saying it was the cross…then they were saying they're not against the cross, they are against the process," says acting mayor Calla Guy.

Guy objects to accusations that proper process was not followed. "Council was following process," she says, adding that the former mayor and councillors resigned because of "very abusive phone calls."

"Remarks were made that our former mayor should be nailed to the cross himself," Guy says. "That's very strong."

Former mayor Danny Bath spoke to ChristianWeek but only "off the record" because the controversy has so distressed him.

In responding to the objections of the concerned citizens that other churches had not been consulted, a member of the local ministerial told ChristianWeek, on the condition of anonymity, that the ministerial had been informed of the Salvation Army project and had given full approval to it.

Many Twillingate residents are "very puzzled" over what really was at the root of the objections to the cross. Twillingate is a strongly "church-going community" with several churches in the town including two army churches, as well as Pentecostal, United, Anglican and interdenominational churches.

"It makes my heart sick to know that a cross, which to me is an important personal symbol, has become the symbol of such discord in this town," Best told CBC.

By-elections to replace the mayor and councillors have been called for September 4.