THUNDER BAY — The City of Thunder Bay is considering a by-law to manage the use of signs for all elections, including municipal, provincial and federal.
It's something a number of Ontario municipalities have already implemented.
Thunder Bay's current sign by-law doesn't include specific information relating to the management of election signs.
One section of the existing by-law has only been used to inform candidates that they can't place a sign on any property owned by the city. Despite this, the majority of complaints received by the city about election signs has been about their placement on public property.
Administration is now recommending that council approve a new standalone by-law which it says will provide greater clarity for candidates and the public, and help By-Law Enforcement manage complaints.
Some of the key components of the by-law include:
- signs must be removed within 72 hours of voting day
- signs must clearly identify who is responsible for the messaging
- no signs are permitted on any public property, including city boulevards and roads
- no signs are permitted on private property without the owner's consent
- no more than three signs are allowed per private property lot
- one sign per candidate is allowed for every 500 meters of frontage on commercial or industrial properties
The by-law also includes provisions under the Provincial Offences Act allowing the city to lay charges "where compliance cannot be achieved," and establishes an out-of-court set-fine system.
The minimum fine upon conviction would be $300, with a maximum of $5,000, however administration says that based on past elections, it does not expect the by-law to create a significance source of revenue.
"Most election signs that have been improperly placed are removed upon notice of the city, and all signs have historically been removed shortly after the close of an election," the report to council states.
Some Ontario cities require permits and fees for placing election signs, but administration says "neither are required at this time, and would be more burdensome to both the city and the sign owner."
It adds, however, that this could be reevaluated in the future.
An amendment to the Municipal Elections Act in 2018 lays out regulatory requirements for registered third parties and third-party advertising.
Third parties would be permitted to erect signs and use other advertising media to support or oppose election candidates as long as they were registered with the Office of the City Clerk.
