Calgary election sign bylaw proposals sent back for review

With a provincial vote nearing in Alberta, the City of Calgary is looking to address election sign clutter through a new, temporary bylaw, though it’s unlikely any changes could take effect in time.

This comes after a number of complaints were filed during the 2021 municipal and federal campaigns.

At an executive committee meeting, council voted unanimously to send proposed recommendations back to the drawing board, citing a number of concerns.

The proposed changes would have required signs by the same campaign owner to be placed at least 30 metres from each other — which is an increase of 10 metres from what’s currently in place — to “ensure no single owner monopolizes a particular area and limits overcrowding.”

“Twenty metres to 30 metres, I don’t think residents are going to notice the change in the amount of clutter and litter that temporary signage produces,” said Ward 11 Councillor Kourtney Penner, voicing one of the many concerns expressed by council.

“We need to be a little bit more proactive … and I think there was a bit of an admission today, this was a bit of a status quo report, it was low-hanging fruit, and I think if we’re going to make changes we need to reach higher.”

Sign locations, fines, enforcement

Proposals in the amended bylaw also included banning signs from being placed within two metres of a driveway crossing, and increasing the fines for people who don’t comply.

Other concerns raised by council included enforcement of the bylaw.

“The enforcement conversation is one that’s incredibly important. Having a bylaw is one thing, being able to enforce it is probably the bigger thing, so we’ve got to make sure that we’ve got adequate resources, especially at election time, and we’ve got to make sure that people understand what the rules are,” Mayor Jyoti Gondek said.

Penner echoed those concerns, saying more information is needed when it comes to how the city could ensure rules are followed.

When asked about the urgency of the matter, given complaints around election signage in the past, Gondek suggested Wednesday that signage issues are a concern for the city, though they’re not at the top of the list.

“I think we need to consider urgency in the grand scheme of things. Is this as urgent as some of the other things that are before us right now? No. Is it still important that we still deal with it? Absolutely, and that’s why we’ve asked administration to ensure that they’re completely understanding what it is that ward councillors are saying that is causing frustration in their communities, so Calgarians feel seen and heard,” the mayor told reporters.

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Council’s decision to refer the bylaw back to staff means residents may not see much change in sign clutter come May. However, this isn’t a complete loss for everyone.

“While I recognize this does nothing at this moment to potentially reduce signage for the provincial election, I think it gives us also another opportunity at data collection and a go at enforcement,” Penner said.

“I think when it comes to election signage we need to be a little bit more creative in how that gets enforced, especially during those prolific times.”

According to the operational services report submitted to the executive committed, the main goal of placement rules in the proposed temporary sign bylaw is to “ensure there are clear sightlines for pedestrians and drivers as vehicles approach intersections and crossings.”