Just over a week into the federal election and the signs are few and far between, and it's going to stay that way until mid-September.
Both Coquitlam and Port Coquitlam prohibit signs from going up until 30 days before the election, while in Port Moody, candidates can start putting them up on public property once the election is officially declared.
All three cities have detailed bylaws regulating specific sign locations for public property and measures to ensure public and traffic safety. Signage size and the number permitted per candidate at each location are also tightly controlled.
John Enright, Elections Canada spokesperson, said federal laws around election signage pertain mainly to financing and reporting. "There is very little mention in the Elections Act around placement," he said, other than ensuring public safety.
In PoCo, candidates can place one sign in each of 13 locations on public property. An owner's consent is required to place signs on private property (thought not on the public boulevard area), though regulations regarding size, placement and permitted dates apply as well.
Candidates running in the federal election in the two ridings that cover Coquitlam won't get an extension to the city's sign bylaw to account for the longer federal campaign.
According to city clerk Jay Gilbert, Sept. 19 is the earliest signs can go up in the city, and they can only be placed in 10 locations specified in the city's Election Administration and Procedures bylaw.
Port Moody residents are already seeing election signs, with Conservative candidate Tim Laidler being the first out the door with a large sign at the corner of Ioco Road and Heritage Mountain Boulevard, one of 10 locations permitted throughout the city.
Another Laidler sign spotted on a bike rack on St. Johns Street doesn't run afoul of PoMo's bylaws, even though it went up before the election was called, because the regulations only apply to signs on public property. The bike stand and the advertising space on it are considered the private property of the advertising company, even though it's located on a public sidewalk, said city spokesperson Rosemary Lodge.
But some guerrilla election advertising is also being spotted on stop signs throughout the Tri-Cities, with a Harper sticker or graffiti splashed on them.
The "Stop Harper" message may seem like a form of protest but it's damaging to public property, according to city officials.
Lodge said in PoMo, city crews will correct or repair the vandalized property when notified and bylaw staff would report any "serious, offensive or frequently identified acts of vandalism to the Port Moody Police department as these may constitute offences under the Criminal Code."
Dan Mooney, Coquitlam's manager of roads and transportation, says defacing stop signs with stickers is not only in contravention of the provincial motor vehicle act but removing them takes away some of the reflective material and could be a hazard.
"A stop sign is a right-of-way device that is there for safety and real hazards can be created when it is missing, or defaced to the point that it may not be seen or recognized," Mooney stated in an email.
As well, attaching stickers to stop signs is a violation of the Coquitlam Postering Bylaw and carries a fine of $250, although discounted if paid within 14 days. As well, anyone caught placing the stickers on municipal property could be hit with a $150 fine, discounted to $100 if paid within 14 days.
It's not known who is putting the stickers on the signs, but they have been visible for several weeks, even prior to the election call. Coquitlam's engineering and roads workers have been removing the stickers when they see them.
PoCo's traffic bylaw also lists defacing a traffic control device as an offence. City staff will remove the stickers and/or markings as they are made aware of the violations, and are encouraging the public to report the location of such violations to their operations division at [email protected] or 604-927-5496, or to take a photo of the sign and send it to the PoCo WasteLine app at www.portcoquitlam.ca/wasteline.
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