WARMINGTON: Election sign war tactic in York Centre not a violation – or is it?
City of Toronto rules are murky, so bylaw officers took no chances and removed both the Liberal and Conservative candidate's signs
Article content
These were definitely signs of the times.
Sign, sign everywhere a sign – except no longer at the corner of Keele St. and Wilson Ave.
As reported in my Saturday column, it seems Conservative candidate Roman Baber’s blue election sign on a lawn in the York Centre riding was crowded out by four red Liberal incumbent Ya’ara Saks signs.
It was so effective that from most angles, you could not even see Baber’s sign.
When I first had photos sent to me, I didn’t immediately hear back from anyone directly involved. So it’s still unknown who placed the Saks’ signs around Baber’s signs.
But one election insider said there was technically nothing wrong with it.
tap here to see other videos from our team.
WARMINGTON: Election sign war tactic in York Centre not a violation – or is it? Back to video
tap here to see other videos from our team.
It may be “petty,” but in this person’s view it was “not a violation.”
Well, there is an important update. New information came in overnight. Apparently, it may actually be a violation depending on how you read the wording of the rules in place in Toronto for election signs.
Turns out the City of Toronto has a bylaw that states, “If more than one sign (is) displayed at a location, each sign must be at least one metre apart, unless approved by the property owner/when placed on private property” or “the property owner/occupant of the abutting property when placed on public property.”
So what was this a violation?
RECOMMENDED VIDEO
tap here to see other videos from our team.
As usual, there is debate because things are up for interpretation. Was this on private property or part of the public access area?
The signs were on the boulevard out front Saks’ campaign office at 2784 Keele St., between the sidewalk and the road, which typically is public property.
But the City of Toronto rules are somewhat muddled.
However, the city official who was asked to investigate it took no chances.
“Toronto City Bylaw came by … and took all the signs down, even Roman’s.”
The Toronto Sun reached out to the city for clarification but there was nobody immediately available to comment.
Now, as small of a story as this may seem, it actually offers a glimpse into just how tough this federal election is – not just at the Prime Minister Mark Carney and Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre level, but at the local level.
Here you have cabinet minister, Saks, and former Ford government MP Baber fighting it out to see who will represent the riding in Ottawa after April 28.
But sometimes campaign volunteers get a little cheeky in their battle for ground. And while they know it’s illegal to remove a sign, there are ways to block one out.
It appears this time they went too far.
As Les Emmerson of the Five Man Electrical band sang, “Can’t you read the sign?”
At this corner in York Centre, when it came to popular Conservative candidate Roman Baber, you could not.
Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion. Please keep comments relevant and respectful. Comments may take up to an hour to appear on the site. You will receive an email if there is a reply to your comment, an update to a thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information.