Town's sign bylaw denies residents' rights
Our Readers Write Municipal Vote 2006

The following letter, to Mark Sraga, Caledon's director of building and bylaw enforcement, was submitted to the Citizen.

Mr. Sraga, in response to your comment, "a person is permitted to display a candidate's sign anywhere they wish on their own private property provided it does not exceed the size and height restrictions as they are prescribed in the bylaw," I

could place a number of elections signs on my front lawn, for example, which is about 500 feet back from the road with the intervening areas of land covered by forest, which would communicate with no one other than myself.

I could also place elections signs the required 1.52 metres back from the front property line and communicate my expression of support for candidates with no one other than myself, due to the forest cover all along my property's road frontage.

The circumstances of my property's visual barriers is a commonplace for properties in Wards 1, 2 and 4 previously pointed out. The effect of Bylaw 2003-77 is to deny me and a great number of other residents the freedom of expression for support of municipal and education candidates of our choice through what has become a commonplace form of communication during elections, the display of election signs in front of our properties. Both the terms of Bylaw 2003-77 and their enforcement deny residents rights under the Charter of Rights & Freedoms quoted in my letter to you of Oct. 23.

The terms of the bylaw may be changed in due course. The administration of the bylaw, Mr. Sraga, must change immediately.

Ian Sinclair