In June, City Council voted to amend the Temporary Signs By-law with the goal of improving the pedestrian clearway and addressing the visual impacts. As part of the review undertaken by Municipal Licensing & Standards (MLS), three new sign types will be regulated: Contracted Services, Homebuilder Identification, and Advocacy Signs.
Beginning June 3, 2024, residents will be permitted to display a maximum of 3 advocacy signs on their lawns and the abutting public boulevard. In their staff report, MLS defines Advocacy Signs as those that advance a point of view and are not for a commercial purpose.
On that note, I often hear from residents who are concerned about the proliferation of third party signs in their neighbourhoods. Under the newly amended By-law, third party signs such as real estate signs, contractor services signs, and home builder identification signs may only be displayed for a limited amount of time. A maximum of six Open House Directional Signs will be permitted per property, and they may only be displayed for two hours before and after an open house.
These By-law changes were informed by consultation with the public and stakeholders – including pedestrian and accessibility advocacy groups – undertaken from 2019-2023 through a series of meetings and surveys. You can find more information about the By-law changes, here.