An environmental group's yard signs criticizing the use of pesticides have been removed by Charlottetown workers in advance of the Nov. 6 municipal election because they violate a zoning bylaw, a planning department spokesman says.
The city is constantly trying to keep on top of sign violators by sending letters and taking signs down, says Don Poole.
Last week, about 30 signs raising the use of pesticides for cosmetic purposes as an election issue were put up by the P.E.I. Environmental Health Co-op. The group says it is angry that they were removed, apparently by public works.
"There's various issues during an election and if everybody decided they're going to be putting up signs, we'd have nothing but litter around the city," says Poole
"And signs are a very important issue in the city, and that's why we have rules and regulations."
The bylaw says only authorized campaign signs for individual politicians are allowed on a public right of way, he says.
Katherine Dewar, a member of the Environmental Health Co-op, alleges her group is being targeted.
"I don't see that them running out one day and taking down every sign that has to do with pesticides during an election campaign was just happenstance; there's some reason for it," says Dewar.
There are all kinds of illegal signs in Charlottetown, and they're not carted away in a public works truck, she adds.
Dewar says the group plans to put the signs back on the lawns.
More Consumer Headlines »
- Ottawa plans no-fly list by 2007
- The Conservative government announced on Friday plans to streamline guidelines by 2007 for a no-fly list to bolster aircraft security.
- Crafty revellers delight in creating Halloween
- Store-bought costumes may be decreasing in price but many holiday enthusiasts are still insisting on crafting their own creations. They say Halloween is a time for the do-it-yourself movement to take centre stage.
- Sask. government to lower PST to 5%
- Flush with cash and an election on the horizon, the Saskatchewan government is lowering its provincial sales tax to five per cent from seven per cent.
- E. coli spinach outbreak over, U.S. officials say
- U.S. health officials say it's safe to assume the tainted E. coli spinach outbreak is over given that a month has passed without any new incidents of illness.
- Supreme court says pharmacist kickback probe must go on
- The Supreme Court of Canada has ruled the Quebec Order of Pharmacists can pursue its investigation into allegations that some of its members received kickbacks from pharmaceutical companies.
