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.
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