The public’s right to freely display posters on public property may soon be taken away in Toronto.
On Oct. 9, a public forum on the city’s proposed anti-postering bylaw took place at the Metro Hall Council Chamber.
The bylaw aims to reduce the number of posters on display in Toronto in order to reduce the cost the city incurs in stripping old posters from utility poles, which are city property. If passed, the bylaw will only allow posters on one per cent of the city’s utility poles, which will be outfitted with plastic collars. Posters will have to be kept at least 100 metres apart from each other, and must include the name and phone number of the person who is advertising. A $60 fine will be charged for every poster that does not meet these requirements.
Dave Meslin, the coordinator of the Toronto Public Space Committee, believes the bylaw would have a “negative impact” on the city.
Small organizations and individuals who cannot afford expensive forms of advertisement will be unable to communicate with the public, he said. Meslin explained that once this medium of communication is cut, the city will only be “left with corporate expression.” At present, the cheapest form of commercial advertisement is found at bus shelters, where an ad costs roughly $2,000 per month.
According to Meslin, the bylaw places a “price tag on freedom of expression.” Only large corporations will be able to afford to advertise, he added.
U of T’s Graduate Students’ Union also voices its opposition to the bylaw. Elan Ohayon, the VP external member for the GSU, gave a deputation during the public forum. He called the bylaw “appalling and dangerous. Students rely on this form of communication and can’t afford other forms of advertising.”
More lenient poster restrictions already exist. Currently, posters are not allowed on transit shelters, signs, and trees, among other public property. Ohayon reasons that any further restrictions will create more harm than good. If there is no space left for posters, people will simply glue, stick or staple them anywhere and everywhere. “Posters are the life of the city,” Ohayon added, as they are used from everything voicing political opinions to advertising a missing pet.
Ohayon is also concerned that the true purpose of the proposed bylaw is to distract people from the real issues, such as housing and transportation.
Although the anti-postering bylaw has been brought to the attention of the city council, Meslin says that it “won’t stand up in court as it acts against the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.”
