Why some P.E.I. campaign signs were removed just hours into federal election

The federal election got off to a sputtering start for at least one campaign on P.E.I., thanks to a change in a municipal bylaw that now says election signs can only go up 30 days before election day.

The election was called Wednesday and Canadians will go to the polls Oct. 21. 

We immediately went out and took them down.— Darcie Lanthier

"We had the sign crews basically chomping at the bit all week. Everything was ready to go," said Charlottetown Green candidate Darcie Lanthier.

She said three sign crews got started for her campaign as soon as the writ period began Wednesday.

They had put up nearly 20 of her biggest signs when Lanthier said a campaign volunteer brought to their attention a provision in Charlottetown's zoning and development bylaw.

That bylaw says federal, provincial and municipal election signs are allowed to go up without a permit, and that they "may be erected 30 days prior to the election and shall be removed within seven days following the election."

But the writ period for this federal election will last 40 days.

"So we immediately went out and took them down," Lanthier said.

Her Conservative competitor Robert Campbell had some of his signs up Thursday morning. When contacted by CBC he did not appear to be aware of the limitation in the bylaw.

A spokesperson for Liberal candidate Sean Casey told CBC via email "we are aware of the bylaw and will of course comply."

Change in response to marathon 2015 campaign

Charlottetown Mayor Philip Brown says the city changed its bylaw in response to the 2015 federal election. That writ period lasted 78 days, the longest in recent Canadian history.

Brown said the 30-day limit for signs was implemented by the previous city council and would have been "complaint-driven… there would have been a lot of residents of Charlottetown asking why do we have so much signage up, and why is it staying up so long?"

Brown said during last year's municipal election, some of his mayoral campaign signs were taken down by city staff when they were put up in advance of the 30-day window.

However he said the city will not be removing signs that went up early during the federal election.

"This election is not a priority for us in terms of what happened this past weekend," Brown said.

"The city's priority is to clean up after Hurricane Dorian.… We've notified the parties that there is a 30-day limit on putting up signs. I'm sure that some of the parties will respect it. Others will get their signs up because the writ was dropped yesterday."

Stratford says it will enforce bylaw

Across the river from Charlottetown, the Town of Stratford has the exact same clause in its zoning bylaw.

Stratford sits within the Cardigan riding. Signs for at least two Cardigan candidates were up in the town Thursday.

After confirming that no federal legislation supercedes the town's bylaw when it comes to signs, the town's CAO Robert Hughes told CBC News via email the town would be enforcing its bylaw.

"Any signs that have been erected are in violation of our bylaw," Hughes said. "I have instructed staff to enforce our bylaw signage provisions and to let all of the official agents know."

Summerside's zoning bylaw allows election signs to be up throughout the entire writ period, while Cornwall's bylaw does not include any time restrictions.

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