The Similkameen News Leader
Editorial
July 22, 2008
SIGN O' THE TIMES
Pardon me for pointing this out.
Am I the only one here who finds it ironic that the local 'environmental group' has done a pretty good job of demonstrating what a bad thing sign pollution can be?
It used to be that the only time we had to deal with so many signs was during election campaigns and even then certain guidelines had to be followed concerning where and how many signs were posted.
It makes me wonder if the shoe was on the other foot and all the signs popping up in and around the area were being put there by, say, Petrobank...and that they all spoke in puzzles about the wonders of CBM or CBG or whatever and how many of those signs would be up before citizens starting beefing about it at Town Council demanding someone put a stop to all the sign pollution.
"Surely there must be a bylaw in place to deal with this situation," someone would burst out from the usual large crowd of concerned citizens who attend Town Council meetings regularly to ensure they tax dollars are being put to proper use.
"Didn't you just hire a bylaw enforcement officer? Didn't you?" Another voice would bellow from deep within the crowd.
Then following some considerable hemming and hawing around the Council table it would be determined that the decision would have to come from a special meeting of the Committee of the Whole, which, naturally, would have to be held some other time as to allow some members of Council the time to research the matter, or in some cases, remove some of the signs from their property, either way, the decision would not be made anytime soon.
Ah, yes. The wonders of sign pollution.
It's a funny sort of pollution as it sort of sneaks up on you.
First it's just a sign here and there and then once you get used to seeing them it's as if they suddenly start multiplying like rabbits and before you know it there's a sign on every telephone pole in the area, which, by the way, I think is a bylaw infraction, but I'm not sure.
What I like best about the sign pollution is that it shows visitors how we really feel and that we really aren't that friendly (a sign saying
'Petrobank go home' I guess has more affect than one that says 'Petrobank - the next time you're passing through town, just do that' or whatever).
All I'm getting at here is that I have no problem with the 'environmental group' showing their colours. It's what makes them easy to identify in a crowd. And I would think there's more effective ways of getting the message across that won't pollute the very landscape they are trying so very hard to protect.
