Living in a major urban centre, you’re certainly no stranger to the posters that blanket the utility poles and bus shelters on our streets. Postering is one of those thorny municipal issues that evokes passionate stances on both sides: those who see it as yet another purveyor of visual pollution, and those — like us — who embrace and endorse the grassroots, street-level community-building and, of course, marketing that posters can foster. In that spirit, we decided to check in on the five cities Dose serves to see how they each deal with this perennially sticky situation.
VANCOUVER
The Law: According to bylaw, you can’t paint, paste, stick or glue anything on any street furniture, including poles, but you can poster on any of the 200 official poster cylinders. “We spend $600,000 every year removing posters,” says Tom Hammel, streets administration engineer for Vancouver.
The Penalties: Hammel says unlawful postering is an ongoing battle. “We need a stronger approach to dealing with it … We’re hoping at some point to prosecute some of the vendors or people putting up posters,” he says, adding no charges have been laid so far.
The Prevalence: Most posters are found on poles, traffic control boxes, benches and abandoned businesses in the downtown core, West 4th Avenue and Commercial Drive, says Hammel, estimating 90 per cent are put up by a small group of people promoting concerts, club nights or protests.
Poster Etiquette: The city removes posters at the beginning of every week, says Hammel. If they don’t, they get postered over. Most posters are put up with glue, says Hammel. “Staples are easier to remove than glued-on posters,” he says.
The Community: Postering is fine in designated areas, but Hammel says poster overload on buildings and poles looks bad and costs money. “It really detracts from the streetscape,” he says. On the other hand, street posters are quick and easy advertising for promoters.
EDMONTON
The law: Postering is allowed on grey streetlight poles around the city, but not on decorative ones. There are also purpose-built standing cylinders and postering walls in popular foot-traffic areas, such as Whyte Avenue and Jasper Avenue. Transparent tape is acceptable, but glue is a big no.
The penalties: If you’re caught postering illegally, you could face a fine of up to $110. The city will also pursue the company or event for which you’re postering. The date when the poster was first put up must be displayed. Posters must be removed after three weeks.
The prevalence: Postering in Edmonton is alive and well. Most postering happens in popular, crowded areas, such as downtown or Old Strathcona. Most posters showcase live music shows, though there are posters for lost cats and guitar lessons also scattered throughout the city.
Poster etiquette: Poster etiquette in Edmonton is spotty, depending on the experience of the person postering and on the reputation of the show’s venue. People regularly post over other posters for upcoming events in popular areas and old posters can be found in remote spots.
The Community: Edmonton’s independent arts scene makes good use of posters, which double as a cultural calendar for the city. They’re generally tolerated, as long they don’t deface city or private property. Postering isn’t a hot-button issue.
CALGARY
The law: For the past 14 years, Earl Ridley has been known as Calgary’s poster guy, responsible for stapling concert and theatre listings to information boxes and poster stands. City bylaw prohibits him from postering telephone poles, some lampposts and transit shelters.
The penalties: While Calgary seems liberal with its rules to posters on city streets, there are stiff penalties for those who take advantage. The owners of signs are liable for damage caused as a result of posting. Some people could face a fine ranging between $75 and $200.
The prevalence: Most city poster boards are covered with advertisements for upcoming concerts, theatre productions and lectures. In many cases, the poster boards are dozens of posters thick and date back for months. Student trips and registration dates for school sessions are also abundant.
Poster Etiquette: It would be nice if most poster boards were cleaned up; however, new posters are often laid on top of old ones. There seems to be an unspoken rule that prohibits most groups from covering another’s advertisement, and an even stricter rule about covering local artwork with posters.
The Community: Posters are sometimes the only way Dave Wong, 22, knows what’s happening in Calgary. “It’s a great way to advertise. When people walk by, the posters are at eye level and people look at them,” he said.
TORONTO
The Law: Currently, anyone can place a poster of any size no higher than six feet up a utility pole. If a new city-wide bylaw is passed, by next year commercial posters would be banned except in designated places, while community group notices would also be restricted in size and location.
The penalties: The city has been lax in imposing fines but that will change if the new bylaw comes into effect. In addition to a removal fee of $60 per poster for not removing a poster after an event, the bylaw will also give the city the option of issuing up to $500 in fines.
The prevalence: Around the downtown core, posters are peppered along every utility pole, garbage can and parking meter. Lose weight, learn English, you can find just about anything. The city removes more than 350,000 posters off parking meters, stoplights and other city-owned property yearly.
Poster etiquette: Under the new bylaw, anyone who puts up a poster over another poster would be fined. Right now, there are posters of every size and shape, glued, taped and stapled to utility polls. The new law limits the number of posters that will be allowed on a utility poll.
The community: Spacing advocates, including the Toronto Public Space Committee, favour a city-wide bylaw, but not the one to be debated by city council. They worry musicians and DJs, not considered community groups, will not be able to properly promote their shows.
OTTAWA
The law: The City of Ottawa has placed collars on utility poles in the downtown core restricting postering. One poster per pole is allowed and it can be no bigger than 28 centimetres by 43.5 centimetres. City workers clear the poles on the first and 15th of every month.
The penalties: Organizers of Spins and Needles, a monthly arts event, were slapped with a $360 fine for postering a traffic light pole last year. Organizer Melanie Yugo pointed out the fine is way more than for speeding on the highway, “And we weren’t endangering anyone’s life!”
The prevalence: You can’t go far in downtown Ottawa without seeing poster-plastered poles, advertising bar and club events, language lessons, community and arts events. Ottawa’s ByWard Market is a hot spot and the intersection of Bank and Somerset Streets is also coveted by posterers.
Poster etiquette: It’s inevitable that posters will overlap each other, so people who poster have to keep on top of things to ensure their flyer isn’t being obscured. Some follow the rule of not postering over an event that hasn’t happened yet, but a little maintenance never hurts.
The community: The people who poster say they rely on it to get the word out and it indicates a sense of life and activity in the city. Others are not so keen. Apparently, anti-poster advocates pay people to rip posters down in an effort to beautify streetscapes.
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