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City says no to 'Say No to Nestlé' signs on public property

Wellington Water Watchers, who made the signs, believe they are allowed on private property
20180517 Say No To Nestle Sign KA
A 'Say No to Nestlé' sign seen Thursday at Gordon Street and Stone Road. City staff says the signs on public property are in violation of Guelph's sign bylaw. Kenneth Armstrong/GuelphToday

City bylaw officers have been instructed to seize the ‘Say No to Nestle’ signs on public property in Guelph.

Wellington Water Watchers, who made the signs, believe they are allowed on private property.

The signs are often being placed directly adjacent to election signs and include a link to a web site and feature a logo for the Wellington Water Watchers, a non-profit working to protect local water sources.

The signs are not election signs and do not fall under the newly-created Election Sign Bylaw, Dave Wiedrick, bylaw manager for the city of Guelph, told GuelphToday on Thursday.

“Those Nestle signs are not an election sign, so it still goes under the current sign bylaw that we have. They are prohibited, you can’t do that,” said Wiedrick.

Anyone who wants to put up a sign like these on their own property must apply for a permit, he said.

On public property, the signs are prohibited.

“It’s like these guys who do the basements and put up all of their little signs, no, we just go and take them all down,” said Wiedrick.

Bylaw officers began investigating some of the signs seen Thursday on Woolwich Street, said Wiedrick.

The signs will be seized, said Wiedrick. If the owners want them returned, he said, there will be a charge. 

“If they do not contact us we destroy the signs,” said Wiedrick.

Protesters held up similar signs Tuesday, at a Liberal campaign event which included party leader Kathleen Wynne.

“They are trying to make a statement, apparently,” said Wiedrick of the signs.

Reached on Friday, Wellington Water Watchers executive director Arlene Slocombe said the non-profit is registered third-party elections advertiser and are entitled to put signs out on private property.

“We had some enthusiastic supporters that put some out on boulevards and we will be removing those,” said Slocombe.

“But those that are on private property are allowed,” she added.

To be fully compliant, a phone number or address needs to be added to the signs, said Slocombe.

“We are going to update the ones that are out there with a little sticker to make it fully comply,” said Slocombe.

In a follow-up email with GuelphToday received Friday, Wiedrick said if Wellington Water Watchers believe the signs to be valid, they must still apply for permission, pay a fee and abide by all rules of the new bylaw.

“Having said that, no signs can be on public property,” he added.

The Say No to Nestle campaign being waged by Wellington Water Watchers seeks to deny Nestle’s application to take water from Aberfoyle and Hillsburgh and to not allow the company to take water from its Middlebrook facility in Elora.

As recently as Friday morning, Wellington Water Watchers was asking Guelphites to contact them if interested in receiving a lawn sign.

When applying for a sign online, supporters are asked to consider a suggested minimum donation of $10 to the non-profit.


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Kenneth Armstrong

About the Author: Kenneth Armstrong

Kenneth Armstrong is a news reporter and photojournalist who regularly covers municipal government, business and politics and photographs events, sports and features.
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