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Place: Oliver Community Centre
Time: 6pm Tuesday March 11
Purpose: RDOS public info meeting on roadside signs

In attendance – Ministry of Transportation (MOTI), Jeff Wiseman
RDOS: Chair Mark Pendergraft and Area C Director Allan Patton

Crowd – Over 120 with no speakers in favour of present RDOS roadside sign bylaw from the 1970 which allows only one per rural property along the highway with no third party signage.

 

Discussion:

MOTI – Jeff Wiseman says too many signs are a safety issue but farmers stated that the Vaseux Corner should be fixed if Highways is concerned about deaths and safety. Others stated the power poles cause death not farm signs. Farmer Danny Cachola told the MOTI – it is doing nothing about road safety from his point of view and have no rights on his land.

Wiseman said the issue had been low priority for a number of years but the cluttered look had been noticed in the Ministry so when the RDOS said it was concerned also – it was a good chance to work together on this project.

The RDOS does want new ideas and one of them could be Kiosks along the highway that allow groups of  businesses and third parties to advertise farm product sales locations. Chair Pendergraft said the board will make a decision using “best wisdom” but that the sign bylaw will remain in some form.

Director Patton told the meeting that the intent of the meeting was to hear the views of the people and agreed the present sign bylaw could be re-written. Farmers said signage is needed to keep viable in a short season and all government levels should concentrate on allowing businesses to market their products and not put up more roadblocks.

Good suggestions – define what a sign is and regulate and encourage colourful professional ones. Greg Thorpe who has several signs on the property of others (third party) says jobs are a stake. Farmers and others are being discriminated against, says Thorp, – while large billboards are allowed on federal land and even American corporations are advertising north of Okanagan Falls.

James Moore has two business on Road 6 off the highway and he wants the right to tell visitors to the area how to get to his u-pick and B and B. He received loud applause when he said “the whole room is filled with hard working people who have made the South Okanagan what it is” and they are the same people who need signs on the highway.

Pinder Dhaliwal stated the safety issue is a smokescreen with no data or research and “it just doesn’t add up” with Randy Toor stating that wineries and businesses off the highway need as much help as possible – that professional signage should be encourage and allowed.

Fred Steele, President of the BCFGA, attended the meeting coming from Kelowna. Steele says find a compromise. Put everyone on equal footing: off Highway businesses, those on Highway 97 and the signs on Federal land.