Signage and

Community Harmony
Presented by: Cecilia Achiam
Director, Administration & Compliance
March 12, 2015

What Concerns Has the

Community Expressed?
Many signs are in languages other than
English.
Circulation of promotional materials and
advertisements that are not in English.

Together they lead to some public concern

about the need to regulate signs to include
English.
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What People See

Some signs are regulated by the Richmond
Sign Bylaw, some are not

What People See:

Advertisement/ News paper/ Promotional Material
are not regulated by Bylaw

Flyers

Advertisement
3

Free Newspaper Inserts/Ethnic

Newspapers

Authority to Regulate
The Province gave local governments the
following authority to regulate signs and other
advertising in Chapter 26 (Section 65) of the
Community Charter:
The authority of a councilmay be exercised in
relation to the erection, placing, alteration,
maintenance, demolition and removal of signs,
sign boards, advertisements, advertising devices
and structures.

Changes to bylaws are on a going forward

basis only.
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Legal Opinion on Language

Restriction
External legal opinion is that a bylaw which
imposed an English language content
requirement, whether or not in addition to
another language, would violate section 2(b)
of the Charter of Rights and Freedom (Charter)
by infringing on the right to freedom of
expression.
The City would need to establish that
compelling health, safety, economic or social
welfare objectives are at stake to justify a limit
on the Charter freedom.
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1. Richmond Sign Bylaw

(No. 5560)
Regulates the size, design and location of
exterior signage.
Some signs require a sign permit from the
City prior to installation. (e.g. business
canopy and freestanding signs).
Other signs do not require a sign permit.
(e.g. directional signs and for sale or lease
sign).

Sign Regulated by the Sign

Bylaw
Business signs on the exterior of the building
require a sign permit from the City prior to
installation.

Examples of Business Signs

Regulated by the Sign Permit

2. Election and Political Signs

(Bylaw No. 8713)
Regulates the temporary signage erected
during elections.
No sign permit is required.

3. Rezoning and Development

Permit Signs
Required as part of the rezoning and
development permit process.
These signs describe in English the location
and proposed development.

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Current State:
Signs that Do Not Need a Permit
Directional signs and for sale or lease signs
do not require a sign permit.

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Current State: Example of

Signage Not Regulated by Bylaws
Interior signs in shopping
centres.
Advertisement on bus
shelters.
Flyers/Insert/Ethnic
Newspapers.

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Analysis: Compliance
Between 2012 to February 2015, the City
issued 1118 sign permits with 50 (4.5%) in a
non-English language only.
250

200

Sum of English Only

150

Sum of Mixed Languages

100

Sum of Non-English
Languages

50

Data

Sum of
Sum of Mixed
English Only Languages
2012
243
2013
236
2014
226
2015
83
Grand Total
788

Sum of Non-English
Languages

Year
0
2012

13

2013

2014

2015

31
71
36
142
280

4
14
13
19
50

Referral from City Council from

October 27, 2014
1. staff consult with the sign
owners to encourage more use
of the English language on their
signs;

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Since December 19, 2014, 1000+

visual inspections in City Centre,
nearly 600 face to face visits
10 businesses with non-English only
signs found
Nearly 250 new sign applications
received. All businesses include
some English in their signage

Referral from City Council from

October 27, 2014
2. staff engage in a broad
public consultation on the
language on signs issue;

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Email:
signsconsult@richmond.ca
Web: www.richmond.ca/signage
Lets Talk Richmond
Notice with Business License
Renewal (1 year cycle) & New
Applications
Community Workshop on March
12, 2015 moderated by SFU
Centre for Dialogue

Referral from City Council from

October 27, 2014:
3. Referred to the Richmond
Intercultural Advisory Committee
(RIAC), the Richmond Chamber of
Commerce, the Richmond
Chinese Community Society, and
other appropriate business
associations for comment;

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Doing Business in Richmond

Brochure
Council endorsed RIAC Strategic
Plan and Work Program

Referral from City Council from

October 27, 2014 (Cont)
4. Staff compile relevant information on the
effect of the sign issue on community
harmony that would be necessary to
support adoption of a bylaw regulating
language on signs should that option be
considered in the future;

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Research paper by UBC Geography SchoolProfessor Dan Hiebert and PhD student Elanna
Nolan on Social Cohesion, Diversity and
Lessons Learned from other jurisdictions.

Referral from City Council from

October 27, 2014 (Cont)
5. staff report back to Council within 6
months on the effectiveness of the
measures for Council to determine if a
bylaw needs to be considered.

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On track to report back to Council in Spring

2015

ConclusionSo what may be the issue?

Visual
Clutter?

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What others are doing?

Surrey updated its Sign

Bylaw specifically to
address visual clutter.
Invested in outreach efforts.

20

Signage Promoting Community

Harmony

21

Todays Workshop

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Questions?

Thank you
Cecilia Achiam
Director, Administration and Compliance
cachiam@richmond.ca
604 276-4122
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