‘It’s limiting my freedom:’ pro-public education sign on lawn contravenes Vaughan bylaw

One professor: ‘This is a violation if charter protected rights of free expression’

Yorkregion.com
November 5, 2019
Dina Al-Shibeeb

Vito Totino’s blue sign on his law, which reads, “I support publicly funded education,” is deemed problematic to the city of Vaughan.

However, after a complaint, Totino received a letter Oct. 25 from the city saying that the sign is in contravention of a city bylaw.

A section of the bylaw says, “no person shall erect, display, repair or alter a sign, or permit the erection, display, repair or alteration of a sign unless a permit is obtained therefore.”

It's no surprise that the letter described how the city “prohibits” anyone from erecting a sign without first obtaining a signed permit.

However, for Totino, “It’s limiting my freedom of expression.” He further said how the bylaw considers it as an “advertisement, whereas, am arguing it’s public information which their bylaw protects.”

In response to the Vaughan Citizen, the city said, “The homeowner has also been in contact with the city’s bylaw and Compliance department. An enforcement officer has explained why the sign was not permitted directly to the resident.”

But for Totino, he wants to reach a "resolution," and he expressed that on Twitter.

Totino’s sentiment isn’t odd or unjustified.

Greg Albo, associate professor at York University, says, “In my general view, this is a violation of charter protected rights of free expression.”

He added, “ It is on people’s own property, does not constitute a hazard or distraction to anyone, there is no hate speech.”

Albo further elaborated how the sign pertains to the “public expression of a political viewpoint with respect to an important public issue being widely discussed.”

He also said that the sign would help with “public engagement that would seem essential to free expression and democratic practice.”

The Tory cuts on education have not only sparked provincewide protests, but are unleashing a domino effect of education unions voting in favour of a strike.

The professor further describe how this sign is “far less an intrusion or public hazard than the street advertising that proliferates around the GTA, including Vaughan.”

“It makes no sense that the former is sanctioned and the latter allowed and even encouraged.”

Even if a city is allowed to regulate signage, “this is a regulatory practice if applied to political signage that any municipality should be scrapping