Too big and unsightly’: Two Toronto councillors ask city to replace signs for Alcohol in Parks pilot with smaller ones

Cp24.com
Aug. 14, 2023
Joanna Lavoie

Two Toronto councillors are saying that the large-scale signs the city has chosen to use for its ‘Alcohol in Parks’ pilot program are “too big and unsightly” and want to see them removed and replaced with “appropriately scaled signage.”

Councillors Paula Fletcher and Alejandra Bravo made this request in an Aug. 10 letter to Howie Dayton, the City of Toronto’s Acting Manager of Parks and Recreation.

The signage in question measures four-by-six feet and is placed inside the 27 participating parks and at their entrances.

Fletcher and Bravo said that they are both “very supportive” of this pilot program as a third of all locations fall within their two wards (Toronto-Danforth and Davenport) and said that they knew that signage would be installed identifying which parks were included in the pilot, however they also said that they were “very surprised” by the size of the signs.

“We know that the vast majority of visitors to our pilot parks will enjoy their drinks in a respectful and responsible manner, without the need for such excessive signage,” Bravo and Fletcher wrote.

They went on to say that signage for the city’s smoking by-law, which prohibits lighting up within nine metres of any playground, is small and unobtrusive, and want to see the same thing for the alcoholic beverages in parks pilot.

“Perhaps similar small signs could be used around the playgrounds rather than large billboard type signs? As well, smaller signs about the pilot near the entrances at our 9 parks would be preferred,” the councillors said.

“We have both received letter from residents who support the program but believe these signs are out of proportion with the nature of the pilot in their local parks. They appear to encourage drinking by the large Alcohol In Parks title.”

Fletcher and Bravo are asking for their proposal to be implemented by Friday, Aug. 18.

CP24.com contacted the City of Toronto for comment, but we did not receive a response by the time of publication.