Share additional feedback and help shape Oakville’s by-law regulating election signs

Online questionnaire is open from March 24 to April 11

Following a Council direction at the January 27, 2025 meeting, staff are engaging in additional community consultation related to election sign regulations in the Town of Oakville. The online community questionnaire, running from March 24 to April 11, is aimed at gauging public sentiment around election signs on public property.

The motion was part of 15 items referred to staff for review and to further inform the development of a new election sign by-law.

An updated election sign by-law will be presented to Council later in 2025.

Currently, election signs are regulated by the town’s Sign By-law 2018-153. The goal of a new, separate election sign by-law is to help future candidates and community members better understand and navigate the regulations of election signs for federal, provincial and municipal elections, registered third-party advertisers, and provisions for federal referendum committees. 

Learn more about the new election sign by-law by reading the January 27, 2025 staff report to Council, visiting the Sign By-law web page, or contacting Municipal Enforcement Services (MES) at enforcement@oakville.ca.

Background

• At the January 30, 2023 Council meeting, a Notice of Motion was referred to staff to consult with the community and report back, including any legal advice, on the town’s existing election sign regulations and identify where updates were warranted. As well, staff were asked to report back with options to further regulate and prohibit election signage, including third-party election signs on public property and costs of implementation.
• To help review the town’s election sign regulations and inform the development of a new by-law, MES staff engaged with the public for feedback through an online survey and public open houses at Town Hall and in each ward in March 2024.