Wednesday, June 27th, 2007 ::: Before and After

“Billboards are a gateway drug for public relations”
-HiMY SYeD

Congrats goes out to Toronto Public Space Committee operative Jonathan Goldsbie for destroying one of Pattison’s illegal ground signs at 4155 Yonge Street.

Here’s what the illegal signs looked like last week:

The sign on the left, advertising Woodbine, has no permit. The sign on the right, Hankook, has a permit for a posterboard whereas a tri-vision has been erected.

Last month, North York Community Council considered this variance application for a Pattison roof sign at 3344 Yonge Street. Approval of the sign was strongly supported by the local ward councillor, Karen Stintz. Goldsbie then gave a strong deputation concerning the illegal sign Pattison was operating at 4511 Yonge. In response to Goldsbie’s deputation, NYCC asked staff to report on the illegal 4511 sign for yesterday’s meeting.

This resulted in Pattison removing the sign in order to obtain the variance for 3344 Yonge Street. Read Sid Catalano’s letter to the Buildings Department:

Of course, Sid was wrong when he said the back to back ground sign was legally permitted; in fact the tri-vision represents an unlawful alteration of the permitted sign. But Sid did have the illegal ground sign removed. This is what it looks like today:

This is what is left of the sign:

The removal of this billboard earned Pattison no credit at North York Community Council. Not only did NY CC reject the variance for the proposed roof sign at 3344 Yonge Street but most importantly it ordered, under a Howard Moscoe motion, an investigation into Pattison’s illegal 10′ X 40′ billboards pursuant to a deputation made by IllegalSigns.ca. A trifecta of public space zen. Then, as Mr. Goldsbie and I left North York Civic Centre by car, what was playing on the radio but Five Man Electrical Band’s “Signs.” A rather nice end to the day.

For the record, the following City Councillors voted to reject the variance:

Maria Augimeri
Anthony Perruzza
Shelley Carroll
Cliff Jenkins
Howard Moscoe
John Parker
David Shiner

And these three voted to grant the variance:

Mike Feldman
Denzil Minnan-Wong
Karen Stintz

Meanwhile, on Howard Moscoe’s motion to ask the Buildings Department to investigate illegal Astral and Pattison roof signs in North York, Mike Feldman switched his vote to the good side. Mike’s a cool dude.

John Filion was absent.

Better luck next time, Sid. Try putting up some more signs along the Niagara Escarpment Sid, we’d have to drive a fair bit.

We are currently working to get the law enforced against the illegal tri-vision at 4155 Yonge.

Jim Pattison is a big supporter of Woodbine Racetrack and most of Woodbine’s outdoor advertising is done with Pattison signs. The $2,000,000 Pattison Canadian International, a horse race that now attracts the world’s major trainers, used to be called the Rothmans International; so, not much of an improvement in corporate ethics. Pattison’s tri-vision billboards on Woodbine Racetrack property at Highway 27 and Rexdale Boulevard must be used for first party use.