Signage on Highway Rights-of-way (February 17)
Mr. Kang: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yesterday the minister said that only one antinuclear sign in Peace River was inappropriately taken down, but according to other accounts many signs were on private property and were specifically targeted while real estate signs were left alone.
To the Minister of Transportation: would the minister explain this, please?
Mr. Ouellette: Mr. Speaker, all I can explain is that I think we have a good policy to keep people safe in Alberta. I know that our policy states that if signs are improperly placed in road allowances, our maintenance contractors are forced to take them down. As far as actually knowing exactly what that maintenance contractor did, I’m trying to find all that information out. I can tell you that there was one sign that definitely was taken down that was on private property, and we built that private property owner a new sign.
The Speaker: The hon. member.
Mr. Kang: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I don’t think those signs were emitting any radiation so that they were not safe for the public. To the minister again: will the minister clear up the confusion and table the instructions Alberta Transportation gave to the contractor about removing antinuclear signs?
Mr. Ouellette: Mr. Speaker, I’m under the impression here that everything that I’ve questioned on this – what was given as a direction from our department was to make sure that people are compliant and follow the rules. The rules are there to keep all of our travelling public safe.
The Speaker: The hon. member.
Mr. Kang: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Why are those rules only for antinuclear signs? To the minister again. If taking down private signs is a matter of safety, then signs across the province should be taken down. Could the minister please tell us how many signs on private property are pulled down annually throughout the province?
Mr. Ouellette: Mr. Speaker, on private property probably or hopefully very, very few. There should be none. We do send out letters to everybody that’s within our 300-metre zone, even though it’s private, and say: “You’re not compliant with the law. Please remove the signs.” We don’t go in and remove them ourselves.
Alberta Hansard, February 17, 2010