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Beautification Committee
The St. Margaret's Bay area is one of Atlantic Canada's most scenic areas. People travel from all over to visit its natural beauty and take in the scenic drive that surrounds it. These visitors and the 'experience' they derive play a significant role in all the lives of businesses and residents that make up the surrounding communities.
Recent public hearings, particularily those in response to 'by-law' changes by local development, have served to highlight significant issues with respect to that scenic beauty. One of these issues is sign pollution! There is a proliferation of signs, put up mainly by local businesses, that, in a percentage of the public's view, detract from that experience. With continued development in the area this can only get worse! This issue is heightened by the lack of adequate and enforced signage by-laws.
In response to this, the St. Margaret's Bay Chamber of Commerce Beautification (Signage) Committee is reviewing the signage options available to our local businesses and, with the input and help of all interested parties, will try to provide recommendations that meet the often conflicting needs regarding the whole issue. As part of this, we received feedback from both our membership, other local businesses and residents, in the form of an on-line survey. The results of this survey are available below.
(Update May 8, 2011)
On Monday, May 2nd the hon. Bill Estabrooks tabled provincial legislation that will authorize the province to permit local municipalities to regulate their own Signage By-Laws on roads within their boundaries that are currently regulated by the province. In effect, on basically all roads within the St. Margaret's Bay area that are currently regulated by the province, mainly routes #3 and #333, it will allow HRM to control and regulate signage in a way more in keeping with what the local community desires and to help keep the visual pollution, that many of the current signs project, to a minimum.
(Update Apr 23, 2010)
With Phase 1 completed (see below) and the Bluenose Coast's "branding study" to determine the look of common signage almost complete, The Beautification Committee has begun discussions with HRM to determine options. As all roadside signage in our area is regulated by the Province, HRM has no authority to create and enforce by-laws with respect to these signs. Tying in with some of the Community Forum results (held Apr 16th) and at the request of Councilor Peter Lund, the Mayor's Office has sent a letter to the Province to arrange a meeting between both party's legal council, local Counilors and the Minister of Transport, Bill Estabrooks, to establish the Province's approval to provide HRM the authority in this matter.
If successful, the resulting by-law changes will reflect what our committee and the community, through the Forums, deem necessary for the area.
(Update Oct 24, 2009)
Phase 1 of the Pole Sign Removal Program - Removal of 'out-of-business', derelict and non-local pole signs is now completed (from Exit 4 to end of Black Point and all of the Peggy's Cove loop).
The final stage, removal of all the rest of the pole signs, will only be done in concert with HRM's Community Visioning process and By-Law updating when we hope to have a better and more easily accessed Signage ByLaw in place as an alternative to the use of pole signs. We will keep everyone informed as we move forward.
(Update May 26 2009)
Since Jan, the committee now has particpication from the following organizations:
- SMBCC
- HABA
- Chester Municipal Chamber of Commerce (CMCC)
- St Margaret's Bay Regional Development Toursim Assoc (SMBRDTA)
- Aspotogan Heritage Trust
- Bluenose Coast
In March, the Committee submitted a joint request for $20K each for SMBCC, CMCC and SMBRDTA to Judy Streatch. It also met with the local utilities to plan a staged removal of signage attached to utility poles. This will be done in 2 phases. The first will be to remove all the signs from businesses no longer operating as well as broken and damaged signs. The second, coordinated with alternatives and by-law updates, will be to remove the remaining signs. Phase 1 is anticipated to begin late spring to early summer.
A series of articles will be coming out in the Masthead News.
Questions or concerns? Contact
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