FortisBC wants Kelowna to stop hanging banners and other decorations from its power poles.
Many Okanagan communities spruce up their downtown areas by decorating their utility poles but FortisBC says banners are a potential safety hazard.
“This is a policy that FortisBC has always had in place,” said company spokesperson Neal Pobran. “We don’t allow signage or banners on any of the power poles that we maintain or that we own.”
Although Kelowna operates its own utility company, including power poles, maintenance is carried out by Fortis.
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“If someone has to climb a pole and there are banners flying around, it could be a safety concern,” Pobran said.
The decision by FortisBC took the city completely by surprise. Kelowna Mayor Walter Gray is hoping to find a compromise solution.
The mayor thinks the downtown will be a much less colourful place if the city is not able to hang banners, flower baskets or Christmas decorations from power poles.
“I worry a bit that Fortis is going to look like the Grinch that stole Christmas,” Gray said.
Charitable organizations like the Kelowna Food Bank have used large banners hanging from the power poles to promote its various campaigns for years.
The banner ban took the food bank by surprise. The organization believes its banner doesn’t pose a hazard to workers or the general public, and it would like to see the ban overturned.
“The banners have been hung for many years and we’re not aware of any safety incidents,” said Vonnie Lavers with the Kelowna Food Bank.
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