The Manitoba election is in full swing and campaign signs are going up across the city.
But those signs are becoming an issue for some drivers in East Kildonan.
Local resident Bill Johnson says drivers aren’t able to see oncoming traffic while trying to turn onto or cross parts of Henderson Highway because election signs block their view.
“When you pull up, you can’t see anything … those signs block all three lanes,” said Johnson, pointing to signs for NDP candidate Jim Maloway that are raised on wooden stakes at the corner of Henderson Highway and Neil Avenue.
“Steadily, you’re trying to creep up and creep up and by the time you’re able to see, you’re already into Henderson Highway.”
And it appears it’s not just Johnson who is irked by campaign signs this election.
Alison Mitchell from Elections Manitoba said her office is already receiving calls on a daily basis with complaints about election signs.
But there’s not much Elections Manitoba can do about it, she added.
“The election legislation doesn’t speak to size of signage, it’s really just the authorization that we’re looking at and of course the overall spending on election signs,” she said.
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“As far as obscuring traffic or how big the sign is, that’s not something we can do anything about.”
Those sorts of complaints are better made with the city, said Mitchell.
The City of Winnipeg’s Neighbourhood Liveability by-law says lawn signs need to be less than metre tall and can’t be placed within 30 metres of an intersection.
Johnson said he reached out to Maloway’s campaign to request the signs be removed, but said he was told they won’t be taken down.
“I’ve lived here for ten years and this is the third time I’ve called to have signs moved back so that we can see clearly,” he said.
“How does it hurt to have the sign six or eight-feet back — all of Henderson Highway is plastered with them already.”
When reached by Global News Tuesday Maloway said all of his election signs are on private property and fit within the city’s bylaws.
He said he has no plans on taking the signs down.
“Why would we? It’s fully within the law,” he said.
“We’ve tested it ourselves … from where you are actually at the stop sign you can see clearly.
“This is nothing new, it happens every election campaign.”
–With files from Marek Tkach
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