Section 8(3) of the Highways and Transportation Department Act

        “No person shall

(a)     place any material or cause any material to be placed; or

(b)     carry out, build, construct, reconstruct, establish or place any works, structures, fixtures, or improvements of any kind, or cause any works, structures, fixtures or improvements of any kind to be carried out, build, constructed, reconstructed, established or placed; or

(c)     place or erect any sign, signboard or advertising device, or cause any sign, signboard or advertising device to be placed; or

(d)     plant or place any tree, shrub, bush, brush, hedge, or other object or cause any tree, shrub, bush, brush, hedge, or other object to be planted or placed; or

(e)     abandon any vehicle or equipment; or

(f)     discharge water or other liquid material into a ditch;

on a departmental road or any part thereof except in accordance with this Act or the regulations or with the written permission of the Minister.

Under the same Act, there are provisions for removal. 

The responsibility of the placement of structures, signs etc. has been mandated to the Department’s Traffic Engineering Branch, 15^th, Floor 215 Garry Street, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3C3Z1. 

 email   Glenn.Cuthbertson@gov.mb.ca

To read the entire Act click on the link below & scroll down to Section 8

The Highways and Transportation Act

FYI:  The sign companies charge $100 per month per sign yet pay nothing to the province or municipality for the use of the Highway Right of Way.  Legitimate sign companies follow the laws by getting written permission from the landowner to place their signs on private property adjacent to the highway and applying and paying for a permit from the province to put the sign up. There is a minimum 10 meter (30') buffer zone adjacent to the highway and private land where even the landowner must get permission to plant a wind break or erect a structure. That is why you see legal signs (billboards) set back, sometimes more than minimum 10 meters.

We have no problem with For Sale signs or signs for small business directing people to their location (Kanvasback Kennels have a beautiful sign).....they are not making $100.00 per month, they are just trying to promote their own rural business.

The worst offender has got to be Hal Theissen owner of AIM/Century Signs...(located at 1840 Ellice Ave.in Winnipeg) he has been on Global News and thinks the signs are not dangerous or unsightly and because of the ban he's going to lose money. How many signs do you have, let's guestimate...minimum 50 illegal signs at $100 per month = $5000 made illegally per month or $60,000 a year to mess up our highways. This guy will put a sign anywhere even in front of graveyards.

 

"The Spammers Hall Of Shame"

AIM Signs:  791-1690

Signsations:  339-5927

Hi-Lite Signs:  757-2125

Call the advertisers (ph.# on the signs) like the Criminal Record lawyer 943-0099 (who should know better) and let them know that they are encouraging illegal advertising. This approach is quite effective.

Also to the advertisers ...commuters can't see your ads on the way to and from work because it is dark at 7am. and 5 pm. during winter months. You're wasting your money as well as getting a bad reputation for advertising on these signs.

There are no signs that we know of in East St. Paul where they have municipal police enforcing a by-law. 

Call the sign companies and advertisers and let them know how you feel. Call your municipality. There's probably a by-law that's not being enforced. Call your MLA.

Spring Offensive Starts:  March 19/08

We have handed this file over to the Conservative opposition and Provincial Ombudsman in the hope that they can get more answers than we have. Next move will be to try and get the media involved again (Richard Cloutier from CJOB, Global TV, the Winnipeg Free Press and Selkirk Journal) all of whom did stories on "Highway Spam". You can help by calling/emailing the sign companies, the advertisers, Highways and Infrastructure and your MLA and let them know these signs are unacceptable. 

On CJOB's Town Hall Meeting with Premier Gary Doer, Tuesday June 3/08 at 11:00 a.m. the premier promised to personally look into the situation at Lower Fort Garry and Ed Huck's property and have the signs removed. If you go to www.cjob.com and go to the audio vault you can hear what he had to say. By the way he kept his word.

There are several signs from the perimeter Hwy. to Lockport on Hwy 9;  on McPhillips north of  the perimeter, on Hwy 15 at the floodway; Hwy #1 east from Plessis to the Perimeter Hwy. there are at least 12 signs in a row (on the north side); Hwy. 206 to Garvin Road; Sturgeon Road and Inkster...what a mess! It goes on and on.

 

 Still there

Inkster Blvd. and Sturgeon Road.....does anyone think this looks acceptable?