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Richmond Signage Bylaw Addresses Recent Language Concerns

Richmond Signs

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Richmond’s new signage regulations have been passed and are now in effect.

Effective July 11, 2017, the city of Richmond has approved a new Sign Bylaw that will outline the regulations related to signage, introduce permit fees, increase education and enforcement, and address concerns about visual and clutter pollution.

While the new bylaw does not have a direct stipulation regarding English content on signs, as the council felt that it would be in violation of The Charter of Rights and Freedoms, they have stipulated a preference for signs to have roughly 50% English content on any new signs.

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So far they have encountered total compliance with the language preference since the outreach program was instituted back in 2015. It appears businesses are more than willing to co-operate with the city in order to reach an agreement on what is appropriate and mutually beneficial.

The overall goal of the new bylaw is modernity: the look of a sign should be clear, clean, tasteful, and easy to comprehend. While the city does not want to instruct people on exactly what they may or may not have on their signs, it also recognizes the visual impact signage has on the landscape.

Moreover, the city was receiving a multitude of complaints regarding language on its signage as well as their overall appearance. With less of the new signs being written in English, people are concerned that Richmond is losing some of its identity.

Interestingly, while over half of Richmond’s population is Chinese, a city audit concluded that only about 3% of the city’s signs were in a Chinese language only.

A permanent sign inspector has been hired to oversee that signage regulations are being met and maintained with all new signs in the city.

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