No plans to copy Dieppe's sign law
Published Saturday November 28th, 2009
CAMPBELLTON - While the City of Dieppe has already gone through first reading of a controversial bylaw that will require commercial establishments to post signs that are either bilingual or French-only, there are no such plans here for the time being.
After years of debate and growing public pressure, Dieppe is moving to introduce a bylaw requiring French wording on all commercial signs. The bylaw was given first reading earlier this month.
The bylaw could be in effect as early as January. It would be the first of its kind in the province.
"I think it was an important decision and I wouldn't classify it as a difficult decision," Mayor Jean LeBlanc of Dieppe told the Telegaph-Journal earlier this month.
"Any time you touch on language and on culture it becomes a very sensitive and important issue. Not only do we move the ball forward in regard to the language landscape, but we do so in a progressive and respectful manner."
The proposed bylaw states that all new signs or changes to signs must be in both French and English, or in French only. If the sign is both English and French, the typeface, size and style of the text must be the same in each language.
Objections must be heard by council by Jan. 18. The proposed bylaw will also be sent to the Greater Moncton Planning Commission for review. It will then have to go through second and third readings.
The bylaw would apply only to new signs. Dieppe has a program in place to help subsidize businesses that wish to alter existing English-only signs.
"What we want to do is promote the visual landscape to reflect the language of the majority of its citizens," LeBlanc told the Telegraph-Journal.
The new bylaw came about after Martin LeBlanc-Rioux, a Dieppe resident studying law at McGill University, drafted a petition calling for a city bylaw to ensure all business signs include French.
This was supported by French-language groups which demanded the bylaw change.
Raymond Lagace, mayor of Atholville, said that there are currently no plans for a similar bylaw in his village, which is home to the Sugarloaf Mall, Atlantic Superstore, WalMart, Canadian Tire, Kent, and several large car dealerships.
He said, however, that the municipal council of the overwhelmingly Francophone village would be receptive to any presentation calling for a bylaw similar to Dieppe's.
"We would do the same as Dieppe, most possibly."
Lagace said that most of the signs in the village are bilingual already.
Mayor Bruce MacIntosh of Campbellton said much the same thing.
"First of all, we've never been approached by any groups. I think Dieppe only came out with that sign bylaw a couple of weeks ago. I guess everybody was sitting back waiting to see what they were going to do and how they were going to do it," said MacIntosh, who noted that Dieppe's bylaw will only apply to new signage.
"It would be costly if existing signs had to be replaced," he said.
"Most of the stores here already have bilingual signs. At the end of the day, we would certainly deal with any request if that were to be brought to city council."
MacIntosh said that city-owned facilities post bilingual signs. He said that it is likely the city would get input from groups like the Campbellton Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Campbellton Business Improvement Corporation on any commercial sign language proposal.
Mayor Clem Tremblay of Dalhousie said that the language of signs isn't his council's number one priority at this time.
He admitted that they had not taken time to discuss the issue but added that if a company wanted to come to Dalhousie and hire 50, 75 or 100 people, it would be welcomed regardless of its language.
Tremblay said that the signs that are now in place are "pretty well bilingual" and that, if the council has to, it will examine the matter.
Tremblay said that, with its rapidly shrinking tax base and the need to come up with a reasonable budget and tax rate for 2010, the town has more pressing, matters on its hands.
New Brunswick municipalities are limited by the Municipalities Act as to the scope of the bylaws they can pass. Moreover, they are also subject to constitutional and human rights law. Asked if the province has considered the legality of Dieppe's proposed bylaw, Mark Barbour of the Department of Local Government said on Monday that department staff is currently studying that very issue. He would offer no comment until the legal review is completed.
- With files from Bill Clarke and Adam Huras
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1) the petition that was used to justify the new bylaw was signed by 4,000 people and not 5,000 as previously reported and of these 4,000 only 2,000 were Dieppe residents
2) there are 5,000 Anglophone residents in Dieppe (according to Stats Can) so Dieppe is NOT a purely Francophone city
3) at the meeting Acadian special interest and lobby groups formed the bulk of the attendees - most of these people were not even Dieppe residents
4) I am an Anglophone Dieppe resident and I oppose a law that negates my rights to my Official language and my culture while favouring the other Official language of Canada & NB.
Fair is fair - if we are talking about the rights of a minority here then in Dieppe that means the Anglophone community!