Ron Ethier, owner of Superior Trades in Oliver, was ordered by a bylaw officer to take down a banner reading “Yes Freedon – No National Park.” The banner used to hang above the shop’s front window. (Dan Walton / Aberdeen Publishing)
By Dan Walton
Aberdeen Publishing
The owner of Superior Trades on Main Street was told to take down the banner reading “Yes Freedom – No National Park” on his Main Street business.
Ron Ethier had the sign up for about a year until last Friday, when a bylaw officer told him it had to come down or he would be subject to a fine. Although he complied, he was surprised that such a rule could exist in Canada.
The banner was in violation of a bylaw which states “any Sign which identifies a business incorrectly …” is “declared a nuisance and unsightly, and are prohibited pursuant to the Municipal Act.”
Ethier would have been subject to a $100 fine had he not taken the sign down.
Corporate officer Diane Vaykovich said the action was taken in response to a complaint, and that two other business owners were given the same warning last week.
Ethier suspects the decision was politically motivated.
“They’re trying to push the park through whether we like it or not,” he said. “This is where we are in this country.”
