The Kelowna business landscape is about to change – at least when it comes to portable signs.
The trigger is a new city order, which was unanimously passed on Monday evening.
Kelowna City Council and staff hope to take action against the numerous temporary business signs that appear to have become a permanent fixture across the city.
“If you look at some of our main corridors, they’re everywhere,” said Colin Basran, Kelowna mayor.
But some business owners say removing their signs will affect their bottom line.
“It’s a big impact for us without a shield,” said Jiffy Lube owner Colin Friess.
Just down the street at the Premium Oil Change Center, owner Doug Wood says the raid could force him to fire two of his favorite employees.
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“Patty and Penny,” said Wood.
Patty and Penny are two mannequins Doug uses to attract customers; He tells customers who do business that he has to stay in business.
“There are a lot of big companies that do oil changes and I’m local and independent so we have to be creative,” said Wood.
However, the end result for the city of Kelowna is different.
“Ultimately, there has been a proliferation of portable signs. The people didn’t follow the rules and a lot of them are there illegally and we had to crack down on them
and make our city look a little better, ”said Basran
So while the city is trying to strike a balance between business and beauty, as a business owner with a temporary business sign outside, you should be prepared for a temporary visit from a statutory officer to verify compliance.
