By Pepper Parr
May 6, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
Revised: May 8th, 2010
Late in April Jennifer Soukup writes the Mayor. She is unhappy with what the bylaw enforcement people are doing to her.
Jennifer Soukup expects city hall to do something about the sign bylaw – she went to the very top expecting help. His Worship doesn’t have her vote yet.
Jennifer operates Boston Fish and Chips, located on Guelph Line just a bi south of Dundas. She has been there for more than six years and has a consistent walk in trade – regulars that come in because they like the prices and the service. Jennifer is chatty and remembers her customers.
Mr. Rick Goldring-
I have owned a small fish and chip shop in the Guelph line and Dundas street area for the past six and a half years. I use a sign that’s small to attract traffic. Subway has recently moved into our plaza and puts a flag out as well; and also a beauty parlour. While I was away I had the by law officer take my sign and give it to one of my girls saying the city doesn’t want there to be signs out because it looks messy. That we are able to rent signs for 45 days a year. (Three two week periods a year). What about the other 325 days? How is that acceptable?
I depend on that sign. I hire people from the community to work at my restaurant. It’s shocking to me that we have to pay to advertise for only three two week periods. A magnet sign costs three hundred dollars for 2 weeks. Ask Al at Magnet signs. His phone number is 905.332.5291. To advertise in the Burlington post is almost 800 dollars for a half page ad one advertisement. The city allows all of the franchises to advertise. Drive down Guelph line and upper middle and there’s a huge billboard for McDonald’s. All of the traffic in the summer is directed to every weekend down by the lake, billboards up for sound of music, lobster and beer fest all hung around the MM robinson school fences. So tell me how is this fair? I work ten to twelve hours a day, I pay my taxes, my business permit, and I volunteer, I help the Ronald mc Donald charity in Hamilton by doing food drives and give back to other local charities. Why am I not allowed the same as all the other franchises? It’s extremely unfair. You don’t want it to look messy huh? Well I think all the attention put towards the downtown core and “the community” looks messy. It’s a garbage excuse that’s what it is. The by law officer, even said he feels bad because he has to sit in his truck all day and take signs away from people who work really hard.
I don’t know how many more hours you’d like me to work to be able to pay for all the advertising you’d like us to be able to afford, but your suggestions are welcomed. Perhaps 24 hours a day would be good enough, I am not quite sure.
Gator Ted’s just opened a new bar and they’ve had a huge billboard up for about 4 months advertising their new restaurant Barra Fion. No one has said anything to them. Fion McCools on Appleby and upper middle has billboards out and no one says anything to them either. The list is endless and perhaps one day when all the small businesses aren’t around anymore, you can sit and reflect on why. I understand that rules are rules, but sometimes they need to be changed. Small businesses make up a lot of Burlington, and I see fewer and fewer each day. Makes me sad to work in a community where no one stands up for small businesses and signs look messy. What sort of a community are we? -Jennifer Soukup.
On May 2, 2016, at 4:23 PM, His Worship responds:
I appreciate you taking time to write and share your concerns regarding signage to promote your business. It is my understanding that somebody from our by-law enforcement staff has connected with you and provided reasonable signage suggestions to you. Could you please advise me where you are with your specific concerns? Are you comfortable with the discussion you have had with city staff?
At 7:31 PM the same day Jennifer Soukup responds – they are now on a first name basis:
A smile comes with those Fish and Chips.
Hi Rick-
Thanks for writing me.
My concerns are as follows:
I’m in a plaza on Guelph line and Dundas, pretty far from the street. People drive past but don’t really see me.
I’ve been putting my sign out for the last 6.5 years that I’ve owned Boston and no one has said boo to me.
Then subway moves in and gets their sign taken away from them, so they call on another company. While that other company is getting their sign taken away mine has to as well. (He can’t just leave mine).
I spoke with the by law officer and he totally understands why I’m upset.
I started my business when I was 24, and I’ve worked really long and hard to have it. Now that my sign isn’t out there it’s not as busy. That sign is a little reminder to people that I’m here. A hello! Eat fish and chips!
My other concerns are: why is the entire downtown core allowed to have sandwich signs but we are not. Why are there banners spread around the city stating lobster fest/Ribfest etc and I can’t have one measly sign out. The bylaw officer explained to me that you make special provisions for the businesses downtown and the festivals to have signs. Why? Why are they allowed but I’m not. Who cares who has signs out. More people coming into my plaza means more possible business for me. 3 people coming to subway, maybe one person would like fries etc, etc.
The bi law officer said its complaint based only, so that means they only come if someone complains. He stated I’m allowed to have a flag and gave me the measurements etc. So I ordered one. However my landlords are not okay with me having one, so total waste of money.
My landlords are totally cool with me having a sign. They are super nice people. It’s the city that takes it. It’s even on our side of the sidewalk. I am just really frustrated with this situation in its entirety, I work so hard to do what I do.
If you drive down Appleby and Dundas street or the longos plaza on walkers, everyone has a sandwich sign. So I asked the by law officer, and he said well there are only 5 of us in the whole city.
The point of the matter is- we should all be able to have them. Or we should all not be allowed to have them. The end. No exceptions.
You can change this as well. Allow everyone to have them, or stop the bylaw officers from driving up Guelph line, as they don’t seem to drive up any other street towards Dundas.
Please please please change your provisions.
I’m trying to keep a good thing going, something that I love. I’m not trying to bother anyone; just do what I do and mind my own business. I want to be successful and that sign really helps me.
I’ll even throw in some fish and chips!
Many thanks,
His Worship gets back to Jennifer at 9:09:13 PM the same day with:
Hi Jennifer,
I will be meeting with staff and I will get back to you.
The Mayor does get back to Jennifer, he visits the shop, pops in but doesn’t take her up on the free lunch. “He stayed three minutes” said Jennifer.
So far – nothing from city hall – maybe they need more time – that’s reasonable. We will watch to see how this turns out.
Question? Where was the ward Councillor in all this?
Our interest in this situation is this – I am one of those consistent drop in for a good meal customers – she has a really neat collection of root bear soft drinks and the food portions are more than decent. We did a small article on the shop a while back – and we paid for our meal. The Boston Fish and Chip shop is one of those places that is just plain nice to go to.
We were driving north to take some pictures of a barn that is being rehabilitated for a beef operation and wanted to see how it was progressing. Lunch time and we hung a hard left at Driftwood and settled in for a good lunch and a chance to finish the Globe & Mail – when Jennifer pops out of the kitchen to tell of her visit from the Mayor.
i am concerned too about banners posted on city fences like guelph line and upper middle road by MMR. I was once told charities only and for short time and charity number had to be on the sign. I see signs months at at time no charity number at various interesections how do we get by law cops to remove them? Does seem unfair that supposedly not for profits get free ads around city if competing with legit business ie food related.
Correction needed, this area of Guelph line east to the 407 Extreme Toll Route, has been part of Ward 3 for the last two election cycles. Definitely not Blair’s territory anymore. Whoever the councillor is they are clearly unknown to either the business owner, (which are very few in Ward 3) or the Mayor.
I understand he only shows up during election cycles.
In the meantime there are numerous sandwich boards littering the sidewalks downtown and placed directly in the walking path of pedestrians, By-Law ignores those,Talk about a fair playing field.
I check out this site several times a day to make sure I catch all the breaking news. Keep up the good work Pepper.
After Ms. Soukup’s 1st letter, the Mayor asks ‘Could you please advise me where you are with your specific concerns?’
The specifics are listed in that 1st letter…
Critical reading skills should be a requirement in a City Hall position. No wonder so many poor decisions are made by Council.
sigh..
I too have had disapointments with the sign police in my business career. In my case it was in Oakville, and I was shocked at the attitude and power afforded to the sign cops. There are two sides to this issue, one being the admirable goal of not reducing our streets to sign jungles like our neighbors to the south. If anyone has experienced some American cities signage can be out of control. While the other side of this equation is business owners trying to attract customers and keep the doors open. So we can support our families and pay city taxes. All goals that the city wants to see to make our community a success.
The plan always goes off the rails when one person complains and the sign cops respond. Mr Mayor, your task is in simple terms to appease the voters to secure your future or to appease the business owners and as a result upset the small majority of complainers that every businesses and governments experiences every day. These people are not the majority they are simply the squeaky wheel and far too often the political machinery is geared to applying the most grease.
May I offer you a small peace of advice in your political travels. Before you spend our tax dollars on greasing the squeaky wheel that you carefully look at the bigger silent and more beneficial component of your community and their needs before harming the ones who make a difference.
Lastly we don’t need sign cops, we need a smart way of addressing the needs of the many.
First off we come all the way from London Ontario to Boston fish and chips. Burlington should be doing everything possible for this small business. Not only just she have an amazing spirit about her. She remebers all of her customers. We need more people like this in society. You people need to support her and relize how much she is making burlington a great place to now visit.
That is ward 3 not 6
7 -9 stores in that plaza ,if each one had an A frame sign,imagine how that would look , Play by the rules
The law should be applied fairly and evenly. If the larger establishments can have the signs without penalty, then change the law.
The draconian rules should mean the city needs to take down all its signage promoting the downtown core. They are messy and obstructive.
Do we have a ward 6 councillor ?
Boston Fish and Chips are great ! This city needs to support small business better!
Can’t wait for Oct 2018
There is a Ward 6 Councillor, Blair “M.I.A.” Lancaster.
It is one thing to elect ‘nice’ people, and Ms. Lancaster, from what I have seen, is a nice person. It would be great to have people who have the energy and time to get things done and have a vibrant vision for the City. We don’t have enough of them in this Council.
There should be term limits – 2 terms is enough. We nee new blood at City Hall – Council and staff alike.