News pages

Letters to the Editor / November 12, 2004

Illegal posters ruin Ottawa’s ‘beauty’
“Beyond a Reasonable Doubt – A Community on Trial,” Oct. 29 Gordie Wornoff had some rather interesting photographs in his photo essay, but I wonder if he realized, or was aware the photograph he took of the “Squatters-On-Trial” flyer was just another example of the illegal postering that this activist group has committed in Ottawa. If your journalistic staff were to take a walk through the downtown core, they would see the “Squatters-On-Trial” flyers pasted on Canada Post mail boxes, and traffic light electrical boxes. Their flyers were also pasted on the glass walls of OC Transpo bus shelters. Under the current City of Ottawa postering bylaws, postering in the downtown core, Confederation Route and the Byward Market is to be conducted on the poster collars that the city has installed throughout many parts of Ottawa for postering purposes. Postering is prohibited within 200 metres of that collar and posters are not to be posted on utility poles in close proximity to poster collars. The number of flyers that can be posted is one and flyers can only be taped, not pasted on public property. Over the past six to eight years, all levels of postering groups have shown an appalling lack of respect for the entire downtown community and it is very clear by their actions, that they don’t give a damn that their excessive and often illegal postering, has turned many areas of Ottawa into an ugly, filthy paper eyesore. While anti-poverty activists may feel that they have a just cause against “society at large”, wanton vandalism on public property is not the route to go.. I am not against anyone postering a flyer on public property that has been designed for it, but many groups have abused the right to poster at the expense of the beauty of our fair city and national capital. I still fail to understand why your newspaper has not produced any articles on the postering problems in Centretown and how it has tarnished the clean/beautiful image our city used to have. I also do not understand why your newspaper has not produced an article on the long-term effects that the late night weekend noise problems associated with Elgin Street bar patrons has had on the Centretown community. David A. Blackman, Metcalfe Street

Illegal posters ruin Ottawa’s ‘beauty’

“Beyond a Reasonable Doubt – A Community on Trial,” Oct. 29
Gordie Wornoff had some rather interesting photographs in his photo essay, but I wonder if he realized, or was aware the photograph he took of the “Squatters-On-Trial” flyer was just another example of the illegal postering that this activist group has committed in Ottawa.
If your journalistic staff were to take a walk through the downtown core, they would see the “Squatters-On-Trial” flyers pasted on Canada Post mail boxes, and traffic light electrical boxes. Their flyers were also pasted on the glass walls of OC Transpo bus shelters.
Under the current City of Ottawa postering bylaws, postering in the downtown core, Confederation Route and the Byward Market is to be conducted on the poster collars that the city has installed throughout many parts of Ottawa for postering purposes.
Postering is prohibited within 200 metres of that collar and posters are not to be posted on utility poles in close proximity to poster collars. The number of flyers that can be posted is one and flyers can only be taped, not pasted on public property.
Over the past six to eight years, all levels of postering groups have shown an appalling lack of respect for the entire downtown community and it is very clear by their actions, that they don’t give a damn that their excessive and often illegal postering, has turned many areas of Ottawa into an ugly, filthy paper eyesore.
While anti-poverty activists may feel that they have a just cause against “society at large”, wanton vandalism on public property is not the route to go..
I am not against anyone postering a flyer on public property that has been designed for it, but many groups have abused the right to poster at the expense of the beauty of our fair city and national capital.
I still fail to understand why your newspaper has not produced any articles on the postering problems in Centretown and how it has tarnished the clean/beautiful image our city used to have. I also do not understand why your newspaper has not produced an article on the long-term effects that the late night weekend noise problems associated with Elgin Street bar patrons has had on the Centretown community.

David A. Blackman,
Metcalfe Street

News coverage praised
I don’t usually write letters to newspapers, but a word of appreciation for the great coverage you provide of the Centretown area for your readers. I don’t live in Centretown myself but I pick up the paper whenever I can because often your stories are of interest to others too. You consistently do a better job of covering the community than either of the two daily newspapers. Your stories generally are well written and the photography is excellent. Especially interesting was the photo essay about the squatters. The portrait of Max Keeping was well timed and Hayley Conole’s Insight piece on Halloween provided an interesting perspective. Keep up the good work. Robert Boteler, Chapel Street

News coverage praised

I don’t usually write letters to newspapers, but a word of appreciation for the great coverage you provide of the Centretown area for your readers.
I don’t live in Centretown myself but I pick up the paper whenever I can because often your stories are of interest to others too.
You consistently do a better job of covering the community than either of the two daily newspapers. Your stories generally are well written and the photography is excellent.
Especially interesting was the photo essay about the squatters. The portrait of Max Keeping was well timed and Hayley Conole’s Insight piece on Halloween provided an interesting perspective. Keep up the good work.

Robert Boteler,
Chapel Street