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Orangeville takes further steps toward modernized sign bylaw

June 24, 2026   ·   0 Comments

By JAMES MATTHEWS

Change that happens over time demands tweaks and, well, changes in legislation to accommodate that growth.

It’s the same for some municipal bylaws.

Orangeville’s sign bylaw was adopted in 2013 and has been amended seven times since. James Bramley, the town’s licensing and bylaw enforcement supervisor, walked council through what could be the eighth iteration of the legislation during a June 22 public meeting.

“While the existing bylaw has generally functioned well, the accumulation of amendments has resulted in a document that can be difficult to navigate and administer,” he said.

The proposed bylaw consolidates these amendments into a single, modernized document to improve clarity, consistency, and ease of use for residents, businesses, applicants, and staff, he said.

The proposed regulation maintains the town’s ability to regulate signage in a manner that protects public safety, supports community appearance, and preserves the character of the Heritage Sign Special Policy District.

Key amendments include reorganizing the bylaw by sign type, introducing legal non-conforming sign provisions, modernizing administrative and enforcement processes, updating definitions, supporting community events through new exemptions, and clarifying permitted and prohibited signs.

Bramley said feedback was implemented from municipal staff, council committees, and local interest groups. Also taken into account were current legislation, case law, Charter requirements, and municipal best practices.

The statutory public meeting was held to extend reach for feedback and mine the comments of council, stakeholders, and the public, he said.

What’s interesting is that signage is protected by federal legislation, the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, as a form of expression.

“This means municipalities cannot prohibit signs simply because they disagree with the particular opinion, message, or viewpoint,” Bramley said.

But the style and size, placement and location, and acceptable diction of signage can be regulated by a municipality.

“Sign bylaws are generally designed to regulate objective factors,” Bramley said.

He told council the goal of the bylaw’s update was not to regulate legal self-expression.

The proposed changes incorporate simplification through a reorganization of type, location, and permitted signs by zone.

“Signs that were lawfully erected prior to the implementation of the new bylaw may continue to remain even if they do not fully comply to the updated regulations,” Bramley said. “However, those signs must continue to be maintained in a safe condition, cannot be expanded, relocated, structurally altered, or replaced with another non-compliant sign.”

Enforcement-wise, the changes set out clear parameters regarding inspection authority and provide clarity of the town’s ability to inspect properties for compliance, he said.

Councillor Debbie Sherwood said blade signs should be included in the amended bylaw, particularly in heritage districts. And she broached the question as to whether or not an artistic mural is a sign.

“They are starting to become a bit of a problem,” Sherwood said. “They might look lovely, but if they start putting them on a heritage building and affecting … the characteristic of the historical building, we have a problem.”

Bramley said the focus of a sign bylaw is signage.

“We define what signs are in relation to advertising for businesses, information, and such,” he said.

Murals don’t fit the definition of a sign.

“We don’t want to start permitting different categorized items under this bylaw when they’re already represented under something else (bylaw),” Bramley said

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