There have been a number of serious concerns expressed with a recent set of bylaws passed by Council related to the 2010 Winter Games. I would like to clear up some of these misconceptions, as there is no intent from the City of Vancouver to stifle or limit the freedoms guaranteed all Canadians by the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Hosting a major event like the Olympics or Paralympics has a number of challenges. One of the newest ones is ‘ambush marketing,’ whereby companies put up signage on buildings, hand out leaflets, or set up booths to distribute free products, without getting the proper licenses from the city.
Not only is ambush marketing illegal, it also has the potential to cause big problems by creating massive amounts of waste, with leaflets and free products left all over the streets.
To counter this, city council passed a set of by-laws that would allow officials to remove illegal commercial signage more quickly than normal during the Games period. Right now, it takes several days, if not weeks, to do so.
For the past several weeks, many people have argued that the laws allow police to kick down your door and come into your home, take down anti-Olympics signs, ban protests, and muzzle free speech. This is flat-out wrong.
As Vancouver Police Chief Jim Chu said himself: “we are not the sign police.”
That being said, we are taking a number of steps to reassure our citizens that the by-laws will not infringe on free speech. In November, city staff will be reporting back with strengthened wording to make it very clear that unsanctioned commercial advertising is the target, not legitimate political expression.  There will be clear public guidelines on how city bylaw officers will enforce the bylaws during the games, and a possible reduction in the period in which the bylaws will apply.
There is no danger of incarceration for infractions, nor is there any possibility that unlawful entry into homes or businesses will occur.  As I mentioned last week, the City
of Vancouver removed the possibility of jail penalties from our bylaws over ten years ago – and that’s not going to change.
Citizens can rest assured that council’s commitment to the Canadian Charter is without question, and we’re doing all we can to ensure that the proper safeguards are in place. I encourage people to voice their concerns directly to council to ensure that we achieve as balanced an approach as possible, so that we can all enjoy a successful Games.