hank you for the opportunity…

hank you for the opportunity to comment on this very important issue .

I am in the tourism business in the Haliburton Highlands - working hard to attract domestic and international travelers to our area and to Ontario to enjoy and experience our forest landscapes and vast water assets. Tourism is the biggest industry in many parts of Ontario. Use of our scenic roadways is being promoted to road trippers, cyclists and motorcyclists. The signage issue is one of the biggest issues facing tourism

In the last few years, a proliferation of commercial signs have been erected along our hwy 35 and 118 corridors. This in addition to the regulatory and TODDs . The result is visual pollution which is objectionable and interferes with everyone's enjoyment of our area. Signs that promote our tourism resources and for wayfinding purposes are important . SIgns promoting other types of products and services, (e.g. water pumps and insurance). The signage must be consistent in appearance and quality.

I also coordinate a major event on a weekend in September which brings thousands of people to the area

My suggestions for improvement are
- end the current policy of allowing commercial third party signs at regular intervals along highways
- use the TODD signage system more effectively to promote more tourism business.
- relax the requirements somewhat for temporary signage for significant community events
- provide evidence that commercial road signage is critical in these days of marketing via web sites and social media

Thanks again the opportunity to comment I look forward to seeing some changes to the current policy

[Original Comment ID: 205375]