There’s been some online discourse on rules around the application of Calgary municipal election posters to structures around the Stampede grounds.

The Calgary Party has applied roughly 6,000 election posters around Stampede Park in a guerrilla-style campaign to raise public awareness of its mayoral candidate, Brian Thiessen.

While some have questioned the legality of having the posters affixed to a light standard, it turns out they follow all City of Calgary guidelines around their use. That’s because the City of Calgary’s Temporary Signs bylaw differentiates between signs (self-supporting), and posters (non-self-supporting). Some people have also posted concerns about the litter if the signs are ripped from the light poles, or that they have been put up in playground and school zones.

According to the City of Calgary, the posters are allowed on light standards.

“Under Calgary’s Temporary Signs Bylaw, posters are permitted on unpainted street poles if they meet the provisions below, including being attached with clear adhesive tape as per 5(2)(b),” read an emailed response.

The posters mustn’t exceed 0.12 square metres and be constructed of non-rigid material. There must also only be one poster, per owner placed on the street light pole, the city bylaw states. The poster also can’t be within 150 metres of a poster board.

The posters are also supposed to follow other rules the same as signs, including proximity to crosswalks or similar signs, plus prohibitions on posting them in playground or schools zones.

Stephen Carter with the Calgary Party said that election signs aren’t just allowed during the election period, which is from the close of nominations (noon on Sept. 22) until the Oct. 20 election date. They’re allowed at any time, provided they follow the rules.

The primary difference between the two periods is that these signs are only allowed to be affixed for 14 days, then they must be taken down.

Carter said the signs went up on June 30 and will stay for two weeks – essentially until the end of the Calgary Stampede. More than 1.3 million are expected to go through the gates at this year’s Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth.

“We took the opportunity to celebrate Stampede and put up some posters,” Carter told LWC.

Carter said the 8×24-inch posters fully comply with the City of Calgary’s temporary sign guidelines, even for election signage.

“The rules are the rules. There’s no getting around them,” he said.

“They’ve written a rule; election signs can go up outside of the writ. It’s just that they can only go up for two weeks, and they have to have certain information printed upon them.”

Carter said that it was a big logistical challenge to get the thousands of signs in place, and it will be an equally big chore to take them down post-Stampede. He said it’s worth the effort.

“We’ve already done three or four different Stampede events,” he said.

“We haven’t even got to Stampede yet, and everybody’s talking about the signs, so I’m super thrilled.”

Posters not removed within the 14 days are subject to a maximum $300 fine per infraction.

The Calgary Stampede goes from July 4 to 13.