The Corporation of the Town of Petawawa
Sign By-law No. 1573/23
April 2023
(Town of Petawawa Seal) TOWN OF PETAWAWA
1865
(Page 2)
Being a By-Law Prohibiting or Regulating Signs and Any Other Advertising Devices within the Town of Petawawa
WHEREAS authority is granted to the Municipality pursuant to Part II, Section 11 (3) of the Municipal Act, R.S.O. 2001, to enact by-laws for prohibiting and regulating signs; and
WHEREAS Council did enact By-law No. 794/12 and amending By-law 852/13 to regulate the installation, location, and type of signs permitted in the Town of Petawawa; and
WHEREAS Council deems it advisable to rescind By-law No. 794/12, 852/13 and 1565/23.
NOW, THEREFORE, the Council of the Corporation of the Town of Petawawa ENACTS AS FOLLOWS:
1. Short Title
1.1 This By-law may be cited as the “Sign By-law” for the Corporation of the Town of Petawawa.
2. Purpose
2.1 The purpose of the Sign By-law is to permit the effective use of signs as a means to deliver and communicate specific messaging and encourage aesthetically pleasing sign development, in terms of size, design, and location within the Town of Petawawa. The By-law will ensure that signs do not compromise traffic safety, and will minimize possibilities of hazards to life or property, and the adverse impact on nearby public and private property.
The Town of Petawawa Sign By-law regulates the installation, placement, alteration, maintenance, demolition, and removal of a sign and ensures compatibility within various zone designations. The by-law shall enable the fair and consistent enforcement of sign regulations.
3. Definitions
3.1 In this By-law:
Advertising Message – shall mean the copy of a sign identifying a building, business, ownership, activity, product, or service being offered to the public.
Alter – shall mean any change to a sign structure or sign face, except for a change in the message being displayed or repair for maintenance.
(Page 3)
Building Facade – shall mean that portion of any exterior elevation of a building extending from grade to the top of the parapet or eaves and the entire width of the building elevation.
Chief Building Official – shall mean the Chief Building Official appointed by the Council of the Town of Petawawa and includes their designate or another duly appointed official pursuant to the Ontario Building Code Act.
Council – shall mean the Council of the Corporation of the Town of Petawawa.
County – shall mean the Corporation of the County of Renfrew.
Grade – shall mean the elevation of the ground upon which a sign is located.
Highway Traffic Act – shall mean the Highway Traffic Act, R.S.O 1990.
Install – shall mean attached, built, constructed, reconstructed, enlarged, placed, or moved.
Lot – shall mean a parcel of land that is capable of being conveyed pursuant to the provisions of the Planning Act, R.S.O. 1990.
Lot Line – shall mean the line formed by the boundary of any lot or the vertical projection thereof.
Municipal Act – shall mean the Municipal Act, R.S.O 2001; as amended.
Municipal Law Enforcement Officer – shall mean a Municipal Law Enforcement Officer employed by the Town of Petawawa and includes their designate or other duly appointed official assigned the responsibility for enforcing and administering this by-law pursuant to the Municipal Act, R.S.O. 2001.
Owner – shall mean any person having a legal or equitable title to the land, building, or structure upon which a sign is located.
Planning Act – shall mean Planning Act, R.S.O. 1990, as amended.
Plaque – shall mean a commemorative or identifying inscribed tablet, which does not bear any advertising for any commercial purposes.
Poster – shall mean a printed notice generally made of cardboard, plastic, fiberboard, paper, or similar material, conveying information intended to be displayed for a temporary period and includes but is not limited to a bill, handbill, leaflet, notice, placard, and election sign.
Property Line – shall mean any boundary of a lot or the vertical projection thereof.
Public Property – shall mean property, land, or buildings owned by the Town, County, or a local board as defined in the Municipal Act, as amended; or owned by the Federal or Provincial government(s).
(Page 4)
Roof Line – shall mean the horizontal line made by the intersection of the building with the roof of the building.
Sign – shall mean and include any structure, device, or thing (and all parts thereof) which identifies, describes, promotes, or advertises any building, person, place, product, business, service, enterprise, organization, event, or thing in such a way as to be visible from a highway or lot.
a) Abandoned – shall mean a sign located on a property that becomes vacant and unoccupied for a period of ninety (90) days or more or any sign which pertains to a time, event, or purpose that no longer applies.
b) Address – shall mean a fascia or ground sign on which the advertising message is limited to the name and address of a place, building, business, organization, person, or occupancy of the premises it identifies.
c) Banner – shall mean a temporary sign constructed of a band or strip of fabric that bears an advertising message. A banner sign does not include an awning, canopy sign or flag.
d) Billboard – shall mean a sign structure to which advertising copy is fastened in such a manner so as to permit its periodic replacement and which displays goods, products, services, or facilities that are not available at the location of the sign and/or which directs or invites a person to a location different from that on which the sign is located and has a sign area not greater than nineteen (19m²) square metres.
e) Canopy – shall mean a sign affixed to a permanent roof-like projection that extends from part or all of the building façade.
f) Contractor – shall mean a sign which identifies or provides information relating to a business trade providing a temporary or limited service.
g) Development – shall mean a sign that only advertises the development in which the sign is located; including the name and address of the project, contractors, architects, and/or engineers related to the project. It shall not advertise/display alternative lots for sale or advertise for realtors, developers, or Owners’ businesses in general.
h) Double-Faced – shall mean a sign having two sign faces, each face being of equal area and identical proportions to the other and with each face located on the sign structure so as to be exactly opposite the other.
i) Election – shall mean any sign advertising or promoting the election of candidates for public office.
j) Electronic Moving – shall mean a sign display utilizing electronic screens, televisions, computer video monitors, liquid crystal displays, light emitting diode displays, or any other similar electronic technology where the sign face displays moving images.
(Page 5)
k) Fascia – shall mean a single-faced sign located in such a manner that the sign face is parallel to the surface of the building to which it is attached. This includes signs commonly known as a Wall sign.
l) Ground – shall mean a sign to which an advertising message is fastened, including in such a manner as to permit its periodic replacement, and which is supported by uprights or braces embedded in a foundation in or on the ground and which is not attached to any part of a building, whose principle use is for advertising or display of goods, products, services or facilities that are located on the property. This includes signs commonly known as a Pylon sign.
m) Home Industry – shall mean a sign for a permitted accessory use that is conducted in whole or in part in an accessory building to a single detached dwelling or permitted farm use.
n) Home Occupation – shall mean a sign for a permitted accessory use that is conducted within a dwelling unit and operated by members of the household residing in the dwelling unit.
o) Illuminated – shall mean a sign that is lit by an external source.
p) Incidental – shall mean a sign whose primary function is directional or informative for traffic or designation of areas such as entrance, exit, parking, loading, shipping, or similar information pertinent to the functions of the premises at which it is located. Incidental signs have no commercial identification other than the name or insignia of the establishment.
q) Inflatable – shall mean a temporary sign that is inflated with air or gas and is used for promotional purposes.
r) Institutional – shall mean any sign pertaining to government departments, agencies, hospitals, churches, schools, service clubs, and non-profit organizations.
s) Luminous – shall mean a sign that is backlit or lighted by an internal source.
t) Permanent – shall mean a sign permanently installed on or affixed to a premise.
u) Portable – shall mean a sign that is not permanently embedded in the ground, is affixed to a building or any structure and is designed to be capable of being readily moved from one location to another.
v) Projecting – shall mean a sign attached to the wall of a building in such a manner that the face area of the sign projects outward from the wall of the building to which it is attached.
(Page 6)
w) Public Information – shall mean any sign installed by a public agency to provide information to the public and shall include all signs necessary for roadway operations.
x) Read-o-graph – shall mean a sign composed of interchangeable letters intended to convey a temporary message and is designed or constructed so that the message may be easily rearranged or changed. A read-o-graph sign may be designed so that it is part of a permanent sign.
y) Real Estate/Open House – shall mean a temporary, non-illuminated sign pertaining to the sale, lease, or rental of any lands or buildings upon which the sign is located.
z) Roof – shall mean a sign which is located entirely on or above the main roof of a building or located entirely on the top of or above the parapet of a building.
aa) Sandwich Board – shall mean an “A” shaped sign which is set upon the ground and has no external supporting structure other than itself.
bb) Special Event – shall mean a sign, decoration, or other display device advertising a civic celebration, festival, or another special event.
cc) Temporary – shall mean any sign not permanently attached to or affixed into the ground or to a building.
dd) Traffic Control – shall mean a sign installed under the jurisdiction of the Highway Traffic Act or the manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices to regulate traffic on streets.
The remainder of By-law 1573/23 details the specific regulations, prohibitions, and enforcement mechanisms for signs in the Town of Petawawa.
Key sections include:
Definitions (Continued): Defines remaining terms including “Warning/No Trespassing”, “Window Signs”, “Yard Sale Signs”, “Sight Triangle”, “Sign Area”, “Sign Height”, “Sign Structure”, and “Zoning By-Law” .
General Provisions (Section 4):
Regulations: All signs must conform to this by-law, the Building Code, and other applicable laws. It covers placement near County Roads, site plan approvals, and restrictions on illuminated signs (e.g., no red/amber lights mimicking traffic signals; no illuminated signs in Residential Zones) .
Non-Conforming Signs: Existing signs may remain as legal non-conforming unless relocated, altered, or damaged by more than 50% .
Maintenance: Owners must keep signs in good repair. Unsafe or unsightly signs can be ordered removed. Signs for closed businesses must be removed within 3 months .
Prohibited Signs (Section 5): Specifically prohibits abandoned signs, billboards, flashing signs, roof signs, signs interfering with traffic or parking, signs on public property/trees, and signs containing obscene or defamatory content .
Permit Exemptions (Section 6): Lists signs that do not require a permit (e.g., Election, Real Estate, Sandwich Board, Window), provided they meet by-law standards .
Permitted Signs & Fees (Section 7 – Table 1): A table outlining which signs are permitted in Commercial/Industrial, Residential, Open Space, and Community Facility zones, along with associated fees (e.g., $100 for Permanent Ground Signs; $30 for Temporary Portable Signs) .
Regulations by Sign Type (Section 8):
Permanent Signs: Detailed rules for Canopy, Fascia, Ground (max height 8m, max area 10m²), Incidental, Home Occupation, and Projecting signs .
Temporary Signs: Rules for Banners, Contractor signs, Development signs, Election signs, Inflatable signs, and Portable signs (max 4 permits/year, max 30 days each). It also covers Real Estate, Sandwich Board, and Yard Sale signs .
Sign Permits (Section 9): Procedures for applying for a permit, including required drawings, specs, and fees .
Administration & Enforcement (Section 10):
Chief Building Official: Empowered to review applications, inspect signs, and issue orders for non-compliance .
Minor Variance: The Committee of Adjustment may grant variances if minor and maintaining the by-law’s intent .
Violations: Signs on municipal property may be removed immediately. Private property violations receive a 14-day removal/repair order. Non-compliance allows the Town to remove the sign at the owner’s expense .
Fines: Offences are subject to fines under the Provincial Offences Act .
Repeal & Enactment (Sections 11 & 12): Repeals previous by-laws (794/12, 852/13, 1565/23) and sets the effective date as April 3, 2023
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