Sign By-law Amendment – PNE Exhibition Park
Motion 7 · Council Meeting, May 19, 2026
Summary
- The PNE has applied to amend the City's Sign By-law to create a new, dedicated Sign District for PNE Exhibition Park (2901 East Hastings Street), which would permit up to three new electronic static image (LED) signs on the property.
- The proposed signs would be freestanding, single- or double-sided rectangular LED screens (33 m² per side), oriented toward East Hastings Street and McGill Street, displaying both first-party PNE content and third-party advertising.
- A new Sign District is being proposed rather than incremental by-law amendments, providing a long-term signage framework suited to the PNE's large, campus-style site and reducing ongoing administrative burden for the PNE, City staff, and Council.
- The proposal aligns with the City's Public Realm Advertising Framework (2025), which requires balancing advertising impacts on public spaces with appropriate public benefit; road safety and driver distraction will be assessed during the sign permit review process.
- The PNE intends the signage to diversify its revenue streams to fund site improvements and better promote events; the new district applies only to the PNE property and not to City street right-of-ways.
- Staff support the application and recommend Council approve the Sign By-law and Sign Fee By-law amendments in principle, directing Legal Services to bring forward the by-laws for enactment.
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Transcript
9 segments
Seeing no one's hands up. This item does not have a team member presentation. And I'm sorry. We passed that one. Sorry. Okay. Ignore that. The first report we have is number two, signed bylaw amendment, P&E Exhibition Park, 2901 East Hastings Street. Before we begin this agenda item, if anyone believes they have a conflict of interest. Now is the time to disclose it. Seeing no one here, this item does have a presentation, and we do have team members here to present it. Please go ahead. Oh, sorry. Councillor Domenato.
Thanks, Mayor. I move to waive the presentation.
Okay. Seconded by Councillor Meiszner. Any discussion? All in favour say yay. All those opposed say nay. Great. We will waive the presentation. Council, you have up to five minutes to ask questions of team members. And Councillor Domonato, you're on the queue. Yes.
Thanks. I just wanted to clarify, just with the proposed signage district, noting the locations, and there's an existing sign at Hastings and Renfrew, but some of the other potential sort of areas around the Hastings Park site. Will there be consideration to light impacts in that, because there's some residential areas along there and those corridors? So just consideration of the public realm and impacts to residential, both there's apartments and there's some detached homes and others along those corridors.
Hi, Jason Oldenick, Director of Development Planning. Yes, absolutely. And there'll be a formal review process for this. This just creates a bylaw that allows them to make applications. We'll go through that. The bylaw is also written similar to other bylaws where digital signage and other electronic means have been considered for light levels, changes per minute, and the locations are purposely located.
as best as possible away from residential again the the one in the north uh west corner is will be the most problematic and that's located away from the street and that'll go through a formal review process and and does that um include as well um you talked about light levels but consideration of maybe um you know being low level or turned off certain you know hours things like that and gained in terms of
Absolutely. And with any other sign, there's also, we'll take complaints, record complaints. And if there are issues, it's a requirement that they work with us to make adjustments.
Okay. Thank you. Appreciate those answers. That's all.
Thank you very much. Seeing no. Great. Thank you. Is there a seconder? Thank you very much. Councillor Kirby Young. Council, is there any discussion? Seeing no one in the queue, I'm going to call the vote. Just a reminder for any council member participating virtually, if your video is disabled, you will be marked absent. Okay. If we can please go to the voting panel.
Statement Watch
Hi, Jason Oldenick, Director of Development Planning. Yes, absolutely. And there'll be a formal review process for this. This just creates a bylaw that allows them to make applications. We'll go through that. The bylaw is also written similar to other bylaws where digital signage and other electronic means have been considered for light levels, changes per minute, and the locations are purposely located.
as best as possible away from residential again the the one in the north uh west corner is will be the most problematic and that's located away from the street and that'll go through a formal review process and and does that um include as well um you talked about light levels but consideration of maybe um you know being low level or turned off certain you know hours things like that and gained in terms of
Absolutely. And with any other sign, there's also, we'll take complaints, record complaints. And if there are issues, it's a requirement that they work with us to make adjustments.
Okay. Thank you. Appreciate those answers. That's all.