Portable Sign Pollution

[D. Fulton]

Does anyone else have a problem with the proliferation of "portable signs" that are lining the streets of Waterloo Region? I - and many other residents I have discussed the issue with - find those black signs with fluorescent lettering unsightly. Quite frankly, I am tired of our out-of-town guests commenting on these eyesores (the words "garish", "gaudy" and "trashy" are frequently used). A temporary sign here and there - with white lettering - that cites a specific event are not so bad, but do we need to know about the sale on Kraft Dinner at the grocery store? I understand that there are people making an income from these signs, but they certainly do not lend themselves to city improvement efforts - ugh!

[K.C.]

Quite frankly, I am tired of our out-of-town guests commenting on these eyesores (the words "garish", "gaudy" and "trashy" are frequently used).

LOL. One of my neighbor's adult children called Hespeler a ghetto and fought to keep them from buying a house at Mill Pond. I think it's quaint. It's going to change alot in the next 5 years with all the new construction that's going to happen.

This whole region needs to change the exterior visuals, it will happen but maybe not fast enough.

I find the City of Cambridge really strange. They have city workers spying on home owners to make sure they don't finish their basements without permits but they let the exteriors turn to crap. Somebody needs to change their priorities.

[KingandQueenof116]

It is kinda obvious that you're not originally from this area. Hespeler is all of those things, it is garish, gaudy a ghetto and quaint. Out of the tri- cities, Cambridge is the one with the least amount of well paying jobs and resources for infrastructure improvements and development. The reason why we are able to buy a house in such a beautiful setting is because Cambridge is the least developed in the tri-cities. This city has hurt for years and these new subdivisions such as Mill Pond will hopefully add some needed assistance the
local economy. The people in the houses that are falling apart cannot afford to fix them and there are many parts of the city in this state. There is also a trailer park in the middle of hespeler which is occupied year round. I think we should be thankful to live in brand new beautiful homes in such a gorgeous setting, because those signs and the garishness of them are the least of our problems as a community. That mac and cheese on special is what some families rely on to put food on the table.
Hespeler has such great potential and I think it will all come together and the city can be revitalized and improved, but it only in it's infancy and this will take many years.

[D. Fulton]

I hope it is understood that my comment was solely about the sheer ugliness of the signs...yes, there are many lovely things about Waterloo Region, but it is very interesting to receive the comments of those visiting our town...the signs are what they first notice, which is an absolute shame - they do not make for a good first impression. I simply question their necessity (hence the KD comment - merely an example of what I saw recently - I could have cited the "prime rib" deal that appeared on a similar sign :-). I do appreciate the comment about thankfulness, and wholeheartedly agree. However, having travelled throughout the U.S. (many of these areas facing severe economic hardship), I can say that these seem to be rampant only in Southern Ontario, and more specifically, in the Tri-City area. I have seen several trailer parks that are extremely well-maintained. I agree that Hespeler, Galt and Preston all have tremendous potential, especially the downtown cores with their history and "quaintness". I want to be proud of where I live, and this involves more than a focus on our respective (albeit beautiful) homes. Yes, funding is important, but we can all do our part in this improvement process - happy to hear that others share this desire for revitalization! There have already been development projects in Hespeler, and this trend will surely continue. It is my (humble) opinion that the signs are an unsavoury addition to our town, and was interested to know if others (who lived here) felt the same. Evidently, there are other cities that don't rely on them - why do we?