Blue signs carrying the message “I support publicly funded education” have been popping up on lawns around Brampton recently, but the city says they violate signage bylaws and residents placing them on their properties could be fined.

“Lawn signs are allowed only for specific purposes such as for real estate sales and open houses, election campaigning and specific safety messaging such as to alert people about speed bumps, construction workers on roads, or potential trip hazards,” said the city in an emailed statement. “Enforcement staff will respond to complaints received about illegal signs.”

The signs are being handed out by the Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association (OECTA), which is currently protesting changes to education by the Ontario government under Premier Doug Ford. The signs direct people to a website called www.knowmore.ca.

The OECTA represents Catholic school teachers and is affiliated with the Ontario Teachers Federation (OTF).

On Wednesday (Nov. 13), the OECTA announced its members voted 97.1 per cent in favour of a strike mandate.

“OECTA is not yet in a legal strike position, so negotiations will continue for the time being. However, to avoid having to take the next steps toward job action, the Association is looking for significant movement from the government on a number of important issues,” it said in a release.

According to the “Know More” website, those issues include class sizes, student supports, funding cuts and others.

Lawn signs have been a contentious issue in Brampton throughout 2019. Wards 7 and 8 Coun. Charmaine Williams was told by city staff earlier this year lawn signs she handed out for her “Not in our Neighbourhood” anti-cannabis-store campaign also violated the bylaw.

Williams, who disagrees with the sign bylaw and city staff’s interpretation of it, launched a second lawn sign campaign in September, handing out “Please Slow Down” signs to encourage drivers to be more careful as kids returned to school. The city determined those were also in violation of the bylaw and residents placing them could face fines.

In June, council began exploring the possibility of even banning election lawn signs.