Wind-whipped election sign damages Calgary vehicle

The city says it's reviewing bylaws after over a thousand complaints regarding leftover election campaign signs. One ended up damaging a vehicle.

Calgary’s municipal election was more than three weeks ago, but one wayward sign caused thousands of dollars of damage to a vehicle as it flew through an intersection earlier this month.

Dash-cam video shows the large pink sign, along with two wooden stakes attached, fly into the path of the vehicle as it travelled along Shaganappi Trail in the northwest.

“Right as I was passing the intersection, there must have been a gust of wind. And this sign just flew right up into the car,” said the driver, Yogesh Patel.

“It just caught me by surprise.”

It’s even more of a surprise, Patel said, because the election sign should have been long gone.

Calgary’s Temporary Sign Bylaw, which covers election signs, states all election posters and signs must be removed within 72 hours after polls close.

Patel says the wind-whipped sign proved to be costly.

He received two estimates to repair the scratches to the hood, bumper and headlight of his vehicle and was told it would cost more than $6,000.

“The estimate was definitely surprising,” he said.

“I think that headlight is what makes it really expensive, but essentially, since I hit three panels, the estimate went up to a little over six grand from a company that deals with Tesla cars.”

Patel filed a complaint with the city through 311, but he says he didn’t get a response.

He then reached out to the mayor’s office and says he was told a bylaw officer would reach out to him.

He says he’s still waiting more than a week later.

The city’s bylaw says the owner of the sign is responsible for any damage caused.

The sign belongs to the Calgary Party.

When contacted by CTV News on Tuesday, a representative of the party said it was unaware of the damage and that a sign was missed and would resolve the issue.

“The Calgary Party has worked hard to ensure the safe placement and removal of all of our sign inventory. Over 10,000 signs and posters were removed in the days following the election,” a statement from the party read.

“We have no idea how one of our signs was missed, nor any idea how it could have been impacted so much by the wind. We will work with the car owner to ensure a successful resolution to this unfortunate incident.”

City officials acknowledge it is still hearing from Calgarians about missed election signs.

“We are now receiving 311 (requests) about signs that haven’t been cleaned up. So we’re taking action on those. Our next step will be to review, from a lessons-learned perspective, the entire process of election signs during the election period and before,” Doug Morgan, the city’s general manager of operational services, told councillors on Monday.

Morgan added that administration will consider possible amendments to the sign bylaw moving forward.

“We’re looking at compliance, and making sure if there is rampant abuse, we can consider that as one of the alternatives,” he said.