Bylaw against flashy signs causes big headache for east end business owner

The owner of a bowling alley in Mercier-Hochelaga-Maisonneuve is leading the charge against the borough's demand that business signs be less flashy.

IsabelleLavoie, the owner of Darling Bowling, has launched a petition against thebylaw that 250 people have signed so far.

"What happens to us if we're not seen and no one comes to us?" Lavoiesaid.

She has flashing, retro-style neon signs advertising her business to traffic on the street.

The borough sent her a notice last week saying the signshave to go, butshe worries that without them, her business will go unnoticed and she'll lose clientele.

"We'll just close the doors and go somewhere else, where people can see us," she said.

Since October, the borough has sent out 98 notices to businesses on Ontario Street, warning them of the change.

Lavoie has three signs that would need to come down.

She's only been given 10 days to get the job done, and said itcouldn't come at a worse time.

"Just before Christmas, it's loaded, we have no time to receive that kind of thing, for such a short notice," she said.

According to borough mayor Pierre Lessard-Blais most commercial streets in Montreal have public display bylaws.

He wants shoppers "to feel like it's a clean, fun street."

And to accomplish that, inspectors make the rounds and send out notices. He said that last year 100 notices were sent.

"It's a regular thing in the borough," he said.

Lavoie disagrees, and said it's the first time since she took over the bowling alley in 2014 that she's received a notice.

She estimates that getting a designer to create new signs will cost about $2,000.

The new signs would need to be smaller and not flash in order to conform to the bylaw.

Lessard-Blaisadded that the administration is "very flexible and talkative" and encourages business owners to reach out if they have issues with the bylaw.

Lavoiethinks the whole conversation is wrong.

"This is Montreal, let's be more creative and have fun with visibility," she said.