Traffic sign theft is exploding in Montreal as citizens use it to reserve parking spaces while clearing snow or visiting a loved one.
• Also read – Parking signs: Montreal also wants to stop not understanding anything
“We have to make an average of 2,000 signs a year just to replace the ones stolen in Montreal,” says the director of a sign company, who preferred to remain anonymous so as not to damage his business.
The company in question is noticing a worrying rise in thefts of no-parking signs, which Montrealers often use for personal gain.
“We do regular patrols and we typically recover around thirty panels that aren’t in the right places in a day,” he explains.
Because parking in Montreal is particularly problematic due to snow removal, construction sites, and public works, many residents are opting for no-parking signs without a permit to ensure they have a spot in front of their residence at all times.
“In Montreal, we see that there is a lot of parking, so it’s very common for theft to happen on construction sites,” laments Mikaël Bruzzese, owner of the Montreal-based National Signalization Company.
Photo agency QMI, Thierry Laforce
The 25-year-old young entrepreneur has to be vigilant to avoid nasty surprises.
“Our teams will install the panels early in the morning and collect them in the early evening to try to avoid theft as much as possible,” he said.
Despite all precautions, it regularly happens that the customers with whom he does business have to pay out of their own pockets for signs that have disappeared overnight.
“It is certain that improvements must be made to change this situation. In particular through more constant monitoring of the construction sites, but the workers already have a lot to deal with,” he adds.
Book your place
Mile-End and Le Plateau-Mont-Royal appear to be neighborhoods where the illegal use and theft of this type of sign is very popular, according to reports from residents and workers.
“A lot happens in the Plateau sector, I’ll install my panels or my cones one evening and the next day they’ll be displaced or gone entirely,” says Michael Stavrou, owner of Construction Stavrou.
A 40-year-old local resident, who preferred not to give her name, was almost caught when a sign appeared behind her car in the middle of a snow removal operation.
The goal is to get him to clear his parking space and then steal it.
“Before moving my car, I called 311 to check. At that time, I was told that no permit was issued at that location,” she said.
By sharing his story on a Mile-End Facebook page, several of his neighbors also claimed to have witnessed the practice. Some people would have made it a habit to keep no parking signs and post them on the road while clearing snow or visiting a loved one.
“Well, I wonder how many vigils there are in town,” wonders the Mile-End resident, who gives a whole new level of attention to these little signs appearing in her corner.
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