Victoria bureaucrats will have to be careful not to trample over press freedoms as they consider ridding city streets of newspaper kiosks, says one city councillor.
“My main concern is to ensure that we don’t unreasonably interfere with freedom of the press,” said Coun. Ben Isitt.
“Certainly, an overriding priority needs to be mobility on sidewalks and to ensure that sidewalks aren’t obstructed, but I think there is a way to achieve that without interfering with the ability of small publications to communicate with the public and share ideas with the public,” Isitt said.
Bylaw enforcement officers will, in coming months, start working with owners to have newspaper kiosks removed from public property, said Rob Woodland, director of legislative and regulatory services, in a recent memo to councillors.
About 100 of the newspaper boxes selling the Globe and Mail and the Times Colonist are licensed and charged $15 per box but none of them are permitted on city property, Woodland’s memo says.
The number of the kiosks that offer local free news and tourism publications, and real estate magazines has grown substantially over the years. Only a few of them are licensed, the memo says.
“If council wishes to allow kiosks on public property, city bylaws will need to be amended to incorporate a regulatory scheme, including consideration for issues such as location, containment, design and maintenance,” Woodland’s memo said.
Woodland said issues with the kiosks include: irregular and shifting locations, possible obstruction of sidewalks; blocked access for street cleaning; graffiti, poor maintenance and/or abandoned kiosks; litter and poor kiosk design.
Coun. Charlayne Thornton-Joe has raised concerns about the appearance and maintenance of giveaway newspaper stands and their associated litter problems.
Thornton-Joe said she’s supportive of the kiosks but says council has to determine whether they are appropriate on public space, whether there should be guidelines for maintenance and whether licensing fees should be charged.
“I use them myself, whether it’s [grabbing] a magazine or a map. … I want to support that, but is there a way to make sure that their appearance isn’t a detriment to downtown but enhances downtown?” Thornton-Joe said.
Isitt said having the kiosks on city streets adds to the culture of the community.
“Personally, I think what a solution might look like is ensuring that for every kiosk there has been payment of a fee and through that payment and licensing system that’s a way to regulate for placement and clearance for mobility and all the other considerations,” Isitt said.
All Times Colonist newspaper boxes are on private property and the newspaper has no concern at all with the city enforcing its bylaws, said Dave Obee, editor in chief.
“We have nothing on city property. We are well aware of the city’s existing bylaws and we’ve obeyed these bylaws all along,” Obee said.
Councillors will soon be receiving a report on use of public space for sandwich boards, and some of those recommendations could guide council’s thinking on the kiosks, said Victoria Mayor Dean Fortin.
“That’s going to address, I think, some of the issues around private use of public space. Simple things like mobility issues,” Fortin said.
