Voluntary Admail Reduction Program (By-law No. 2003-493)

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By-laws contained in this section have been prepared for research and reference purposes only. Original by-laws are available for consultation at the City of Ottawa Archives and the Ottawa Public Library Main branch. For legal purposes, certified copies of by-laws may be obtained from the City of Ottawa Archives.

City Archives
James Bartleman Centre
100 Tallwood Dr. (corner of Woodroffe Ave.)
Ottawa, Ontario
Telephone: 613-580-2857
Email: archives@ottawa.ca

Ottawa Public Library
120 Metcalfe St., Ottawa Room
Ottawa, Ontario
Telephone: 613-580-2940

A by-law of the City of Ottawa to establish a program for the regulation of the distribution of unaddressed advertising material.

The Council of the City of Ottawa enacts as follows:

  • The by-law states that any owner or occupant of a property may participate in this program by purchasing a sticker which indicates their desire not to receive unaddressed advertising material.
  • The sticker should be conspicuously affixed to the mail slot or mailbox. No distributer shall distribute any unaddressed advertising material on private property if the owner has a ‘no junk mail’ sticker clearly displayed.
  • ‘No junk mail’ stickers can be purchased at any Client Service Centre. 

In this by-law,

“advertising material” means any printed or written matter, any sample or device, dodger, circular, leaflet, pamphlet, flyer, paper, booklet, or any other printed or otherwise reproduced matter or literature, that:

  1. advertises or otherwise promotes any merchandise, product, commodity or thing, or
  2. directs attention to any business or mercantile or commercial establishment or other activity, for the purpose of either directly or indirectly promoting the interests thereof; or
  3. directs attention to or advertises any meeting, theatrical performance, exhibition or event of any kind for which an admission is charged for the purpose of commercial gain or profit;

“City” means the municipal corporation of the City of Ottawa, or the geographic area as the context requires;

“distributor” means any person, owner of a business, company, or organization which distributes, permits to be distributed or causes to be distributed any bill for profit;

“General Manager” means the General Manager of Emergency and Protective Services of the City of Ottawa or authorized representative; and

“private property” means any dwelling, house, building, or other structure, designed or used either wholly or in part for residential purposes, whether inhabited or temporarily or continuously uninhabited or vacant, and includes any yard, grounds, walkway, driveway, porch steps, vestibule or mail box belonging or appurtenant to such dwelling, house, building, or other structure.

Section 2

The City hereby establishes a voluntary program for the regulation of the distribution of unaddressed advertising material in the City of Ottawa.

Section 3

The General Manager is responsible for the administration of this program.

Section 4

Any owner or occupant of property may participate in the program and indicate their desire not to receive unaddressed advertising material by purchasing the sign as prescribed in accordance with Schedule “A” to this by-law from the City for a fee of two dollars ($2.00).

Section 5

The owner or occupant of the property may affix the sign referred to in Section 4 to a mail box or mail slot in a conspicuous way on his or her property, indicating that he or she does not wish to receive any unaddressed advertising material.

Section 6

No distributor shall distribute or cause to be distributed any unaddressed advertising material on private property if the owner or occupant of the property has affixed a sign in a conspicuous way on his or her own property, as prescribed in accordance with Schedule “A” to this by-law, indicating that he or she does not wish to receive any unaddressed advertising material.

Section 7

Subject to Section 6, no distributor shall distribute or cause to be distributed any unaddressed advertising material on private property other than,

  1. in a mail box;
  2. in a mail slot;
  3. in a receptacle identified for this purpose;
  4. on a newspaper rack or hooked to it;
  5. in an apartment building lobby; or
  6. on the door handle if the junk mail is delivered in a bag.

Section 8

Subject to Section 6, no distributor shall distribute or cause to be distributed any unaddressed advertising material on private property other than by using the driveway and sidewalks of private residences and apartment dwellings.

Section 9

Subject to Section 6, no distributor shall distribute or cause to be distributed any unaddressed advertising material on private property between the hours of 9:00 o’clock in the afternoon (9:00 pm) and 8 o’clock in the forenoon (8:00 am) of the next following day.

The affixing of a sign in a conspicuous way on his or her own property, as prescribed in accordance with Schedule “A” to this by-law, indicating that he or she does not wish to receive any unaddressed advertising material does not apply to prevent the distribution of,

  1. newspapers delivered to paid subscribers;
  2. community newspapers;
  3. material produced in the context of a campaign for elected office; or
  4. information circulars produced by governments or their agencies.

This by-law may be referred to as the “Voluntary Ad Mail Reduction Program By-law”.

ENACTED AND PASSED this 8th day of October, 2003.