Montreal Homeowner Faces Violation for Neon Paint JobMontreal Homeowner Faces Violation for Neon Paint Job The city of Montreal has accused the owner of a century-old home of violating municipal regulations by painting it in neon colors to advertise the telecommunications company Koodo. A Toronto advertising agency recently transformed the Victorian-style duplex into a giant billboard with a palette of hot pink, lime green, purple, teal, and orange. A sign on the facade read, “There is joy under this roof. Koodo internet.” However, the sign was removed on Thursday afternoon. City spokesman Simon Charron stated that the publicity stunt was unauthorized and violated municipal rules. “Building codes prohibit the painting of bricks on the exterior facade of most buildings,” he said. Additionally, changes to heritage buildings are strictly regulated, and there are specific rules for advertising in the urban landscape. Inspectors will be sent to the site, and a violation notice will be issued to the owner. A spokesperson for Camp Jefferson, the Toronto company behind the ad, claimed that they sought and followed advice from a representative of the city. They plan to return the house to its original state by July 8th while adhering to city regulations. The house is listed as a three-story Victorian duplex built in 1870 or 1910 (depending on the source). Heritage Montreal expressed concerns about the transformation, emphasizing that the issue lies not with the color choices but with circumventing advertising regulations. Applying certain types of paint to masonry can cause damage over time, and removing or repainting can be costly. The organization stressed the importance of balancing creativity with code compliance and considering the long-term impact on building materials.
The city of Montreal alleges that the owner of a home that is more than 100 years old violated municipal rules by allowing the house to be painted neon colors to advertise the telecommunications company Koodo.
A Toronto advertising agency recently transformed the Victorian-style duplex into a giant billboard by painting it in the company’s chosen color palette of hot pink, with accents of lime green, purple, teal and orange.
A sign on the facade that read “There is joy under this roof. Koodo internet” was gone Thursday afternoon.
According to city spokesman Simon Charron, the publicity stunt was unauthorized and violated municipal regulations.
PHOTO JOSIE DESMARAIS, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
A sign on the facade that read “There is joy under this roof. Koodo internet” was gone Thursday afternoon.
“It is important to note that building codes prohibit the painting of bricks on the exterior facade of most buildings,” he said in a written statement.
Changes to heritage buildings are also strictly regulated. In addition, there are rules for the location of advertising in the urban landscape.
Simon Charron, spokesperson for the city of Montreal
Mr. Charron announced that the city would send inspectors to the site and issue a violation notice to the owner.
A spokesperson for one of the companies behind the ad told The Canadian Press that the campaign was run by Camp Jefferson in Toronto and aimed to “create a memorable and joyful experience for the community.”
“Before launching this action, we sought and followed the advice and instructions of a representative of the City of Montreal,” wrote Isabelle Bonin of Plus Company, who worked on the campaign.
“As per our original plan, we will return the house to its original state on July 8, while continuing to respect the rules and regulations of the City of Montreal,” she said.
The house is described in a real estate listing as a “three-story Victorian duplex.” A photo of the front façade, likely taken before the renovation, shows it painted light green. The Realtor.ca listing lists the construction date as 1870, although the city appraisal says it was built in 1910.
Heritage Montreal also has a problem with the transformation of the house.
“The problem is not the creativity of the color choices themselves, but the way they are used to circumvent the City of Montreal’s advertising regulations,” the organization wrote in an email.
Heritage Montreal said applying certain types of paint to masonry can cause damage over time, and removing or repainting can be costly and complicated. “That’s why it’s essential to balance creativity with code compliance and consider the long-term impact on building materials, even though creative color choices can improve aesthetics.”
