Snap election call results in fewer signs — so far
Print shops preparing for a rush of business next week
Taking a drive through New Brunswick's provincial capital, it's hard to tell an election campaign is underway.
Busy intersections around Fredericton that would normally be plastered with candidate signs with less than four weeks to go to election day are almost bare.
It may be because this is a snap election, just called Monday by Premier Blaine Higgs before his Progressive Conservatives had even been in power two years.
But companies that make signs for candidates say it's unusual in their world.
"It's weird, it really is," said Scott Williams, CEO of Taylor Printing Group.
Williams said that during the first week of a normally scheduled election campaign things are also quiet in his shop, but that's because all of the signs, brochures and other political branding are done in the weeks leading up to a predictable election call.
Williams believes party organizers for the Sept. 14 election may be behind getting signs made because the parties are still trying to get candidates in place and strategies co-ordinated.
He's anticipating a wave of calls next week, based on inquiries from candidates this week.
"After the parties have sorted out who's going to be running and each of the ridings that are going to be challenged — I think Monday the phone will be ringing off the hook," Williams said.
It's the same sentiment for other sign shops around the city.
Noel Eustace, the owner of Instant Imprints in Fredericton, said he's not surprised by the lack of signs around the city yet.
"You can't produce this stuff overnight," said Eustace, who believes the snap election is the reason for so few sign in the infant days of this campaign.
Eustace expects the landscape will take on an election flavour next week.
"I would suspect by this weekend you're going to start to see more and more," said Eustace, who has been fielding calls from candidates this week.
"And by early to mid-next week, it will be a different conversation — there will be lots of visuals up because communicating the message is going to be important for everybody," he said.
Candidates who do have signs up now have either run before and are using old signs or have been eager for a while to run, Williams said.
"Next week we're going to have to be turning signage in 24 to 48 hours, because they're going to want it probably by Wednesday or Thursday at the latest of next week," Williams said.
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