Vancouver's Olympic free speech battles could be spreading to Richmond and Whistler.
The provincial government introduced a Miscellaneous Statutes Amendment Act act Wednesday that gives three of the four host municipalities the power to enter private property and seize signs or remove graffiti between Feb. 1 and March 31.
The package of amendments was introduced the same day a B.C. Civil Liberties Association-backed lawsuit was filed against Vancouver for bylaws that restrict advertising and signage during the Games.
"They want to enter onto people's property to remove non-celebratory signs?" said BCCLA executive director David Eby. "I don't know if they want to fight that [public relations] battle."
The amendments also enable Vancouver street closures for Olympic lanes and maximum fines of $10,000.
