And your point was? Or as usual i'll bet you didn't have one.
I'm not sure what you mean by "point". I didn't intend to offer my opinion, other than by putting quotes around "illegal" I'm saying that while technically against regulations it's hardly a war crime.
But since you want to know what I think, I hate blank walls but the cure for blank walls is not billboards, it's development or windows or art or vertical gardens.
Some of those Toronto signs are
Victoria turfed out all billboards in the 1970s and on the whole I think it's probably a good idea. I don't think billboards would work as good here as they do in downtown Vancouver.
As someone who does commercial art I appreciate good signage. I really think we could loosen up our signage laws without giving in to massive Pat Bay highway-sized billboards in our Downtown. In fact, I tried lobbying for a "electric signage district" on the corners of Blanshard and Yates in order to recreate the dazzling neon era of the theatre district of mid 20th century Victoria.
There are many classic examples of great illuminated signage in Victoria's past, including the Sunbeam Bread sign that was at Douglas and Yates and the HBC sign on the Hudson's Bay building.
I really like the signage on the Scott building at Hillside and Douglas--the clock and the Columbia Fuels backlit signs. Those are exceptions though, most signs now are cheap plywood and look like they were designed by the owner's nephew.
I hate the SOFMC sign because unlike the old Memorial Arena sign, what is actually scheduled at SOFMC rarely makes an appearance. The prime goal of advertising is to communicate and that sign often seems to communicate everything but what the new arena is actually selling.