The City of Winnipeg reports that the number of homeowners who've been fined this year for failing to display their house number in the back lane has dramatically increased from 2018.

The Neighbourhood Livability bylaw says house numbers must also be displayed in back lanes. That's something many people did not know until a senior citizen was fined $200 recently and went to the media.

A City spokeswoman says that 385 homeowners have been fined to date. That's more than four times as many as the 83 who were issued citations in all of 2018.

The City says the numbers assist first responders, city staff, and the public in locating a home.

Councillor Jeff Browaty says the city should suspend fining people for the missing numbers and conduct a media campaign to inform property owners of the requirement.