Wayfaring signs come to downtown
Downtown regulars may have noticed a few new additions to the cityscape in and around the Central Business District area.
A set of signs, funded by Prince Albert’s 2016 entry into the This Place Matters campaign, have finally arrived and have been installed to help people find their way around downtown P.A.
Prince Albert participated in the This Place Matters crowdfunding campaign, put on by the National Trust for Canada. The city’s entry, put together by the Prince Albert Downtown Business Improvement District (PADBID), was out to raise $10,000. It gathered $45,585. The project was to install signs directing people to the city’s cultural assets, incorporated P.A.’s history and pointing passersby to the downtown area. A total of 12 signs direct travellers to the downtown, which has 19 signs of its own aimed to assist people to find their way to “prominent public arts and cultural spaces,” a press release said.
In addition to the directions to local landmarks, the signs contain images of Prince Albert’s historic buildings and consistent branding with the downtown logo and colours. Locations identified on the signs are the Mann Art Gallery, E.A. Rawlinson Centre, JMC Public Library, Prince Albert Arts Centre, Prince Albert Historical Museum and Memorial Square. Sign locations were chosen based on “distinctive paths” for visitors, the press release said.
“Four main access points were considered including 1st Ave East and West off of River and 15th Street,” Keri Sapsford, city transportation manager said in the press release.
“The average Prince Albert resident will have alternate routes. These signs will serve the main routes and as promotional signage to remind motorists of the destinations in the downtown core.”
PADBID executive director Carolyn Carlton was impressed with how the project turned out. She credited the hard work of previous PADBID staff to make this project happen.
“They look fantastic. They’re a great start on our next steps as to where the board sees the downtown going,” she said.
“One of the things we’re trying to create downtown is some consistency in the look of downtown in order to make the downtown feel more like a community. These sings are the start of that.”