STAY CONNECTED: Have the stories that matter most delivered every night to your email inbox. Subscribe to our daily local news wrap.
One of the above concepts will be chosen as the next welcome sign to Grande Prairie (Photos: City of Grande Prairie)
By Shaun Penner
Entrance Features

City requesting feedback to choose next welcome signs

Sep 9, 2019 | 2:03 PM

The City has prepared three concepts for the future entrance features that will be located to the North and West of the City and will be using public feedback on those concepts to guide council’s decision on which design to move forward with.

This request for feedback comes after a survey was held by the City this past spring on what kinds of things should be a part of the new signs. 170 people responded to that survey and provided 96 different ideas that would be important to them to be included in the new signs.

Some ideas brought forward during the survey, according to the City, were to:

  • Represent our diverse economy
  • Use three-dimensional or stand-alone text
  • Finish the sign with a metallic or stonework finish
  • Include landscaping features
  • Include a lighting feature

From those responses, the City’s graphics department has prepared three concepts that residents can decide upon which one they like best.

Concept one showcases the swan to represent Grande Prairie as the “Swan City” and has a “splash” feature to highlight industry (Photo: City of Grande Prairie)
Concept two features a stone base with raised letters. It also comes with LED lighting that can create a northern lights effect or highlight other special events (Photo: City of Grande Prairie)
Concept three is a more simple and modern design. It features raised letters and stonework finishing (Photo: City of Grande Prairie)

“It will be one of those three concepts that is being brought forward here,” said Parks Planner Lindsey Juniper. “Basically, (people will be) voting on which of those three concepts that they’re happy with.”

The survey is open until this Wednesday on the City’s engagement website.

“Once the results are in from the survey… a report will be prepared to the Community Living Committee on the 17th,” said Juniper. “I believe, at that time, council will make the decision on how to proceed from there.”

The City allocated $150,000 within this year’s capital budget to have these new signs built, as the old ones are becoming rather dated.

“The general consensus is that they no longer reflect where the city is, at this point in time,” said Senior Executive Advisor for the City Candace Bilodeau back in April. “The city has grown quite substantially; our character has changed, and I think we would like to have the opportunity to reflect that accurately.”

The plan is to have the new signs in place before the end of this construction season.

by Shaun Penner