Sylvan Lake will be following the likes of Banff, Amsterdam and Merida, Yucatan with a new sign campaign that is sure to engage residents and visitors.
Sylvan Lake Parks Manager Lee Furlotte came to Town Council Monday night with the suggestion of replacing the current Sylvan Lake sign located on the pier with something a little more eye catching.
The new signage would “revitalize” the park’s image while also encouraging photo opportunities.
The new sign will be large letters spelling out the town’s name similar to what is seen in other cities across the globe.
“Since it was installed, the City of Amsterdam says the sign has been photographed up to 8,000 times a day,” said Furlotte.
The signage is used as a tourist attraction in many cities, and tourists often line-up to take photos with the signs.
“The last time I was in Banff, I saw a long line-up of cars full of people waiting to take their picture with the sign,” said Coun. Jas Payne, who added he thought bringing it to Sylvan was a great idea.
The new campaign will cost $30,000, and is being taken out of the reserve funding for the park granted to the Town when Sylvan Lake Park was purchased earlier this year.
The design of the letters has yet to be determined, options will be given for Council to consider so that the town’s branding remains consistent.
One option was to find a way to preserve the old sign on the pier and relocated somewhere else in town.
“I’m going to be honest, I think I lived here for about five years before I noticed that it even said Sylvan Lake on it,” said Payne, who added future grad pictures will need a new location.
The plan suggested by Furlotte was to use the old sign as a base for the new sign. Though Furlotte did agree the old sign could likely be moved to a new home.
“That way we can preserve some of our past, and keep history buffs happy too,” said Mayor Sean McIntyre.
Council agree the new campaign is an “awesome idea” and carried the motion to assign $30,000 to the new campaign.
“I think this is a great idea,” said Coun. Kendall Kloss. “It will be a staple on the pier and will help bring people down to the lake.”
Kloss also added he thought the new sign campaign would work well with the winter village located on the pier over the winter months.
